The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran 9798986194141

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THE STRUGGLE OF IMAM KHOMEINI TO ESTABLISH ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

A collection of his 114 speeches from the start of Movement in 1962 from Qom until the success of Islamic Revolution in 1979

Revised and Edited

Dr. Abdul Latif Parsons

International Resistance Publishers

Book Title: The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran Original Source Title: Sahifeh-ye Imam English Translation / An Anthology of the Speeches of Imam Khomeini (ra) Editing and Revision: Dr. Abdul Latif Parsons Graphics and Composing: Chris Fatima Tanner Publisher: International Resistance Publishers ISBN: 979-8-9861941-4-1 Year: 2023

Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without prior written permission of International Resistance Publishers.

Front Cover: Imam Khomeini’s return after nearly 15 years of exile at the Mehrabad airport, Tehran on 1st February, 1979. Back Cover: Imam Khomeini with his son Haj Mustafa Khomeini exiled in Turkey around November, 1964. Due to secular policy of Turkish government, Imam and his son were forced to remove their amama (religious turban of scholars).

CONTENTS Editor’s Preface ...................................................................................................................................................... I Section 1: Speeches in Qom Before Exile 1st Speech ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 2nd Speech............................................................................................................................................................. 6 3rd Speech ............................................................................................................................................................. 9 4th Speech ........................................................................................................................................................... 18 5th Speech ........................................................................................................................................................... 19 6th Speech ........................................................................................................................................................... 24 7th Speech ........................................................................................................................................................... 37 8th Speech ........................................................................................................................................................... 38 9th Speech ........................................................................................................................................................... 42 10th Speech ......................................................................................................................................................... 48 11th Speech ......................................................................................................................................................... 50 12th Speech ......................................................................................................................................................... 68 13th Speech ......................................................................................................................................................... 84 Section 2: Speeches in Najaf, Iraq th 14 Speech ......................................................................................................................................................... 95 15th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 105 16th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 115 17th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 116 18th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 130 19th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 131 20th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 133 21st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 136 22nd Speech....................................................................................................................................................... 145 23rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 164 24th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 177 25th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 192 26th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 203 Section 3: Speeches in Neauphle-Le-Chateau, France th 27 Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 219 28th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 230 29th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 238 30th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 246 31st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 252 32nd Speech....................................................................................................................................................... 262 33rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 267 34th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 271

35th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 280 36th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 286 37th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 291 38th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 301 39th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 308 40th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 315 41st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 319 42nd Speech ...................................................................................................................................................... 325 43rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 329 44th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 337 45th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 342 46th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 349 47th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 355 48th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 360 49th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 370 50th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 381 51st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 387 52nd Speech ...................................................................................................................................................... 397 53rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 407 54th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 415 55th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 424 56th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 430 57th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 436 58th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 446 59th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 450 60th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 452 61st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 457 62nd Speech ...................................................................................................................................................... 461 63rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 466 64th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 473 65th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 481 66th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 487 67th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 495 68th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 496 69th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 503 70th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 507 71st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 514 72nd Speech ...................................................................................................................................................... 525 73rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 531

74th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 537 75th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 543 76th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 547 77th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 554 78th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 555 79th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 560 80th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 567 81st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 575 82nd Speech....................................................................................................................................................... 580 83rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 581 84th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 589 85th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 593 86th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 599 87th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 610 88th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 620 89th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 628 90th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 637 91st Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 639 Section 4: Speeches in Tehran, Back Home from Exile nd 92 Speech....................................................................................................................................................... 649 93rd Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 650 94th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 656 95th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 657 96th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 665 97th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 671 98th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 672 99th Speech ....................................................................................................................................................... 676 100th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 677 101st Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 678 102nd Speech..................................................................................................................................................... 680 103rd Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 682 104th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 684 105th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 686 106th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 688 107th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 690 108th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 691 109th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 694 110th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 695 111th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 696

112th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 697 113th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 699 114th Speech ..................................................................................................................................................... 700 Last Message at the Victory of Islamic Revolution ............................................................................................ 702 Index ................................................................................................................................................................. 705

EDITOR’S PREFACE All the recorded speeches of Imam Khomeini (ra) have been published twice in English by the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of the Works of Imam Khomeini and are also available on internet1. The speeches from the start of his revolutionary movement in 1962 until the dawn of success of Islamic Revolution in February 1979 were published under the title of An Anthology of the Speeches of Imam Khomeini (ra), volumes 1 – 3 in 1995. Then in 2003 whole Sahifeh-ye Imam was published in which, volumes 1- 6 have these speeches. These are also available online and in print in the 22 volume Sahifeh-ye Imam, completed in 2008. However, in addition to the speeches, the messages, letters, telegrams and other communications of Imam are all combined in the Sahifeh-ye Imam. This makes it difficult for a reader to find speeches especially at the different phases of his revolutionary movement. Thus, there was a need to separately republish Imam’s speeches from the start of his movement in October 1962 from Qom until the dawn of Islamic Revolution when he came back to Tehran on 1st February 1979 after nearly 15 years of hardships and exile. This endeavor attempts to highlight Imam’s struggle to establish Islamic Republic of Iran. The total number of Imam Khomeini’s (ra) recorded or preserved speeches from the start of his struggle until the success of Islamic Revolution is 114. To prepare this book, I have used both the above sources viz. Anthology of the Speeches (volumes 1-3) and Sahifeh-ye Imam (volumes 1-6) as there were minor differences in number of speeches and footnotes. While revising and editing the speeches for this book, the text was thoroughly checked for errors. Old and redundant footnotes were either updated or deleted, new footnotes were added as required with the passage of time or that were not found in the original versions. Sources to verses of Qur’an and Hadithes referred by Imam (ra) or added by the translators were checked and corrected wherever possible. Internet links were updated and new links to websites were added to the sources cited in the speeches and footnotes. Persian and Arabic transliteration symbols were mostly removed to facilitate easy reading by the native English readers. Similarly, spellings of names and places were corrected to match with current version of English. For better formatting, verses of the Holy Qur’an were typed in bold italics and hadiths and quoted statements in italics. In addition, places in the speeches where Imam (ra) expressed strong emotions were typed in bold fonts to attract attention of the reader. A comprehensive index was added at the end for easy search of names, places, events, terminologies and important facts mentioned in the speeches and footnotes. For the convenience of readers, Imam’s (ra) arduous journey from the beginning to the end in which he stayed at different places faced various challenges, the speeches of Imam (ra) were categorized into four sections. Section 1 has speeches from the start of his struggle in October 1962 until he was deported from Qom to Turkey in October 1964 and then to Najaf, Iran. It has 13 speeches. Section 2 has his speeches delivered in Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf during nearly 13 years of stay there starting from October 1965 until October 1978 and it has also 13 speeches. Section 3 has his speeches delivered in Neauphle-leChateau, France from October, 1978 until February 1, 1979 when he left for Tehran. Interestingly most of his speeches, totaling 64, were delivered during this short period of about 4 months. Section 4 has his speeches on his return from exile during the 10 days of struggle to overthrow the tyrant regime leading to

1

Available at: http://en.imam-khomeini.ir/en/c5_3240/Book/English/SAHIFEH-YE-IMAM

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The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

success of Islamic revolution on February 11, 1979. It has 24 speeches. At the end, I have also included his first message to the brave Iranian nation after the success of Islamic Revolution. In his speeches, Imam has particularly focused on the personalities of Imam Ali (as) and Imam Husayn (as) as role models of resistance against the tyrant rulers of their time. He then mentions diverse roles, activities and ways of struggle of all the immaculate Imams (as) from 1st Imam (Imam Ali (as)) to the 11th Imam (Imam Hassan Askari (as)) against the oppressive rulers and their cruel practices. Imam then mentions role of pro-resistance ulama (scholars) and maraji (highest religious scholars and sources of emulation) in the history until the time of defunct Pahlavi regime against the anti-religious, secular, corruptive and externally dictated policies by hegemonic powers and the practices of tyrant rulers. Imam’s (ra) style was attractive, with very common language and idioms and examples, up to dated with information for the audience on diverse topics, focusing on the important problems and actively engaging with the audience with expression of emotions in such a way that they would also respond to Imam’s (ra) views and prayers by saying ‘amen’ or ‘inshaAllah’ and also to his satiric remarks against tyrant rulers by laughter. Imam (ra) spoke to the hearts with his divinely gifted style of oration. It is of particular importance and it is evident in the that Imam (ra) spoke from the depth of his heart, from his genuine concern for the oppressed people, from his great love and attachment to God, Islam and Ahlul Bayt (as) and from the deep pain he felt in his heart for the oppressed. Thus, he was able to successfully perturb emotions of his audience to the point that people attending his speech would cry and become sad and also otherwise. This was indeed a special blessing from God to Imam (ra) in the way of truth, to help the oppressed masses and awaken the students, intellectuals, academicians and scholars. It is hoped that the readers especially the younger ones will appreciate this effort and realize how Imam Khomeini (ra) had to go through very long and tough time facing extremely harsh conditions during the reign of oppressive Pahlavi regime when he was arrested and jailed for over 10 months, then in Iraq where he was under the constant supervision of Baathist Saddam’s intelligence services. Finally, in France where he had relatively more freedom to speak out about the crimes of Pahlavi monarchy and SAVAK, the active involvement of USA, Zionist entity and their allies in the internal affairs of Iran and their conspiracies against the Muslim nation of Iran, severe oppression, torture, assassinations and suffering of common people and the devastation caused to the economy of Iran by their oppressive dictation and support for the Pahlavi regime. In these speeches, Imam (ra) has mentioned the history of world especially Islam citing various examples of oppression during different periods from early Islam to the present day and the resistance by the Prophets (as), Imams (as) and scholars throughout the history against tyrant rulers. He also highlighted the consequences of invasion and oppression by the colonialists in the underprivileged developing countries during modern history and the resistance by the scholars and intellectuals against it. The name of Imam Khomeini (ra) will always be remembered in human history as an icon of divine scholar who showed all the oppressed nations of the world by his own struggle, a bright path. He gave them hope to liberate themselves from the clutches of arrogant and oppressive governments and alliances. Imam (ra) also uncovered and revived the true Islam brought by Prophet Muhammad (s) after 14 centuries. Dr. Abdul Latif Parsons June, 2023

SECTION 1

Imam Khomeini’s Speeches in Qom before his exile to Turkey and then to Iraq These speeches started in October 1962 from his residence and later in Azam Mosque adjacent to the holy shrine of Hazrat Masumah (sa) in Qom. The last speech was delivered on 26th October, 1964 after which he was exiled to Turkey on 4th November, 1964.

1st Speech Date: October 28, 1962/Sha’ban 6, 1341 SH1/Jamadi al-Awwal 28, 1382 AH Place: Imam Khomeini’s residence, Qum Subject: The need for the Provincial and District Councils Bill to be abolished Audience: 200 merchants from Tehran Bazaar, including Mr. Nilchi Husayn; Tawfiqi; Mazahiri; Mirza Ali Pishqadam; Lutfullah, the cloth dealer; Ali-Naqi, the cloth merchant; Mirza Abbas, the cloth dealer and Jawanmard2 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Should I thank you or you should thank me? None of us expects the other’s thanks, but rather it is the religious duty of us all to articulate and urge that the Women Suffrage Bill3 not be executed; and if this law is enforced, other things will follow. What matters here is the majority’s opinion; the majority of the people in this country resent this. I ask you not to go on a public strike for the time being. May God forbid the day when there is a public strike! I pray again that they may peacefully stop doing this. God forbid the day the ulama call for a strike! What is Asadullah Alam4 going to do in this country? He will be held accountable and questioned for that later. As I hear, they had asked Amini5 to do that, but he refused and resigned. Arsanjani6 will also be brought to justice someday. If the whole world unanimously says, “It should be done!” I will still say alone that it should not be. It is not just my duty, but it is the Shah’s duty and all the people’s to say that it is not something advisable to be done. [Addressing Hujjat al-Islam Ansari, the renowned preacher of Qum:]

1 2 3 4

5

6

SH refers to Solar Hijra. Iranian Islamic Solar Calendar starts from the year of Hijrah of Prophet Mohammad (s) from Mecca to Madina in the year 622 AD. According to a special agent of the Qum Police, Imam Khomeini delivered this speech at his home on 8/6/1241 SH at 10.00 am to a gathering of about 200 tradesmen from Tehran. It refers to the Provincial and District Councils Election Bill in which women, in a show of democracy, were given the right to vote (suffrage) and to be elected. Knowing the ultimate goals of the Shah's regime, the Imam declared his objection to the ratification and enforcement of this law. Asadullah Alam (1919-1978 AD) was the Prime Minister of the time from 19 July 1962 to 7 March 1964. He insisted on ratification and enforcement of the Provincial and District Councils Election Bill. Diaries of Asadullah Alam in 7 volumes exposing corruption of Shah and Pahlavi regime were published after his death and are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Diaries-Assadollah-Alam-1346-1356-19671977/dp/1588140970 Ali Amini (1905 – 1992 AD) the Prime Minister of Iran from 1961 to 1962 before Asadullah Alam. He held several cabinet portfolios during the 1950s, and served as a member of parliament between 1947 and 1949. Amini was widely regarded as “a protégé of the United States” and a “pro-American liberal reformer”. Interestingly, his PhD in economics from Paris was related to the foreign trade monopoly in Iran. After the victory of Islamic Revolution in 1979, Amini fled to Paris. There he headed the defunct Front for the Liberation of Iran, a monarchist opposition group. He wrote his biography that was published by Harvard University. He died in Paris on 12 December 1992, aged 87 and was buried in Passy Cemetery. Hassan Arsanjani (1922 – 1969 AD), journalist, editor of (Daria) newspaper, lawyer, elected by the people in the 15th Parliament, deputy prime minister (for 4 days), leader of National Front and the Minister of Agriculture who was the executor of the Shah’s Land Reforms. He was also Iran's ambassador in Italy.

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I hear that you7 have been tongue-tied for two evenings. What is wrong with it if we are handcuffed and jailed? We are not worthier than Husayn ibn Ali (as) and Imam al-Sajjad (as), are we? This affair is being criticized all over the country now, and the people have expressed their hatred toward this decision through letters to the Shah and the administration. The law of this country is that of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as). In this country, the nominal law is the law8 of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as) and it should be preserved until the advent of the twelfth Imam. Please urge all the ulama to demand it. Mr. Behbahani’s9 messenger came to me with the assertion that His Eminence would be standing up against this issue up to the last breath. The administration should indicate and confess in the national newspapers that this principle has been disregarded and announce this publicly. I have heard that the Governor (of Qum) has said that the government has other concerns. What is more important than satisfying a population of 20 million? For, out of the 10 million woman population in Iran, there are only some one hundred promiscuous ones who agree with doing this. The public sectors should communicate their opinion to the government and Ansari is the articulated tongue of the people of Qum and he is not alone; the crowd all supports him. You should give a speech on the pulpit this evening, explaining the whole story to the people so that they might be awakened.

2nd Speech Date: November 30, 1962/Azar 9, 1341 SH/Rajab 2, 1382 AH10 Place: Qum Subject: Abolition of the Provincial and District Councils Bill Audience: A group of Tehran residents In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful “Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? Did he not bring their stratagem to naught and send against them swarms of flying creatures which pelted them with stones of the baked clay and made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?”11 After being informed that the administration has passed an enactment maintaining that the Provincial and Districts Councils Bill is not appropriate to be executed, I made sure that the issue is resolved; however, I feared again that the government was trying to deceive us and was trying to persuade the ulama somehow 7 8 9

10 11

Mr. Ansari, a preacher of Qum who was forbidden preaching by the SAVAK, the Intelligence Organization of the regime and the police headquarters at that time. It refers to the principle concerning “The supervision of five first-rate clergymen on the process of ratification of the laws”, as stipulated in the Constitutional [Mashrutah] Laws. Sayyid Muhammad Musawi Behbahani was the son of Sayyid Abdullah Behbahani (1840–1910 AD) who was one of the great ulama of Tehran and a prominent leader of the constitutional movement. He was born in Najaf and was educated by great scholars such as Murtaza Ansari. He was assassinated in 1910 and his body was transferred to Najaf and buried in the courtyard of Imam Ali Mosque. The written text of this speech was provided to the Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works by the author of Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini (A Study and Analysis of Imam Khomeini’s Movement), Sayyid Hamid Rouhani. Qur’an, 105: 1-5.

SECTION 1: Speeches in Qom before exile

7

to stop them from holding the important religious session in Sayyid Azizullah Mosque12, and I am still suspicious because the administration did not keep its promise with regard to announcing the enactment in the radio and the press. They were just afraid of that session which was to be held in Tehran. They think holding such a session takes us a lot of money, just like when they want to organize an embarrassing meeting for themselves they have to expend thousands of tumans13 to gather a few people. No, that is not the case. All the people abide by their ulama and if the ulama summon the Muslims to gather on the outskirts of Tehran, they would obey and leave their businesses. Muslims would not leave the Qur’an for worldly offices and endanger the religion of God.

FOREIGNERS AIM AT ELIMINATING THE QUR’AN AND THE COUNTRY OF MUSLIMS We have so far advised the administration and meant peace, but they deceive us. They should know that the ulama of Islam are informed men and a discerning religious person cannot keep quiet when he sees the Qur’an and religion in danger. Any Muslim who has the faintest suspicion- even one in a thousand- that the Qur’an is in danger should not keep calm. People were robbed of their resources, and endured; they were deprived of material belongings, and bore it; but now they are encroaching on the Qur’an and the Muslims’ reputation. The provinces of this country should be directed and maintained by Muslims. They wanted to surrender the destiny of the Muslims to the non-Muslims, such as the Jewish Bahais, by passing the Provincial and District Councils Bill and eliminating the prerequisite condition of ‘Islam’ for the voters and the elected. If the provinces of the country are surrendered to the non-Muslims, it is not improbable that you would hear vocalizations other than the Qur’an from their cursed throats and that would be the day we are prone to great dangers. Not only will Islam and the Qur’an be maintained, but also you will lose all your dignity. The economy, the business and the resources of the country will all be ruined. Beware, O the faithful! The foreigners are dreaming of ruining Iran and the Muslim nation. There is no hindrance to them except the Qur’an. They have ordered their agents to eliminate the Qur’an in any way they can. They are unaware of the sacred blood and invaluable lives it has cost the Muslims to protect it. It is Friday today and anyone who is listening should communicate it to the others and make people informed so that they might tell the government: “We will not readily hand over the provinces of this country to the Jews disguised as Bahais.” Beware! Great is the danger and grave is the duty. We owe a lot to the Qur’an and the religion of Islam; it would not be easy to repay. Anyway, the enemies of the religion and country should understand that they encounter a nation that possesses discerning scholars, economically educated traders, and doctors, and they will never be deceived; but they will defend Islam and their country with all their power. My faithful brothers! They have made a plaything of our national and religious sanctities. They force the press to write articles against the religion and the public interests. You can observe the newspapers are writing about the scandalous and shameful acts of Dey 1714 that has sparked the corruption everywhere. They allocate a whole page to advertising alcoholic drinks. They display symbols of sex and obscenity 12 13 14

This old mosque was built in 13th Hijri century during the kingship era of Fath Ali Shah Qajar. It is located in the Bazaar of Tehran. Every tuman is equivalent to 10 Iranian rials. Parades and celebrations were planned to commemorate 7th January 1935 (17th Dey 1314 HS), the day in the history of Iran when the law calling for the unveiling of women was implemented by Reza Khan.

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The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

everywhere in their newspapers and magazines and lead the Muslim society to immorality and indecency, but they do not include in them even a word about the Islamic laws and the public feelings.15

THE REGIME’S PLOT AGAINST THE CLERGYMEN In order to ruin the clergymen’s reputation, they dress a number of their fellows as members of the clergy and the Intelligence Organization forces the press to print their pictures and introduce them as drug dealers and malefactors so that they could discredit the clergymen. But the public and even they themselves (the government) know better that the clergymen make their own frugal living and defend Islam, independence, the reputation of Islam and Muslims and consequently they continue to be honorable in front of God and the Prophet and among themselves. Dishonorable and ashamed in front of God and the people are those who build multi-story palaces after a few days being in office and ministry and bring misery to the nation. Shame deserves those few whose16 is celebrated by the nation, I do not know what the nation will do out of happiness when they fall.

MAINTAINING THE PRESTIGE OF ISLAM AND CLERGYMEN Anyway, the ulama of Islam will not mean any harm. We are on our way to protect Qur’an and the nation and will not spare any needed efforts. I have been told by a number of people that they were ready to be killed. I told them if we see that our Qur’an is in danger, we ourselves will step forward and will not let the people volunteer. Let us be killed before our Qur’an is destroyed [the audience weeps]. We will not readily watch the honor of clergymen and Islam shattered in front of our eyes by the rule of just a few persons, or our religion and the Holy Qur’an destroyed. We are fully prepared. We should join hands and not let this ship sink. We should not permit the traitors against religion and clergymen to freely do whatever they wish; we will not, God willing; just as they have tried before many times to conspire for achieving their evil ends, but they failed. First in Qum and once again in Mashhad they ordered their agents to tell people that the issue was resolved, to stop people from uprising, but they failed.

WARNING THE SHAH So far, we have been amiable toward them and confined ourselves to advice and admonition, and did not allow the people to get furious but if someday the nation will leave their homes in fury, things will be quite different then. At that time, the soldiers will throw their bayonets away and the gendarmes will reject their rifles. The day comes when neither the palaces of Alam nor the places higher than that would be saved. I have no correspondence with the Shah, so I send him the verbal message that the country is in danger. He had better order Alam to take notice of the nation’s requests or just keep aside, letting us to negotiate with them ourselves; and if he wants to be obstinate, he should know that a group of few cannot spite a whole nation. At the end, I have to notify you of the point that the foreigners and enemies of the religion and nation who seek their interests in the elimination of the Qur’an and religiosity, mistakenly believed that they were free to achieve their vile ends and there was no force to stop them. Yet, this movement taught them that the 15 16

Ansari, A. M. The Myth of the White Revolution: Mohammad Reza Shah, “Modernization” and the Consolidation of Power. Middle Eastern Studies, 2001;37 (3):1–24. Illegible word.

SECTION 1: Speeches in Qom before exile

9

ulama of Islam and the Muslims are alive and awake and will powerfully prevent their intrusions. They are like an injured snake now, waiting for the opportunity to find the Muslims negligent in order to bite Islam and Muslims. You should be vigilant. Strengthen your unity and set protecting the Qur’an as one of your daily concerns. Beware! The Qur’an is the trust of God and the Prophet, and it has been handed down to us at the price of the Prophet’s beloved and holy person’s blood and we should protect this trust strongly and hand it to the Muslims after us. We are in the Presence of God. If we fall short, we are guilty in front of the Exalted Truth. You are like our brothers and children and we mean good to you. You are uncomfortable and our house is small. You took the trouble and I could not even entertain you as my guests. I pray for you and all the Muslims in this Friday evening. May the Lord offer you all good in this world and in the hereafter! O God! Grant glory to Islam and its followers and bring despise to atheism and its followers. O God! Bring disgrace to whoever disgraces Islam and the Muslims. O God! Bring their stratagem to naught. O God! Send against them swarms of flying creatures, and pelt them with stones of baked clay. O God! Make them like green crop devoured (by cattle).17

3rd Speech Date: Before noon, December 2, 1962/Azar 11, 1341 SH/Rajab 4, 1382 AH Place: Azam Mosque, Qum Subject: The deplorable socio-political conditions and announcement of the Shia clergy services and struggles; the anti-religious policy of the Shah regime Occasion: The commencement of lessons at the Qum theological center after the conclusion of the Provincial and District Council disturbances Audience: The ulama, instructors and students of religious sciences and residents of Qum In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE UPRISING OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL (AS) AGAINST MU’AWIYAH18 ... meanwhile this was a necessary reminder that all governments should heed. From the advent of Islam, Muslims have been the guardians of the true religion of Islam even when they lost their rights for the sake of protecting the religion. Hazrat Amir al-Mu’minin, the Commander of the Faithful (as), co-operated with 17 18

Allusion to Qur’an, 105: 1-5. Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan was the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty (40 AH/662 AD), who ruled the Muslim world after the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib and the five-month rule of the second Imam, Hasan ibn Ali (as). As the founder of the Umayyad dynasty (Bani Umayyah, the name of the tribe to whom he belonged), Mu’awiyah revived hereditary monarchy and aristocracy in sharp contrast and opposition to the fundamental precepts of Islam. History is replete with innumerable instances of cruelty and oppression perpetrated in the world of Islam during the reign of the Umayyads including the murder, banishment and imprisonment of the followers of the Prophet's Progeny [Ahl al-Bayt (as)] as epitomized by the tragedy in Karbala (61 AH) and destruction and desecration of Madina and Holy Kaaba in Mecca during the reign of Mu’awiyah's son and self-appointed second Umayyad caliph, Yazid.

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The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

the caliphs because they outwardly followed the religious precepts, and chaos did not prevail until Mu’awiyah came to power and he deviated from the path and customs of the caliphs and transformed the caliphate into a monarchy. Under such circumstances, Imam Ali (as) had no choice but to rise up against him, for according to the rules of religion and logic, he could not tolerate Mu’awiyah to remain in that post for a single day. Those of his advisers who out of ignorance advised Imam Ali (as) to wait until his rule became stronger and then depose Mu’awiyah did not know that had he waited, he would have met with objections from the Muslims and after strengthening his position, he would not have been able to dismiss Mu’awiyah.19 Nowadays, there may be some uninformed people who believe it would have been better if Imam Ali (as) had made his position stronger and then deposed Mu’awiyah, but they are mistaken. Thus, when Imam Ali (as) realized that a cruel government was coming to power, revolt was a divine duty and he carried it out. In this way, too, the infallible Imams revolted; even if they were few in number, they would fight to death in order to carry out their religious duties. Whenever one of the Imams saw that revolt was not appropriate, he stayed at home and propagated Islam instead. This was the way from the beginning of Islam.

ACTION OF MIRZA THE GREAT The ulama and leaders of Islam have always advised the people to maintain their composure. It was not so long ago that Mirza the Great, the late Haj Mirza Muhammad Hasan Shirazi20 lived. He was a great intellectual thinker who lived in Samarra’21 and although he advocated quietism and reconciliation, when he realized that Islam was in danger and the cruel king at that time wanted to wipe out Islam by using foreign companies, this old man sitting in a small city with only three hundred of tullab (seminary students) around him was forced to admonish the despotic king. His writings have been preserved. That king did not listen and with offensive and impolite statements he defied the lofty position of this great scholar until the latter was forced to say a word so that independence could be restored.

19

20

21

Mu’awiyah opposed the expulsion order. Mughira ibn Shu’bah and Ibn Abbas (Imam Ali's cousin) did not agree with Mu’awiyah's expulsion and recommended that Imam Ali (as) be lenient and condescending for two years until the people of Syria swore allegiance to him, and then take action against him. But Imam Ali (as) would not accept that Mu’awiyah rule over the lives and wealth of the Muslim people for even a short period of time. Mirza Muhammad Hassan Shirazi (1812- 1894 AD), better known as Mirza Shirazi the Great I, was the most learned marja' of his era and was one of the highest ranking ulama. He issued the famous order for the tobacco boycott. Early in his life he left Shiraz and went to study with the ulama in Isfahan; from there he went to Iraq (to the Atabat, i.e. the major centers of Shia learning in Iraq: the holy shrines in Karbala, Najaf and Kazmayn). There he studied under Shaykh Murtaza Ansari, before he himself began to teach. During the period that he was marja’ at-taqlid in 1891, the Qajar Shah, Nasiruddin, signed a contract with an English company granting it a fifty-year monopoly over the distribution and exportation of tobacco. As concern over the concession swept through the country, Ayatullah Shirazi issued a fatwa stating that the use of tobacco in whatever form was forbidden [haram] and was tantamount to declaring war with Imam of the Time (the Twelfth Imam) in order to curtail the spread of British influence in the country. Consequently, Nasiruddin Shah was faced with no alternative but to annul the concession. The city of Samarra' is of interest to Muslims and is a famous place of Shia pilgrimage. This city is located in Iraq, 120 km north of Baghdad and lies on the east bank of the Tigris River. Several times the ancient city of Samarra' has been destroyed and rebuilt. It is the burial site of Imam Ali an-Naqi (as), the tenth Imam, and Imam Hasan al-Askari (as), the eleventh Imam. There is also a famous basement there which is said to be the place where the twelfth Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (may God expedite his glorious advent) went into occultation. The ancient name of this city was “Surra man ra'a,” which means “Whoever sees it shall be gladdened”.

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After realizing that Iraq was exposed to danger, the late Mirza Muhammad-Taqi Shirazi22 spoke out in support of the Arabs and changed matters. If he had not done so, Iraq would have been destroyed. All Muslim states are indebted to this group of men (the clergymen); it is they who, up until now, have guarded their independence. They are one of the resources of the Islamic countries, and it is through their counsel that arrogant people are silenced. By the same token, when the clergymen see that Islam is in danger they strive as much as possible and if they feel that by making issues public knowledge, by giving speeches and sending messages the danger can be averted, so be it, but if not they have no choice but to rise up and take action. The clergymen wish to see harmony and unity exist among all Muslims; however, they can only maintain their silence insofar as national independence is not endangered by things that even the government may be unaware of or may not understand. These duties are determined by religion, it is not that the ulama say something of their own accord; this kind of uprising is that which is stipulated by religion and the Holy Qur’an.

DIVINE GRACE FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SHAH On the evening before the people were to go to the Sayyid Azizullah Mosque to pray for the awakening of the government,23 I was informed that the state was planning to resist. Under such circumstances, I realized that the ulama had another duty. I made the final decision while praying24 and beseeching the Almighty God and I told no one, but God was gracious towards the Shah, the state and the nation. If, God forbid, any disrespect had been aimed at the ulama of Tehran, I would have made a grave decision, but around midnight, the administration realized that it could not withstand the power of the people, and that same night it took a document from the great ulama of Tehran so that the problem would be resolved.25 The following morning

22

Mirza Muhammad-Taqi Shirazi (1840 - 1921 AD), better known as Mirza Mujahid al-Thani, was a senior Iranian-Iraqi jurist and political leader. He was also one of the great Shia marja' and student of Mirza Shirazi the Great. He (after Ayatullah Sayyid Kazim Tabatabai) led the Iraqi revolt of 1920 against British rule in Iraq at the end of the First World War. His requisition reads as follows: “It is the religious duty of the Iraqi people to demand their rights.”

23

The numerous telegrams sent from the ulama to Alam's government requesting the abolition of the Provincial and District Councils Bill and the government's refusal to reply, forced the clergy of Tehran to seek assistance from Almighty God and in order to remind the people of important matters they decided to hold a gathering at the Sayyid Azizullah Mosque on Thursday morning, November 29, 1962 (Azar 8, 1341 SH). This information was disseminated among the people by way of leaflets. The great elderly clergymen Ayatullah Behbahani and Ayatullah Tonekaboni decided to remain in the Sayyid Azizullah Mosque until the Provincial and District Councils Bill was annulled. This news caused public uproar, and the pious people, who could not bear to see their marja' and religious leaders inconvenienced and dissatisfied in this way, decided to join them in the mosque to express their opposition to the government. The Sayyid Azizullah Mosque is one of the major mosques in Tehran and was an Islamic revolutionary base during the time of the resurgence and is located within Tehran's main bazaar.

24 25

Praying and weeping. As the Provincial and District Councils disturbances continued and the ulama of Tehran issued an invitation to the people to join them in a protest gathering at the Sayyid Azizullah Mosque on November 29, 1962 (Azar 8, 1341 SH), Alam's government felt increasingly threatened. That same night it held a meeting during which the Provincial and District Councils Bill was rescinded and notification was sent to the ulama of Tehran. Also, in order to prevent the prayer gathering of the next day, the government decided to send Imad Turbati, the Prime Minister's representative, in the middle of the night to the homes of the respected clergymen Behbahani, Khwansari, Amoli, Tonekaboni, to obtain their signatures at the bottom of a document declaring the cancellation of the aforementioned gathering. At 5 am this document was distributed in the Tehran Bazaar and the surrounding streets. It stated: “The Prime Minister has announced that the bill concerning the election for Provincial and District Councils which was ratified by the government will not be implemented. Therefore,

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The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

a telegram also arrived in Qum while I was at Mr. Shariatmadari’s home.26 The telegram was a good sign, but there was fear of deceit until news of the annulment of the Provincial and District Councils Bill was published in the newspapers after several communications between here and Tehran.27 However, they are not finished speaking yet.

ANTI-QUR’ANIC LAWS ARE ILLEGAL Concerning these municipality laws that, he claims, have been accepted by the ulama, they have not been accepted, they have been objected to. Furthermore, the laws governing the Provincial and District Councils cannot be compared with those for the municipalities, which are said to be “similar”, and to make such a comparison is erroneous.28 However, in both cases, being male and Muslim has been included and stipulated in the text of the law. In addition to this, we are the ones to compel them to uphold what they themselves are committed to.29 Not that the constitutional law is complete and final in our opinion, but if the ulama refer to the law it is because of the second article of the amendment to the Constitution which invalidates

26

thanks to all the Muslims’ efforts, the gathering on Thursday, Rajab 1, (November 29) which was supposed to be held in the Sayyid Azizullah Mosque is no longer necessary.” The telegram containing the news of the abolition of the Provincial and District Councils Bill was sent to Sayyid Kazim Shariatmadari and the great Ayatullahs Golpaygani and Najafi-Mar’ashi in Qum from the Prime Minister's palace. Refraining from sending a telegram to Imam Khomeini was evidence of the regime's anger regarding his stance.

27

Even though the government had promised to publish news of the bill's annulment in the newspapers, it considered it sufficient merely to send telegrams to the great maraji' and ulama. This greatly angered the Imam and the other clergymen. Thus, by sending a letter and special messenger to Tehran and other cities, Imam requested that the clergy continue in their opposition until news of the annulment be published in the newspapers. This action forced the Prime Minister to announce the abolition of the bill during an interview on December 1, 1962 (Azar 10, 1341 SH). After this, the newspaper headlines read: “The government has revoked the bill dated October 6, 1962 (Mehr 14, 1341 SH).”

28

After the clergy and the people had waited one month for an answer regarding the government's opinion, on Monday, October 14, 1962 (Mehr 22, 1341 SH) the Prime Minister in a telegram to Sayyid Kazim Shariatmadari and the Grand Ayatullahs Najafi-Mar’ashi and Golpaygani stated: “... concerning the government's silence on the issue of the non-participation of women in the Provincial and District Councils, I must remind the worthy gentlemen that the conditions concerning this bill are the same as those which apply to the elections for the town councils' bill which was ratified seven years ago and to which no opposition has ever been raised.” Imam Khomeini in reply to questions put to him by the merchants and businessmen of Qum regarding his views on the Prime Minister's interview dated December 12, 1962 (Azar 21, 1341 SH) rejected Alam’s claims concerning the similarity of the bill with the town council bill. His statements in this regard were later published as his declaration in reply to the Prime Minister. See Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 3, pp. 112- 115. This phrase is contained in the irrevocable law and is one of the major rules of religious jurisprudence, according to which in legal and juristic issues the people are expected to comply with the precepts of their religion and the laws which they themselves have chosen. Imam's intention here is to draw attention to the contradictory nature of the Provincial and District Councils Bill with the constitutional law which the government is bound to. By referring to the aforesaid rule, he emphasized that his words did not constitute a recognition of the legitimacy of the constitutional or any other law, for that came from the law's compliance with the laws of the religion. For further information concerning irrevocable laws see Wasa’il al-Shia, vol. 15, Kitab at-Talaq, Abwab Muqaddamat wa Shara’itah, chap. 30.

29

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13

the legality of any law which opposes the Holy Qur’an.30 For we do not concern ourselves with these laws,31 we are concerned only with the Islamic laws. The ulama of Islam are interested in the laws of the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet and Imams, anything that agrees with the Qur’an we will humbly submit to and anything which is incompatible with the religion and violates the Islamic laws, be that the constitutional law or even international laws, we will oppose.32

BRAWL IS PEACEFULLY ENDED WITH THE EFFORT OF THE ULAMA Praise be to God the matter is now over; Mr. Asadullah Alam was warned that this matter must be ended and thanks to God it has ended. We are grateful that (praise be to God) it ended without a battle or war, without a drop of blood being shed. Such a matter, which could have ended in a great national uprising and could have moved nomads, ended with not even one person being slapped! During small, local uprisings and wars which involve thousands of people often a few are killed, and several are wounded, it is not possible that during an uprising of twenty million not even one person’s nose bleeds! The state does not realize who prevented chaos or battle from occurring. They should come and see what has been written in the letters we have received and what has been said by the people who came to talk to us.33 They came to us with tears in their eyes, “Give us an order, a word from you that our souls will have everlasting life and see what happens.” We told them that we did not ask that of them. But if a single word had been issued, there would have been an explosion. Who put out this fire? Why does the state not want to believe this? Why is it trying with all its might to destroy this great force (the clergy) which is the support of the independence of the country? God knows I am filled with sorrow. It is the clergy who have adapted to this situation and are serving the independence of this country. Why does the government not understand what it has done to our education? Why does it not rely on the clergy? Why does the world become

30

The second amendment to the constitutional law declared that: “The Holy National Consultative Assembly, which has been established through the assistance and favor of the twelfth Imam (may God expedite his glorious advent), should not at any time allow any of its articles of laws to contradict the rules of Islam or the laws of Hazrat Khayr al-Anam (the Best of Beings) (i. e., Prophet Muhammad (s)). It is obvious that the responsibility for determining which laws are at variance with the laws of Islam is and has been with the most learned ulama, (may God prolong their beneficial existence). Therefore, it is officially decided that in any period of time a group of not less than five Islamic jurisprudents (mujtahids and fuqaha) who are aware of current events will be selected to do this. Thus, the most learned ulama and maraji' at-taqlid will introduce twenty names from amongst the ulama, who are qualified, to the National Consultative Assembly. Five or more will be chosen by unanimous vote or by drawing lots, and will be recognized as members so that all the articles proposed to the Majlis are carefully analyzed and negotiated, and every article which is at variance with the holy laws of Islam is rescinded. The vote of this group of ulama must be obeyed and followed, and this article is irrevocable until Imam Mahdi's appearance.”

31 32

Meaning that we will not accept any law except Islamic law, the laws of the Constitution which follow religious law are accepted by us. The Shah and Alam's government wanted to pass the Provincial and District Councils Bill and violate Islam and the Constitution in the name of progress and using the excuse of the prevailing circumstances and their international obligations. The Shah in answer to a telegram sent by the maraji' announced these changes to be trivial and to have arisen from the current situation. In one of his speeches, Alam, while condemning any revolt, implicitly described the current activities of the ulama as being reactionary measures and added that the wheels of time could not be turned back and the government would not change its mind concerning the reform programs. The high-ranking ulama of the theology centers inside the country, clergymen, scholars, preachers, merchants, tradesmen and religious groups supported the actions of the maraji' of Qum for the abolition of the Provincial and District Councils Bill in successive letters, telegrams and papers which contained thousands of signatures. They regularly expressed to the Shah and the government, and especially the maraji', the aversion and apprehension of the local citizens concerning the bill, and requested the abolition of the bill.

33

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The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

devastated,34 with the death of one scholar but when the government fails, the people celebrate?35 The government should be such that if it suffers a failure the people mourn and rise up to protect it.

THE CLERGY AS THE BACKBONE OF THE COUNTRY It cannot attract support itself, maybe it could if the people saw that it wanted what was best for Muslims; if the people saw that the government protected the interests of the Muslims, they would buy bonds and sell their homes and use the money for the good of the Muslims. Why is the press allowed to say such things?36 Why are they so discourteous and unjust? If the clergymen were to go,37 the country would have no backbone. Why is the press free to say whatever it wants (against the clergy)?38 Why the events of January 7 (Dey 17) are freely celebrated?39 These things create hatred. Do not make the country’s king hated. We advise you not to turn January 7 into a day of celebration.40 We believe this to be a heinous act. Protect this country. The events of January 7 do not signify progress. The progress of a nation lies with its universities and look at what you have done to them.

34 35

36 37

It refers to the funeral and burial ceremony of the great Shia Authority, Ayatullah Burujerdi, the death of whom millions of Shia Muslims throughout the world mourned. It refers to the defeat of Alam's government by the clergy over the Provincial and District Councils Bill. After its annulment, people in many cities put up lights and celebrated the victory of Islam and the clergy. Some of the poets even composed poems to mark the occasion. To see the role of the leadership of Imam Khomeini at that time refer to the poem on page 205 in the book Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, vol. 1. Also see Nah-at-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 3, pp. 185- 193. The Imam's criticism is aimed at the freedom allowed the press at that time to speak about the clergy and sacred things in an insolent manner. The government-controlled press wrote: “If the ulama are against the progress and advancement which His Highness proclaims, then they can leave the country.”

38

The Pahlavi regime used propaganda and false rumor in its fight against the clergy in the Provincial and District Councils Bill disturbances in order to make the clergy and the maraji''s non-reactionary struggle look despicable and portray the clergy's uprising as being instigated by the feudal landowners and capitalists, and in this way turn the peasants against the clergy. The magazine Kh’sheh wrote: “One of the great landowners living abroad has sent large sums of money from Europe as Sahm-e Imam money to be put at the disposal of the clergy so that they can take action on behalf of the landowners.”

39

After the Constitutional Revolution from the middle of 1927, some circles close to Reza Khan began talking about the forced removal of the women's Islamic veil (kashf-e hijab) and by the New Year of 1928 [1307 SH], Reza Khan's wife and daughters appeared in public without the Islamic covering. The law calling for the removal of hijab was implemented after Reza Khan's return from Turkey (in 1934) on January 7, 1935/Dey 17, 1341 SH. On this day, Reza Khan, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, attended the opening ceremonies for a college along with his ministers and their wives who had removed their Islamic covering. At this ceremony, Reza Khan addressed the women saying: “We have broken the prison bars! Now the freed prisoners can make beautiful homes instead of cages.” See Hijab wa Kashf-e Hijab dar Iran, Khatirat-e Taj as-Saltanah. Following the regime's defeat in the Provincial and District Councils Bill disturbances, the government tried to distract public attention from this disgrace by making plans to commemorate January 7, 1935/Dey 17, 1341 SH and turn it into a day of national celebration employing women of doubtful propriety and women with connections to imperialist circles who planned a parade, celebrations and demonstrations. When Imam became aware of the decision, he sent a message to government officials stating that if the government decided to carry out its demonstration on January 7, the ulama would announce a national day of mourning in commemoration of the disaster at the Goharshad Mosque and would request the public to stop work and participate in a street demonstration to express their hatred of those who caused that bloody disaster. This message was so effective that the regime was forced to change its plans.

40

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15

A HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY, YET IN NEED OF FOREIGN ASSISTANCE For over a hundred years, we have had universities and yet when a king wants to have a tonsillectomy we must bring a doctor here from another country. Foreigners must build the Karaj Dam.41 Foreigners must come even to build a road. Do international obligations demand this? If you have doctors and engineers you have education. If you say you have education, you have wealth, you have students, and you have doctors and engineers, so why do you hire them from outside the country? Why do you pay foreigners a hundred thousand tumans a month?! Answer this! If you have no answer, then pity this country! For a hundred years it has had universities but it has no doctors, no engineers.

DISTORTING THE AIMS OF THE CLERGY This is what the clergymen have to say. The clergy are not against the economic development of this country, they have been slandered. For five hundred years, the clergymen have administered and protected the entire world.42 One only needs to look at history. Even though the caliphs themselves were oppressors, they governed the world through an Islamic system. Does Islam not have a way for development? Which economic matter did the ulama oppose? You wanted to build dams; did they stand in your way? You wanted to import industries, did they stop you? We said, “Do not destroy the steel plant”. Do you think that we do not know what you have done to the Karaj Steel Plant?43 The ulama are not against independence; the creed of the ulama is independence and religion demands that we call for it. But we have no means at our disposal; we do not govern the newspapers, and they have introduced the ulama in an unfavorable light.

THE OUTCOME OF THE ALLEGED EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN Twenty odd years have passed since the scandalous forced removal of the Islamic veil (kashf-e hijab) took place.44 Check and see what you have done. You have put women into the offices, and every office they have been put into has become paralyzed. For the moment, this is not a common practice, the ulama say, “Do not let it become so; do not spread it to the provinces”. If women are put into an organization, it will upset conditions there. Do you want women to provide your independence?45 Those that you follow are exploring space while you fool around with (the rights of) your women. Do not present your ulama

41

42 43

44 45

The Karaj Dam was built on the Karaj River, seventeen kilometers from Karaj, sixty-three kilometers from Tehran, in December 1958 [Azar 1337 SH]. Initial construction work began in 1952 [1331 SH], then in 1956 [1335 SH] the International Engineering Company [Harza] was assigned to the project. After the foreign consulting engineers accepted Harza's proposals, the dam's building contract was ratified by the Planning Organization. It means the period of Islam's power to the 4th and 5th centuries after hijrah (i.e., 11th and 12th centuries AD). Reza Khan, who dreamt of attaining power similar to that of Hitler's Germany, ordered the construction of a steel mill by the German company Krupp. The Krupp Co. chose the Karaj River as a suitable area to build the factory because it was near the Alborz mines. Most of the equipment and tools needed to build the factory were brought in from Germany at great expense and taken to the Karaj area. But after Iran was occupied by the Allied Forces, not only did the Germans stop working and sending the remainder of the equipment but it is said that they made the Iranian government destroy the equipment they had already sent. In this way, great sums of money paid by the oppressed people of Iran were completely wasted. Twenty-seven years had passed since the issuance of the decree for the removal of the Islamic covering [kashf-e hijab] up until the time of this speech. The Shah's emphasis on the presence of women in the offices was merely to cloak imperialist Western policies, spread corruption, narcotize the youth and promote Western culture. The status of women was lowered during the time of Reza Khan and his son, first by British and then American schemes which isolated Muslim women from social activities.

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unfavorably to the world. This is a shameful act on your part. These are the problems, this is the advice, but what good is it? Those who should hear it are not here, and even if there were someone here who could make the government understand that which pains our hearts, he would not do so.

DUTY OF THE ULAMA: PRESERVING THE PRESTIGE OF ISLAM But you the clergymen, your responsibility, at any post which you might hold is to guard Islam’s reputation. If even one of your people acts dishonorably, the ulama in general will be seen in an unfavorable light. Just because others speak unfavorably, do not present yourselves in a bad light.

INSIGNIFICANCE OF THE OUTWARD DEFEAT Our involvement in these events has brought about some sweet experiences and some bitter ones. We have just mentioned the sweet ones, which were the sentiments of the people, may God grant them predominance and victory. The bitter ones came from the actions of a few people, may God forgive them.46 It is God’s will that the life and independence of the nation lies in your hands. Whatever happens is either for or against you. If events go against you, do not let this defeat you psychologically. An outward defeat is not important, what is important is a psychological defeat. If a person is defeated spiritually, he is as good as dead. For you that have support from God, you that are the clergy, you that your hearts are otherworldly, there is no defeat in this world; this world is nothing, whosoever is connected to God, he shall never suffer defeat. Defeat belongs to those whose aspirations are worldly. When one’s aspirations are of this world, one shall be defeated. If one’s aspirations are the unseen and the mysteries behind it, there is no failure. Failure is for the desperate, it belongs to those who trust the Devil and to those whose hearts have been filled with love for the wealth of this world. If you are defeated in some way, your hearts should be strong, stand firm until the last person. Do not believe that if so-and-so fails, it is finished. No! You are a monotheist. You are a Muslim. You are connected to God and God cannot be defeated. “Do not weaken or grieve: you shall have the upper hand, should you be faithful.”47

EDUCATION AS THE GREATEST WORSHIP If you win, do not lose your heads, be strong. You should neither be filled with fear nor be too daring. It is not right now to shout obscenities at the administration. You are above saying that which is unbefitting your position. From today, we are setting about our business. Over the two months since this event occurred, we have not been able to work properly, there were nights when I slept for only two hours. From now on, we should occupy ourselves with studying which is greater than any other means of worship, if the heart is pure. Once again if we see a foreign devil focusing on our nation, we will act in the same way, the state will be the same and the nation will be the same.

46

47

After the abolition of the Provincial and District Councils Bill, some of the ulama considered the struggle over and in a telegram to the Shah, thanked him for repealing the bill. However, the Imam was convinced that the struggle must continue until news of the bill's annulment was printed in the newspapers. This difference of opinion resulted in contradictory rumors and news which confused many people. The people went to Qum to clarify their obligations and the Imam gave the government the ultimatum that it must announce the annulment of the bill in the national newspapers. Qur’an, 3: 139

SECTION 1: Speeches in Qom before exile

17

THE CLERGY BACK UP THE PEOPLE Such a gathering which is costly for others can be arranged by us with a single word. The people realize that we are their friends, and they are fond of their friends. The clergymen are the fathers of the people, and they are fond of their children. In the middle of the night, an old man48 announces, “Let us gather and pray and Tehran moves!” Another old man here writes, “We want to have a prayer gathering and see what happens!” Why? Because the people perceive that the ulama have their best interests at heart, the ulama are righteous people; they are not corrupt. We would like the state to be like this also. We would like it when a day of national mourning is announced, everyone mourns, and they do not oppose it. And just as the hearts of the people are attentive to the clergymen and gather at their bidding, we would like them to be like this also with the government.

ADMONISHING THE SHAH From Shahr-e-Rey, they wrote, “We are five thousand people clad in shrouds.” From Japalaq,49 “We are one hundred thousand individuals awaiting your orders.” From Lorestan, they wrote, “We are tribes ready with our shrouds.” The people are awakened. Can a nation which is awakened be backward? Get rid of your weapons and then in Tehran, for example, announce that you will hold a gathering in the east, and we will announce one in the west; announce a gathering in Qum and we will announce one twelve kilometers from there in Khak Faraj50; you hold one close by and we will hold one far away. Go to Khuzestan, anywhere, and do the same so that you will see just how important this support is for you. I advise the king of this nation not to lose this force. Two events occurred; one was the death of Ayatullah Burujerdi51 and the other was the death of one of their people; and we all saw what happened. They say the akhunds are nothing. How can they say this?! You say that you do not have anything to do with the akhunds,52 well the akhunds have something to say to you! Religious counsel is compulsory; to abandon it might even be a capital sin. It is the duty of the ulama to counsel everyone throughout the nation, from the Shah down.

THE WAY TO WIN HEARTS This is the way to the people’s hearts; the Muslim people’s hearts will be won over through Islam. We understand what makes their hearts beat, the hearts of the Muslim people must be attracted by means of

48

It refers to the elderly clergymen such as Ayatullah Tonakaboni and Ayatullah Behbahani who were over ninety years of age.

49 50 51

Japalaq is an area in Isfahan. Khak Faraj: one of Qum local areas. Ayatullah Burujerdi [1873- 1961 AD] was the leader of the theological center of Qum (after Ayatullah Ha’iri), founder of the Azam Mosque of Qum, and highest ranking Shia marja' at-taqlid (since September 1941 [Shahrivar 1320 SH]) during the reign of Muhammad Reza Shah. After his preliminary studies in Burujerd, he went to Isfahan and taught religious jurisprudence and philosophy there for eight years. He then studied for another eight years with akhund Muhammad Kazim Khorasani in Najaf. He returned to Iran and began teaching logic and doctrinal scriptures in Burujerd. In 1944 [1323 SH], he was invited to Qum by Imam and the other ulama. The defeat of the constitutional movement and events such as the execution of Shaykh Fazlullah Nuri, as well as the troubles arising from unsuccessful political actions taken against Reza Khan, led Ayatullah Burujerdi to avoid involvement in political matters wherever possible, out of fear that such involvement would prove to be detrimental to the Muslims. For this reason, he was sometimes the object of criticism. In order to take advantage of the reputation of this great man, Muhammad Reza would visit him frequently and in a show of piety for the people would announce his readiness to disseminate Islam.

52

One of the Shah's statements.

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Islam for “without doubt in the remembrance of God, do hearts find satisfaction”.53 All hearts are in God’s hands. The converter of all hearts is God. Focus your attention on God so that the hearts of the people will focus on you. The people of learning do this; you (the statesmen) must also be like this. We are not saying, “Wear a turban;” rather, we say, “Come to understand that which the clergymen have understood.” We say the government should govern the people well so that they would understand that the government has their best interests at heart. But if the people see that is not how it really is, they will begin to ask, “When will this government be destroyed?” O government, O wretched ones! The conquest of a country is nothing and fortunately you have not achieved this, what is important is the conquest of hearts. If you want to, then do it. If not, do not do so. It is up to you.54 May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

4th Speech Date: February 26, 1963/Esfand 7, 1341 SH/Shawwal 1, 1382 AH Place: Qum Subject: The need to resist against the regime’s illegal acts Occasion: The arrival of Eid al-Fitr Audience: A group of tullab, clergy, residents of Qum, and pilgrims visiting the holy shrine of Hazrat Fatima al-Masumah (sa) In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

FAILURE OF THE SHAH’S REFERENDUM ... Respected men, whatever your position, make a determined stand against the illegal and sacrilegious activities of this government. Do not let these rusty bayonets frighten you, they will soon be broken. This government cannot oppose the demands of a great nation with bayonets, and sooner or later it will be defeated. Even now it is defeated and hopeless; the uncivilized acts that you have witnessed were exercised out of hopelessness. We did not wish the regime to be brought to this level of disgrace. Why must the king of a nation be so detached from the people that when he makes a suggestion the people ignore him or respond negatively? A king must behave in such manners that when he makes a suggestion or a request the people agrees to it whole-heartedly, not rise up against it. The Shah’s referendum enjoyed the support of no more than 2, 000 people in the whole country. We did not want the leaders of this country to ever become so disgraced.

INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE BAYONETS This should serve as a lesson to make them awaken and change their policy. Instead of breaking the law and sending the ulama and other respected citizens to prison, instead of bullying and using bayonets, they 53 54

Qur’an, 13:28 This was said in admonition.

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should yield to the wishes of the people and realize that they cannot silence the people or make them surrender with bayonets, nor can they use coercion to prevent the clergymen from performing the duties with which Islam has charged them. Even though they stopped Mr. Islami from speaking out on the pulpit in Tehran55, they saw how he spoke out on the pulpit in Bandar Pahlavi56 and revealed the truth there. Moreover, if they had stopped him speaking there, he would have continued elsewhere, has no doubt about that. Wherever he could, he would get his message across to the people. Even though they have prevented many ulama and preachers from speaking out by putting them in prison, the remaining clergymen who have not been arrested will speak out and will make the people aware of what is happening. Do you honestly believe that you can silence the clergymen?

5th Speech Date: March 20, 1963/Esfand 29, 1341 SH/Shawwal 23, 1382 AH Place: Azam Mosque, Qum Subject: The imperialist plots against Islam; the grave duty of religious scholars Occasion: Arrival of Nouruz festival, 1342 SH Audience: A group of the clergy, tullab and people of Qum In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

DECLARING A NATIONAL MOURNING This year,57 we have no New Year festivities and we declare it a national mourning not because it coincides with the martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Sadiq (as); Hazrat does have a lofty and exalted standing; both his birth and martyrdom improved and consolidated Islam. As Sayyid ibn Tawus (may God’s blessings be upon him) said: “Martyrdom of (the likes of) Imam al-Sadiq must be commemorated.”58 We are mournful this New Year for the catastrophes and harms brought upon Islam. This year59 was a good one neither for Muslims nor for the clergy. Islam was violated in the past year. The ulama of the religion and the clergy were humiliated and disgraced. The imperialists made plots against Islam in the past year; the defiled agents of imperialism insulted the Qur’an, made plans for abolishing the luminous laws of the Qur’an; they made plans and set plots. If the Muslims do understand what plots and plans are going on against the dignity of Islam, the welfare of the Muslim nations and independence of Muslim countries, they 55

Haj Shaykh Abbas Ali Islami, a renowned preacher and scholar was prohibited from speaking out from the pulpit during this time. He travelled secretly to the north of Iran and enlightened congregations from the pulpit in Bandar Anzali during Ramazan, 1963. He was then expelled from Anzali; however, he continued his activities and travelled undercover throughout Iran in different cities.

56

It refers to Bandar Anzali which had been named “Bandar Pahlavi” during the Pahlavi era.

57 58

Nouruz (the beginning of Iranian New Year festival) 1342 SH. It refers to a quotation from Sayyid ibn Tawus (1193-1266 AD), who was a Shiite jurist, theologian, historian and astrologer his book alLuhuf 'ala Qatlay al-Tufuf, published by Dar al-Uswat-u li’t-Tiba’ah wa’n-Nashr, first edition, p. 83. The year 1341 SH/1962 AD, in which the affairs concerning the illegal Provincial and District Councils Bill and the show-off referendum by the Shah took place.

59

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will never celebrate a New Year, but rather they will rise up according to their religious duties. The ulama and the Muslim nations are shouldering a heavy duty. It is everybody’s duty to defend Islam, to stand up against conspiracies and oppose them. Those who do not rise up, do not oppose the dangers threatening Islam, or do not defend it, are among the dead.

THE SEMINARIES, STRONGHOLDS FOR DEFENDING ISLAM The Islamic clergy has been serving Islam and the Muslims until this moment in the history of its brilliant existence, and have struggled and fought to defend the religion of God and the rights of the nations. They have made people aware of the dangers threatening Islam and the independence of the Muslim countries whenever the occasion arose. They have never stepped back and kept silent facing the pressures, oppressions and threats directed to them by the despotic rulers and tyrants, and have not given up the pursuit of their obligation and have not surrendered to the tyrants, facing terror and threat. It is not possible to terrorize the clergymen with threats and bullying them into accepting the dominance and power of the despotic and oppressors. The clergymen do not fear the bayonet of the tyrants and villains, and will not give up their duty. “Lo! Those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised.”60 So why should we fear and what for to grieve; they are not humans, not even worthy to be afraid of. What can they threaten to do to us? The clergymen need not to be afraid of anything; they should not be frightened by the hollers, savagery and uproar of a bunch of ruffians and hooligans. The clergymen should sacrifice even their last drop of blood for Islam, for the Qur’an and for exalting the Word of Allah. If some day- may God forbid- there is going to be no Islam, no laws of the Holy Qur’an, and the Ja’fari (that of Imam Ja’far Sadiq) creed is going to be made unofficial in the country, we will not need the clergy at all, (then) we will not want the seminaries to be. We need the seminaries for protecting Islam, promoting divine and Qur’anic laws, but if the despotic regime is going to make the holy religion of Islam unofficial, to eliminate the laws of Islam and to make the Qur’an obsolete and suppressed, then what will be the point of the seminaries and what will be their use?61 We do not need them just to discuss abstracts, do we? The seminaries should be alive and stand up against the enemies of Islam like a mountain and roar like a lion. This corrupt government is using all its means and power to attack Islam and the Muslims and every day it is expanding the range of its oppression and crime. It is our duty to stand up against these criminals and not to be silent. Should we be silent when imperialism is distorting the Qur’an? Should we be silent while the oppressor regime assaults the religious schools, beats up the students, plunders their belongings, jails the distinguished ulama, disgraces, threatens and insults them? Should we keep silent while the ulama of Tehran are being imprisoned and disgraced? Should we be silent when the ulama of Qum are under severest insults, and allegedly saying, “Allah is our Lord”, our Lord is not America, our Lord is not Britain, our Lord is not Israel; our Lord is Allah.

60 61

Qur’an, 41:30 It refers to the opinion of some clerics of that time who believed that because struggling with the Shah’s regime might do harm to the seminaries, so it had to be averted.

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DANGEROUS DREAMS The ulama and the clergy’s ‘crime’ is defending Islam, defending the laws of Islam, confronting the tyrants and oppressors eye to eye and shouting at them not to violate the laws of Allah, not to make a plaything of divine traditions. You can never change the laws of God and you are not permitted to do so. The divine laws belong to the prophets who have brought them for the welfare of humankind and the distinguished ulama are obliged to keep them and express them for the nation. We have the divine rule, so we do not need the rule of the tyrant and puppet governments. They want to enforce their master’s laws of bondage in our country. We know what evil plans they have in mind. We know the treacherous hands of the imperialist agents want to pass a law against the laws of the Qur’an, to make the Qur’an unofficial, and to give the Qur’an the same legal status as the other heretic books. We can understand what dangerous dreams the despotic regime has against Islam, when they drop the prerequisite of being a Muslim for voting and candidature; it is to pave the way for the heretic sect and to give them dominance over the Muslim nation’s destiny and Islamic countries. We have heard their demonic voices around the country many times, saying, sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly, that they do not want Islam, that Islam belongs to the Arabs. These are their spiteful words about the Muhammadan religion (may God’s salutations be upon him and his progeny) and this kind of profane and scandalous talk helps us better understand their anti-religious nature and know them more closely. They are the imperialist functionaries; they are agents of the foreigners. They are dominating our country to eradicate Islam. We have witnessed their criminal acts for many years. It is our duty to awaken the nation and to notify the people of this, as an ultimatum.

THE MOTIVE FOR PROTESTING AGAINST THE PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT COUNCILS BILL O Muslims of the world! Know that the reason why the ulama of Islam protested against the Provincial and District Councils Bill was not the issue of the women’s suffrage. This was too unimportant to entail the general uprising. The point was that the ulama and the clergy perceived that the tyrannical regime was meant to distort Islam with a demonic scheme and to restore the old ways. In the conditions where they have made a plaything of the holy laws of Islam, can we keep silent, not protest, and not ask why they pressurize the preachers and orators of Islam? Why do they silence the preachers of Islam? Why do they apply censorship on printing houses and prevent Islamic writings from being printed and published? Why do they restrict the press? They want to oppose Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) creed under his own name. Under the name of Imam al-Sadiq, they want to eliminate the holy laws of the Qur’an and to eradicate its luminous teachings. Their motto is respecting Hazrat Sadiq’s status, while at the same time they speak of equality between the rights of men and women. The equality of men and women’s rights means violation of the Qur’an; it means putting aside the Ja’fari creed; it means forsaking the Qur’an and replacing it with heretic books; it means taking girls to barracks; and other things which threaten the reputation of Muslims. The equality of rights between men and women, and its consequences is abandoned and condemned in the opinion of the twenty million Iranians. They want to drive our nation into accepting it by using force, bayonets, pressure, and bullets. If they are under pressure from Britain or America, they have to let us know, so that we can confront those countries ourselves. If it is an international obligation, again they have to tell us to find a way out. Why do

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these illegal governments not leave us alone? Why does this malicious ill-educated Prime Minister62 not leave this people alone? Why does he not resign so that a wise and well-educated person who is sympathetic toward this nation can take office? Do we have to remain quiet and say nothing while they attack the Fayziyyah Madrasah, break window glasses, beat up tullab and plunder their belongings,63 imprison the ulama of Tehran, assault the shops in Qum and break shop windows and pillage people’s properties? These wretched ones assume that they have made a great conquest and ranked the country among the developed countries of the world, by beating defenseless people and innocent tullab!

I WILL BE LYING IN AMBUSH FOR THEM The tyrannical regime should know that if they try to violate Islam and enforce the laws of atheism in the Muslim countries, I would be lying in ambush for them. I will not be silent and I will not hesitate to oppose treason to Islam, according to the law of Islam that has ordered us jihad and defense. If they want to get rid of a nuisance like me, they need to banish me from this country. As long as I am here, I will not let nonIslamic laws be passed and enforced; as long as I am here, I will not let the despotic regime dissipate the independence of the country. The Islamic nation is also awakened, committed and sensitive to their religion and creed. They like their ulama; they back the ulama of Islam and surely they will not be quiet facing treachery to Islam and the Qur’an, and will not permit the despotic and oppressors to do whatever they wish to Islam and will cut off any hands trying to encroach on the sacred domain of the Qur’an.

INVITATION TO SELF-SACRIFICE AND RESISTANCE You clergy should also be vigilant. You are obliged to reveal the facts to the people and inform different the classes of people of what they are planning against Islam and the independence of the country and of the harms they are doing to Islam. Do not supplicate; do not surrender to pressure and violence of the taghut64 and strengthen your unity. Be lively people. Be strong when incidents happen and be one of those about whom the Lord has said: “Lo! Those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and afterward is upright; the angels descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which you are promised’.” God will send the angels down upon you and calm down your hearts so that you would no longer be worried about being killed or executed. Your eternal abode is ‘the Garden of Eden’, which is promised unto those who ward off (evil).”65 The day of our happiness and prosperity comes when we are freed from the defiled world that is full of pain, suffering and tragedy. Our festivity and auspicious time comes when we are martyred. Living is not enjoyable and delightful for a Muslim in these times. We do not like to live under the auspices of the tyrants and oppressors and we are ready for any kind of incidents.

62 63

Asadullah Alam It refers to the assault of Qum gendarmes and police forces to Fayziyyah Madrasah and stores on Bahman 30, 1341 SH. See Barrasi va Tahlil az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 1, p. 249.

64

Taghut: The government of Tyrant. One who surpasses all bounds in his despotism and tyranny and claims the prerogatives of divinity for himself whether explicitly or implicitly. Qur’an 25:15

65

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You have to be ready too. If you are really a clergyman, do not be afraid, do not be anxious, and strengthen your hearts. Prepare yourselves for being killed; prepare yourselves for being arrested; prepare yourselves for being taken to the military service; prepare yourselves for being insulted and beaten; prepare yourselves for enduring the anguishes awaiting you for defending Islam and independence. Tie up your belts and be ready for imprisonment, exile, military service and insult; do not be afraid and anxious. When they insult me, you need not be grieved. Why should you grieve? Why do you collect the papers from around?66

THE MUSLIM PREDECESSORS SUFFERED MANY A TORTURE AND GRIEF Am I worthier than Hazrat Ali (as), the Commander of the Faithful? Mu’awiyah insulted Hazrat Ali for several years but he was patient. Did Hazrat Ali says anything other than what we are saying now? We say the laws of the Qur’an should be enforced in our country. Hazrat also said the same thing. Are you worthier than the companions of Hazrat Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their religion? Our predecessors, the great men of our religion and the Infallible Imams (as) were disgraced, slapped and martyred for defending Islam; they were imprisoned and poisoned. The followers of Hazrat Ali (as) and Hazrat Fatima (sa) and their spiritual and physical children have always been opposing the despotic rulers. Ammar Yasir.... 67 spent all his blessed life struggling until he was martyred by “firqaye baghiyyah” (a band of villains)68 when he was ninety years old. Maytham Tammar, the eloquent tongue of Islam talked on until his tongue was cut off, his hands were amputated and he suffered the worst torments ever, by the executioners of Mu’awiyah (may he be damned). The progeny of Hazrat Fatima (sa) have always stood up against the tyrannical and oppressive regimes and defended Islam, all along the history of Islam. They were much tortured, insulted, were killed by being put among building stones of a wall; they were decapitated in vast numbers, massacred and martyred, but they resisted and did not let Islam and God’s laws be ruined and demolished. O followers of Fatima! Thanks to God, the children of Fatima are still alive today; Fatima’s children are in Qum, Fatima’s children are in Mashhad, Fatima’s children are in Najaf, Fatima’s children are in other cities; they will not tolerate any treachery to the laws of the Qur’an by the government. As long as Fatima’s children are alive, they will not permit the enemies to encroach on the Islamic sanctities or to hand over the fate of the Muslims to the Jews or to Israel. O followers of Fatima! Hurry to assist Islam. I will be sixty-three years old this year. The Holy Prophet (may God’s salutations be upon him and his progeny) passed away when he was sixty-three; Hazrat Amir (as), was martyred at the age of sixty-three. We are the followers of the Holy Prophet; we are the followers of Hazrat Amir; we are the followers of the Aba Abdillah (Imam Husayn). People who are the followers of those great men will never be afraid; fear deserves those

66

67

It refers to a declaration by SAVAK under the false name “Organization of Iranian Women” in which the most degrading, disgraceful and inflame insults were directed to the Imam. Members of the Police and SAVAK agents posted them at night on the walls of the streets of Qum. Tullab and the clergy collected them from around the city. In a gathering outside his house, the Imam objected to the tullab who had torn-off the declarations, asking them to leave the papers on the walls so that the people would know the real nature of the oppressive regime. The voice on the tape is rendered unclear.

68

The Holy Prophet (s) had said this about ‘Ammar.

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who do not believe in the afterworld. Worry and grief belongs to those who only have this world and find their ultimate wishes in this very world. Those who know that their abode will be the plentiful Paradise and the Worthy Status (beside God), what do they have to be afraid of? “Lo! Those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised’.” May God’s peace and mercy be upon you.69

6th Speech Date: May 2, 1963/Urdibehesht 12, 1342 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 8, 1382 AH Place: Azam Mosque, Qum Subject: Assessment of the nation’s uprising and both the sweet and bitter events of 1962 and the beginning of 1963 (1341 and 1342 SH) Occasion: Commencement of lessons at the theological institution following the fortieth-day commemoration for the martyrs of Fayziyyah Madrasah Audience: A group of religious students, clergy and people of Qum In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful O Lord, save us from vain discourse and lies [the audience cries “Amen”]. O Lord, illuminate our hearts with the light of Islam and spirituality [the audience cries “Amen”]. Grant a listening ear to the heads of universities of Muslim governments; to the Presidents of Muslim governments; to the representatives of Muslim governments; to the ministers of Muslim governments; to the prime ministers of Muslim governments; and to the leaders and workers of Muslim governments. O Lord, grant them!

CRIMES MASQUERADED AS PROTECTION OF ISLAM I have to say that in one sense this was an extremely bad year for the clergy, yet in another it was a good year. It was bad because Iran, instead of being presented to the world as a just country which enjoys a good

69

In the book Kawthar: An Anthology of the Speeches of Imam Khomeini (r), Including an Account of the Events of the Revolution, first Persian edition, vol. 1, p. 52, excerpts of this Speech are included based on the notes and memories of a few who were among the audience and had witnessed the session. Recently, the text of this speech along with a copy of Qum Police report and a copy of its Arabic translation from the book Kafah al-ulama al-A’lam, published in Najaf, was presented to the Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works by Mr. Sayyid Hamid Rouhani, the author of the book, Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini [A Survey and Analysis of Imam Khomeini’s Movement]. On recording and preparation of this speech he writes: “This speech was recorded by one of the tullab named Sayyid Hasan Tahiri, and was taken out to Najaf secretly through the Abadan border. There it was transcribed and translated into Arabic by some of the diligent clergymen, and the main parts were printed in the book Kafah al-ulama al-A’lam, published in Najaf. During my residence in Najaf, I (the writer) could not find the tape or the text of this speech, and I have not been able to find it since the victory of the Islamic Revolution till now. So I translated the Arabic text into Persian from the mentioned book and incorporated the parts cited in Qum Police report as far as I had heard myself and could remember. Qum Police report estimates ‘about 4,000’ attended the speech, but in my opinion the number was much greater than that. I arrived at the place after the Imam’s speech had begun and I could not make a way to go inside the building, so I stood outside among the people gathering to hear the Imam’s speech.”

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and honest judiciary and which has judicial courts, a judicial tribunal and an administration of justice, or as a country whose economy is healthy and whose agriculture is thriving, or again as a country which is known for its equity and integrity- instead of these, she has been introduced to the world as a center of corruption and even worse still. Were we to say that the present resembles the time of the Mongols, it would be wrong to insult the Mongols so. They were a people who perhaps believed it acceptable to spill our blood which they regarded as heathen.70 They entered the country (Iran) as a part of their crusade to seize foreign states and even then it was a country which didn’t hold the same beliefs as they did. The crimes they then went on to commit here are well-known.71 Those here72 today however, claim to be Muslims. They claim to have a faith and to be Shia; and while making these assertions time passes by and they continue to live their everyday lives unchallenged. Theirs are the deeds that one would expect to see from the Mongols, or from Genghis Khan. They storm the centers of learning73; they spill the blood of sixteen- and seventeen-year-old youngsters74; they destroy the centers of learning; they affront the ulama and vilify their honor; they imprison, persecute, wound, kill and commit atrocities, yet at the same time they deliver speeches, feign Islamism75 and Shi’ism and pretend to have realized greatness.76 The Mongols (at least) never professed to be Shia. They were our enemies, having entered our country by invasion. These here, however, committed crimes and still continue to commit crimes while at the same time they avouch friendship and profess to be Shia or even a station higher still.

70

Mahduruddam: Someone whose murder is regarded as permissible.

71

Genghis Khan (1162-1227 AD), the Mongol commander, in the year 1197 AD invaded Iran’s inhabited cities of that time while shouting the slogan, “I am the torment of God.” He firstly slayed the inhabitants of densely populated cities such as Marv, Bukhara, Nishapur, Rey, Qum, Azerbaijan, and Khiva, and then killed all else that lived. He set fire to the trees and demolished any signs of civilization such as libraries, schools, mosques, ancient building, houses, gardens, and shops. He then cultivated the remaining land and grew crops there. See Iran va Jahan az Mughul ta Qajariha. The Shah and his agents. A reference to the regime’s assault on Fayziyyah Madrasah on the afternoon of March 22, 1963 (Farvardin 2, 1342 SH); the attack on the same madrasah on March 23 of that same year; and other similar raids on Islamic centers such as the Talibiyyah Madrasah in Tabriz.

72 73 74 75

A reference to the young religious students of Fayziyyah Madrasah. The Shah on January 16, 1963 (Dey 26, 1341 SH), at the National Congress of Iranian Farmers said: “No one can claim to be nearer to the Imams or to God than I with regard to performing deeds, since I have done all I possibly could. I have ordered for the repair and maintenance of all those shrines in need of such attention. Every night before I sleep I talk to my God in prayer. I believe that what I am now doing for the country is favored by God and the Imams more than any other possible deed”!

76

In the year 1962 (1341 SH) the Shah, in a speech addressing the Iranian Muslim farmers, stated: “I must have been six or seven years old when I became ill with typhoid and my condition was critical. Most of the doctors who were treating me had lost all hope. One night I dreamt that I was sitting before (Imam) Ali (as) on whose lap lay a sword. On the other side of the room there was a jug and he told me: ‘Drink from this jug and you will be cured tomorrow’. That very same night my fever cleared and I gradually recovered. My other experience occurred maybe six months or a year later as I was walking down a steep pebble-stoned alleyway with my nanny. I suddenly saw a holy-looking man approaching me from around whose head a halo of light seemed to emanate. I asked my nanny: ‘Did you also see the Imam of the Age? ‘She said: ‘No, I never saw anyone’; but I had seen him. A child aged six or seven years old doesn’t normally invent such things and especially not in a lonely alleyway accompanied by a nanny.” The Shah in the book entitled Mission for My Country, pp. 6672, claims to have met the Imam of the Age (may God expedite his advent) and Hazrat Abul-Fazl, the brother and standard-bearer of Imam Husayn at Karbala’.

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CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE THEOLOGICAL CENTER IN QUM That which I would like to say is not a recent matter relating to the past few months only, but rather it is one which has a long history, having first developed several years ago. If not forty-odd years, then it was at least twenty years ago that it was decided that Qum must be wiped out. It was during the lifetime of the late Ayatullah Burujerdi (may he rest in paradise) that they in fact decided to do away with both the Ayatullah as a religious authority and Qum as a religious center.77 They believe Qum is against their interests. Qum is the center of truth. Satan’s followers believe that their aims are opposed by the followers of truth. Hence, at the time of the late Ayatullah Burujerdi, the latter was seen by some in a certain light; but this is not the place to elaborate upon this. It was at this time that foreigners were also against the continued existence of Qum, because without it they would be free to do as they wished without anyone objecting, criticizing or protesting. Therefore, it is safe to say that if not forty-odd years ago then at least twenty years ago, from the time of the late Ayatullah Burujerdi this intention was harbored by them; yet they realized that trouble would arise if they took action whilst he was alive. Once he had ascended to the abode of the blessed, they immediately began to attack this religious center of Qum under the pretext of respecting another religious center, in Najaf. This they did, not because they felt any affection for that center since these people feel no affection for any religious center, and again, not because they were fond of Najaf, but rather these attacks were made because they wanted Qum not to exist. Qum was a thorn in their flesh; being close to them (in geographical proximity) it was able to quickly discover their corrupt dealings. Hence, they were against Qum, but because they couldn’t openly say “no” to Qum, they instead said “yes” to Najaf and “yes” to Mashhad. At first they imagined that nothing important ever really happened in Qum,78 but then they realized that certain things indeed were happening; certain things were seen, said and heard. Thus, they came to realize that things weren’t as they initially believed them to be. Thenceforth they made plans to destroy the clergy and then to destroy Islam and afterwards to realize the interests of Israel and her agents.

ILLITERATE ELEMENT AT THE HELM OF GOVERNMENT This was the case from the beginning but it was concealed, their plans not being publicized. To a certain extent they had in fact informed the public of their intentions, but they spoke of their infidel program in

77

Following the uprising of the Isfahan ulama and the tragedy at the Goharshad mosque, the theological center of Qum benefiting from such religious scholars as Ayatullah al-Uzma Burujerdi and Ayatullah al-Uzma Hairi became the largest Shia center of its kind and brought honor and repute to other such centers in Iran. Muhammad Reza at the onset of his reign tried to forge a closer relationship with Ayatullah Burujerdi in order to benefit from the influence he held, but he was often deterred and discouraged by His Eminence. After the eminent scholar’s demise, the Shah, who regarded the rank of marja’iyyah as an obstruction to imperialist rule, took steps to prevent the reestablishment of this office in Qum and hence made every effort to transfer the clergy to the noble city of Najaf. It was for this reason that he sent a telegram expressing his condolences on the demise of Ayatullah Burujerdi to Ayatullah Hakim, the great marja’ in Najaf. The Iranian clergy considered this an act of disrespect to the maraji’ of Qum, the aim of which was to weaken the position of the clergy there. On another occasion, following the discovery of oil in Qum, the prospect of transferring the theological center of Qum to the holy city of Mashhad was discussed. Due to the high salt density of the soil in Qum, however, the government decided not to go ahead with the oil-drilling project and consequently the subject of the transference of the theological center was also buried. See Inqilab-e Islami va Risheha-ye aan, pp. 484- 485.

78

This remark of the Imam’s refers to a comment made by the Shah: “There doesn’t seem to be anyone in Qum who can bear the responsibility of the office of marja’iyyah.”

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very mild, diluted terms. Following the demise of Ayatullah Burujerdi, they initially devised an evil scheme which involved Iran as a whole. From what I was told, they wanted people to promise to send telegrams to other theological centers79 and especially to one other city in particular, not because they were actually fond of that center but because they weren’t fond of this one. However, the people disregarded them. Subsequently other schemes were devised and there was in fact a change in government.80 Who knows, perhaps the proposals were presented to these governments and were dismissed by them because they found such indecency to be beyond even them. Perhaps they were indeed virtuous, learned intellectuals who could not bring themselves to oppose all of the centers of learning. However, the conclusion eventually reached was that the government should be an ignorant, unlearned one; one which does not realize or appreciate the value of learning and one whose members have not received education above that offered in the fifth gradeeven then having acquired their qualification certificates fraudulently.81 These members of the government are not to know the meaning of learning nor of religiousness and honesty. They are not to know of the preservative role played by the clergy in this country. They are not to be aware of what is happening. They are to be dictated to as if blind and are not to really understand what is being said; and they are to be given orders, but must act without being fully aware of what they are doing. We saw that the target of this illiterate and dishonorable government from the very onset of its involvement was Islam. In the press they wrote in bold print that ladies have been given the right to participate in elections.82 In fact this was part of an evil plan to distract the public’s attention away from the main issue; that being the elimination of Islam and the Qur’an. For this reason, as soon as they became aware of the situation, people banded together and the ulama formed a united front in order for appropriate steps to be taken. Initially our attention too had been drawn to the issue of the female vote, but on closer inspection we realized it was not just a matter concerning women for this was only a minor concern (by comparison). The

79

80

81

82

Subsequent to the demise of Ayatullah Burujerdi, the Shah’s regime tried to persuade the Iranian people to forward their messages of condolence to Ayatullah Hakim in Najaf rather than to the maraji’ of Qum. This it did with the intention of weakening the position of the theological centers of Iran and strengthening that of the ulama in Najaf. Within the period stretching from the beginning of the Shah’s reign until the time when Alam was appointed as Prime Minister, twentyfive different governments actually took office! These prime ministers, whose terms of office in some cases lasted no longer than a week, are as follows: Muhammad Ali Furuqi (Zaka al-Mulk), 1941 (1320 SH); Ali Sohayl, 1941-42; Ahmad Qavam (Qava as-Saltanah), 1942; Ali Sohayl, 1942-43; Muhammad Said, 1943-44; Murtada Qulibayyat (Saham as-Saltanah), 1944-45; Ibrahim Hakim (Hakim al-Mulk), 1945; Sayyid Muhsin Sadr al-Ashraf, 1945; Ibrahim Hakim, 1945; Ahmad Qavam, 1945- 47; Ibrahim Hakim, 1947-48; Abdul-Husayn Hajir, 1948-50; Husayn Ali, 1950-51; Muhammad Musaddiq (Musaddiq as-Saltanah), 1951-52; Ahmad Qavam, 1952; Muhammad Musaddiq, 1952-53; Fazlullah Zahedi, 1953-55; Husayn Ali, 1955-57; Manuchehr Iqbal, 1957-60; Ja’far Sharif Imami, 1960-61; Ali Amin, 1961-62; Amir Asadullah Alam, 1962- onward. See Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar. It has been reported that Asadullah Alam, the head of the government at that time, had only actually received a few years education, eventually “graduating” from a school in Karaj! Of course he later succeeded in obtaining his National Diploma in Agriculture from the Karaj Education Authority, but he did so by fraudulent means. See Az Sayyid Ziya ta Bakhtiyar. On October 8, 1962 (Mehr 16, 1341 SH), at the beginning of Asadullah Alam’s term of office, a report headed “Women’s Right to Vote” appeared in bold print in the press. The right for women to vote was legislated by the Provincial and District Councils. The regime used the women’s voting issue as a cover behind which to pursue its other ambitions. The Imam on several occasions during that period emphatically proclaimed that not even men enjoyed the right to vote let alone women. It is clear that his objection to this issue in fact constituted opposition to the regime’s sinister objectives, because since the triumph of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, women actually do enjoy the right to vote, as do men, and they also may be elected to the Majlis.

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real issue was about opposition to Islam.83 Thus it was not necessary for either the voter or the candidate to be Muslim; nor was belief in the Qur’an a prerequisite- what was the Qur’an needed for anyway?! However, when dealt a slap in the face from the Muslim nation they changed their tune, maintaining that by “Holy Book” they had meant the Qur’an; and according to our religious law we of course had no choice but to accept their assertion. Once again however, as soon as they saw a group of ignorant people gathered around them shouting “long live this” and “long live that” they resumed their fiendish campaign, restating all that which they had previously revoked. They yet again espoused full and identical rights of the sexes which in fact is to deny several of the most unequivocal and imperative Qur’anic injunctions. Afterwards, they again saw that this was the cause of certain resentment, objection and difficulties and so once more they denied the issue; it was disclaimed by the minister in one place and by the commanding official in another.84 In the press it was quite explicitly reported that women’s conscription was in the process of being legislated. Nevertheless, when they saw that the matter gave rise to opprobrium and that the people and even the regime’s henchmen were truly perturbed, again they said that it was a lie.85 Indeed, they wanted to open a lawsuit because of it- a most foolish, ludicrous intention.86

THE SHAH AND THE ASSAULT ON THE CENTER OF RELIGION AND LEARNING This was a bad year because Islam and the Qur’an too came under increasing attack. They ravaged the centers of learning mistakenly believing that they are destructible; they beat and broke the limbs and necks

83

When the announcement of the Provincial and District Councils Bill appeared in the Tehran evening press, it was noted that the word “Islam” had been omitted from the conditions pertaining to the voter and candidate, and that the oath sworn had been sworn on the “Holy Book” rather than on the “Holy Qur’an”. On reading this announcement Imam Khomeini immediately called for a meeting with the high-ranking ulama of Qum to discuss this matter. Ayatullah Murtaza Ha’iri, Ayatullah Golpaygani and Mr. Shariatmadari participated in this meeting. See Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol.1 p.148-149.

84

Imam Khomeini, in his New Year declaration of 1963 (1342 SH) entitled “The Clergy of Islam Does Not Hold New Year Celebrations This Year”, objected very strongly to the legislation calling for the compulsory conscription of eighteen- year-old girls for military service. As a result of this objection, despite the fact that this news had already been published and that speeches and interviews had already been given on the radio, the Shah and his government were forced to deny what they had formerly said. In fact the Shah denied the validity of the news reports on two different occasions before the end of that month. In an interview he gave, Jahangir Tafazzuli, Minister of State in charge of publications and broadcasting, described the news concerning women’s conscription as totally unfounded. Refer to the speeches delivered by the Shah on April 1, 1963 (Farvardin 12, 1342 SH) in Mashhad and April 2, 1963 in Birjand; also refer to the 11,056th issue of the Ittila’at newspaper dated March 31, 1963 (Farvardin 11, 1342 SH). Tehran evening press, April 1, 1963 (Farvardin 12 1342 SH), the Shah: “A publisher has recently reported that they are trying to conscript eighteen-year-old girls for military service- how ridiculous! We are in no way short of military personnel. Such falsities are a sign of the weakness of those who are responsible for fabricating this news. Our girls must continue their education and pursue their female responsibilities. We have enough people to safeguard the security of this land.”

85

86

The publication of Imam Khomeini’s declaration and the determined stance taken by him in opposition to the conscription of young girls left the Shah with no alternative but to request that the judiciary make the necessary enquiries and prosecute those responsible for circulating such news. In turn, the judicial system filed a lawsuit against the movement’s leadership and proceeded to arrange for its arrest, although this never actually amounted to anything. It is worth mentioning that the official, who actually delivered the summons to the Imam’s house, entered the building with tearful eyes saying: “They have ordered me to obtain the Imam’s signature for this letter and I feel that as a follower of the Imam I must apologize for this.” He left the house, however, without having obtained a signature. (Quoted from the memoirs of Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini).

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of our children and loved ones, killing some87 by flinging them from the roof.88 If the perpetrators of these crimes were peasants as you claim, then why were members of the armed forces helping them?89 This was something plain for all to see. A hundred thousand people from the streets and from within the courtyard and madrasah clearly witnessed the police force’s direct support of the peasants. If, as you claim, it really was the peasants who did all this, then why did the police attempt to intimidate those in the hospitals where our injured had been taken, saying: “How dare you have taken His Majesty’s enemies to hospital? We will make you pay for this. They must be discharged at once”? If it was the peasants who were to blame then where does His Majesty come into all this? If, however, it was in fact paratroopers and those who work for him (the Shah) and are a part of his regime who committed the assault, then was it his doing? Did he give the command for this action or did it take place without his knowledge and without his having given the order? If he was aware of the affair, then inform us so we know where we stand with him; so we may know if we are confronting one person or more than one. If it is more than one person, then tell us so that we may realize that these paratroopers came of their own volition without any reason whatsoever; or maybe the security forces90 sent them, or the police force, or perhaps the Prime Minister gave the orders, or a certain minister or commanding official. Come on; tell us who is responsible for these crimes. Why do they deny it? Whoever is approached for an answer lays the blame on someone else. Whoever we voice objections to denies involvement and implicates another. The police force accuses the security forces and vice versa; and both of them claim that it was His Majesty who ordered for the attack to be made. Is it really true that His Majesty gave instructions for such a thing? Does His Majesty oppose the religion of Islam? Is His Majesty

87

For further information regarding the bloody tragedy of Fayziyyah Madrasah, see Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, vol. 1. pp. 337- 370; Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyat-e Iran, vol. 3, pp. 260- 358; Zindagi nameh-ye Siyasi-ye Imam Khomeini, pp. 205- 211.

88

During the incident at the Fayziyyah Madrasah a blind theological student who had been hiding in a residential chamber was thrown down from the balcony to the yard by the Shah’s commandos; while another religious student aged fifteen or sixteen years old was flung from the rooftop.

89

On March 22, 1963 (Farvardin 2, 1342 SH), the Shah’s regime dispatched officers dressed as peasants to the Fayziyyah Madrasah in order to quash the Islamic movement. The hair of the members of the armed forces, however, was styled like that of German soldiers, which gave away their true identity! These undercover servicemen continually recited salawat during the delivery of a speech until they succeeded in totally disrupting the meeting and fighting broke out. At this moment, other servicemen who were lying in wait nearby also joined in. The Prime Minister, Amir Asadullah Alam in a subsequent interview maintained that the skirmish was in fact between those clergymen who opposed “land reform” and some peasants who were visiting Qum on a pilgrimage and that during this encounter a peasant had been killed by the religious students! See Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyat-e Iran, vol. 3, p. 265; and see the Ittila’at newspaper of March 26, 1963 (Farvardin 6, 1342 SH). The bill for the formation of SAVAK, The State Security and Intelligence Organization, was passed by parliament in 1956 (1335 SH) and the organization was subsequently officially established in 1957 (1336 SH). SAVAK’s mission was to quash and confront any Islamic struggles or opposition to the regime. SAVAK was closely linked to the intelligence agencies of both America and Israel (CIA and MOSSAD) and gradually it turned into a terrorist organization. This institution, which in fact served as the CIA’s headquarters, possessed several investigative and detective teams. In order to obtain information from those they had arrested, SAVAK would firstly send the latter to torture chambers, after which it would hand its captives over to rubber-stamp courts where, after the passing of a predetermined court verdict, the accused would be convicted and taken to horrendous prisons. The cruelty and callousness of SAVAK was so great that the Secretary General of Amnesty International, in a report made in 1975 stated: “No country in the world has a worse record in human rights than Iran. In order to obtain confessions the torturers of SAVAK subjected its captives to beatings and electric shocks. It employed all kinds of horrendous and inhumane methods to achieve its ends; the inflicting of agonizing pain on the sexual organs and the sexual assault of the wives and daughters of the captives before the latter’s very eyes, are but two of such atrocities perpetrated.” The Shah was fully aware of SAVAK’s practices. This organization was abolished by Iranian Muslims in 1978 (1357 SH) and its torturers were prosecuted in revolutionary courts. For further information refer to Ayandegan newspaper April 7, 1979 (Farvardin 18, 1358 SH); Inqilab-e Islami va Risheha-ye aan [The Islamic Revolution and Its Roots], p. 491; The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, p. 379.

90

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truly hostile to the Qur’an as their claims would suggest? If this is so, then what were those things you said before in favor of Islam? What were those revelations and miracles of which you spoke? If His Majesty is not hostile then why doesn’t he prevent such savagery? Why doesn’t he chastise these policemen, organizations and prime ministers? He who is in supreme command enjoys absolute authority to do as he will. He should scourge those who firstly commit misdeeds and act against religion and Islam, and then lay the blame on him. He should exonerate himself. How can the sultan of Islam be opposed to Islam? Surely this is not feasible. Then if he does not oppose Islam let him show it; let him show his regret and sorrow that a reprobate91 has gone and demolished the Fayziyyah Madrasah.

A VISIT TO THE BLOOD-STAINED FAYZIYYAH I myself have not yet seen the graves of our dear youngsters, but I intend to do so once this session 92 is over. I shall go and recite a chapter of the Qur’an (Surah al-Fatihah) for the repose of the souls of those they killed [the audience weeps]; and I shall publicly demonstrate my grief for them. We are not even allowed to hold a mourning ceremony for them [the audience weeps]; but why is this so, if, as you say, it was the peasants who committed this atrocity [the audience weeps] ? Why do you disrupt the mourning ceremonies held in Tehran [the audience weeps]?93 Yes, indeed, it was a bad year because the rulers of the day were disgraced and the tyrannical system shamed; and this is not what we wanted. We don’t want our country to be introduced abroad as a country ruled by evil elements; this is not what we wanted. We would like everyone in our country without exception to behave and live in such a way as to be a source of pride and honor; to proudly boast such

91 92 93

Colonel Mawlawi, the deputy-director of SAVAK in Tehran and the commander-in-chief of the Fayziyyah operation, was later killed in an air crash. The Imam in referring to the “session” actually means his lesson. A mourning ceremony was arranged by Ayatullah al-Uzma Hakim on May 11, 1963 (Urdibehesht 21, 1342 SH) at Ark Mosque in Tehran in commemoration of those who had been martyred at Fayziyyah. SAVAK prevented the holding of this ceremony and police surrounded the building allowing no one to enter the mosque. People became angered and fighting broke out with the police. See Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyune Iran, vol. 3, p. 358.

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scholars as Amir Kabir.94 In fact, in the past it was the ulama such as Ali ibn Yaqtin95 and at times even the Immaculate Imams,96 who were the ministers and advisers to the Muslim rulers.97

94

Mirza Taqikhan Farahani (1807- 1852 AD) was referred to as Amir Nizam and Atabak Azam, later becoming famous as Amir Kabir. During his youth he served Nasiruddin Mirza. After the death of Muhammad Shah Qajar he took the successor to the throne from Tabriz to Tehran and arranged for his coronation, after which he served him as his prime minister. At a time when Iran was in a deteriorating state due to the incompetence of the Qajar administration, Amir Kabir took effective measures to implement reforms for its development. This he managed to achieve despite the close presence of influential enemies. He succeeded in many areas such as in suppressing rebellions and in particular those of the Bahais; and in strengthening national security; in reforming the system of taxation; in combating bribery; in reorganizing both the national budget and the civil and military administrations; in establishing the Dar al-Funun School; and in developing science, industry, agriculture and health care. These were but some of the reforms achieved by this most competent of ministers. Eventually, both the conspiracy of those servants of imperialism within the country and the repeated slanderous statements uttered by Nasiruddin Shah’s mother, led the Shah to issue the order for his dismissal, exile and eventual murder. Sharh-e Hal-e Rijal, vol. 1, p. 209.

95

Ali ibn Yaqtin (742 – 798 AD) and his father were particularly close to the Bani Abbas caliphs (Saffa, Mahdi and Mansur) and hence could take effective measures for strengthening the Shia position. Following his father’s death, the influence of Ali ibn Yaqtin in no way diminished and he was appointed as a minister by Harun ar-Rashid. He was one of the outstanding student of the Imam Musa Kazim (as), and he was a highly esteemed and pious companion who enjoyed a special place in Imam’s eyes. He succeeded in promoting the affairs of the Shia by holding secret meetings with the seventh Imam (Musa Kazim (as)), during which he received guidance and enlightenment. On several occasions he requested permission from the Imam to resign from the Abbasid government, but this permission was not granted since his resignation was not considered to be in the interests of the Shia. Umar (582 - 644 AD), the second caliph, often called on Hazrat Ali (as) for important consultations and he had said many times that had it not been for Ali he would have perished. The Immaculate Imams (as) were always highly respected and their advice was often sought by the Abbasid caliphate, so much so that the caliph appointed Imam Reza (the eighth Imam (as)) as his successor to the throne and in fact gave his own daughter’s hand (Umm al-Fazl) in marriage to Hazrat Jawad (the ninth Imam (as)) from whose great knowledge and insight he benefited immensely. During the caliphates of Mustasim, Mutawakkil, Muntasir, Mustasin and Al-Mustaz, Imam Hadi (the tenth Imam (as)) enjoyed the support and following of many important and influential members of the government. Imam Hasan al-Askari (the eleventh Imam (as)) was particularly honored by the Abbasid caliph Muhtadi and his standing was higher than that of all other dignitaries of the Quraysh, including even that of the ministers and army commanders. Of course the prime reason for the respect paid to these Immaculate Imams by the caliphs (which was often superficial only) was because the latter were well aware of the spiritual influence held by the Imams among the people. See Da’irat al-Ma’arif-e Tashayyu’, pp. 364- 373.

96

97

Abu Ali Muskuwiyyah (930-1020 AD), the outstanding eleventh century Islamic philosopher and physician has several works of philosophy and ethics to his credit. He was the special intimate friend and confidant of Amir Azidud-Dawlah Daylami and also held the office of chancellor to the Muslim treasury. In the tenth century Abu Ali Sina was the personal consultant to Nuh ibn Mansur Samani, a minister of Shams ad-Dawlah Daylami and the doctor and consultant of Sultan Ala’ad-Dawlah. Khwajah Nizam al-Mulk at-Tusi, the great thinker and intellectual of the eleventh century and the founder of Nizamiyyah (Madrasah) in Baghdad, Isfahan and Nishapur, was the minister to Ali Arslan and Malik Shah Saljuqi. Khwajah Nasiruddin at-Tusi, the illustrious thinker and intellectual of the thirteenth century and the founder of Maraghah observatory, has many books to his credit in various scientific fields, while also having been a consultant for HulaquKhan. In addition, one could name Allamah Hilli, Muhaqqiq Karaki, Allamah Majlisi and many other prominent ulama. Imam Khomeini, in reply to the question, “Why do the ulama cooperate with the systems of tyrannical kings?” writes in his book, Kashf al-Asrar: “We believe that it is not only permissible but on occasion essential that we involve ourselves in the affairs of dictatorial regimes, in order to prevent corruption and alleviate the people’s suffering.”

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THE DANGER POSED BY THE ISRAELI AGENTS But who are the advisers now? Israel! Our counselors are Jews! In the Dunya newspaper they themselves acknowledged a donation of five hundred dollars to each of two thousand Bahais98 (the wretched99 hadn’t better deny this since it was actually in the press); that’s five hundred dollars from the wealth of this Muslim nation- in addition to offering a one-thousand-and-two tumans discount on each of their air fares. And what was this for? It was for their journey to London to participate in an anti-Islamic meeting. They were thus afforded the highest respect. On the contrary, our pilgrims have to bear the most severe hardships and sometimes even have to offer bribes just to obtain permission100 for their journey; and even then only a few are actually successful. What intimidation they are subjected to on the outward journey and how many difficulties they have to face during their return journey! Moreover, whilst there at Mina and Mecca, they have to tolerate the objections and protests of a contemptible official who demands the apprehension of someone for truthfully stating that Islam is threatened by the Jews. My God! man, are you indeed a Jew? And our country, is that Jewish too?

DEADLY SILENCE AND SUPPORT TO THE TYRANNICAL REGIME Woe to this country and to the regime in power! Woe unto us and to the rest of the world! Woe to those mute ulama and to the silent cities of Najaf, Qum, Tehran and Mashhad. This deadly silence will cause our country and our honor and dignity to be trampled beneath the boots of the Israelis by means of these very Bahais. Then woe to us; woe to this Islam; woe to these Muslims. O you ulama, do not remain silent; don’t

98

In the year 1840 AD, a man named Ali Muhammad Bab introduced himself as the people’s leader and as the intercessor between the people and the Imam of the Age. He then claimed to be the awaited savior (Mahdi) and promised that in the near future a prophet would arise from among the followers of Bab who would introduce a new religion. Under the instruction of Nasiruddin Shah and Amir Kabir, many of the followers of Bab were arrested and executed, while the rest were exiled to Iraq. The Bab himself was also killed (1850). Two brothers from among his devotees later professed to be his successors, but differences broke out between the two. Those who followed the first brother became known as Babis (Sobh Azal) and those who followed the second brother became known as Bahais (Baha’ullah). A serious conflict arose between the two groups and as a result many lives were lost from both sides. The Ottoman State sent them all into exile in Adarna (Asia Minor) where fighting between the two sides continued. This left the Ottoman State no alternative but to send the Bahais to Akka (occupied Palestine) and the other group to Cyprus. The later activities of the Bahais in Akka attracted the following of most of the Babis and especially those who were Iranian. According to the Bahai belief marriage to any woman (mother, sister, niece, cousin) was considered permissible other than to the step-mother. The Russians played a particularly significant role in the formation of this religion. The British, however, propagated Baha’ism throughout the Muslim countries and especially in Iran. Therefore, Baha’ism from its conception until the present has managed to serve the “superpowers” under the guise of a religious belief, whereas it in fact constitutes a political party. The United States of America and Zionist Israel are currently strong supporters of this school. The Bahais held particularly high positions during the reign of Muhammad Reza and despite the clergy’s conflict with this party, the Shah always benefited from his relationship with them. Their most prominent members were always present in the Royal Court and were active in political decision-making, operating in favor of world Zionism. See Bahaigari, pp. 181- 238, and Az Sayyid Ziya ta Bakhtiyar, p.530. For further information regarding the role and influence of the Bahais in the Pahlavi regime read the disturbing statements made by the Shah’s closest associate Husayn Fardoust, in the book: The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, p. 372.

99 The Shah 100 Passport.

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claim to be following in the Shaykh’s path may he rest in paradise)101. I swear by God that if the Shaykh102 was now among us he too would adopt this stance.103

SILENCE! Do not choose to remain silent since to do so today is to support the tyrannical system. I was informed that Sabet Pasal104 was given a discount in a deal made between himself and the Oil Company, in which he made a profit of twenty-five million tumans; or in truth it was those who were sent to the anti-Islamic meeting in London who actually profited. That is the current state of our oil industry, our foreign currency, our national airline and our ministers; and that is how things are for all of us. Then are we still to say nothing?! Ought we really remain silent and not complain? They destroy our homes, yet we are not to make a murmur?!

OUR CONDITION WITH THIS “HIS MAJESTY” That good-for-nothing sends the chief of police, the head of that rotten institution,105 to the homes of the ulama106 to threaten that if they, the ulama, should so much as breathe a word about certain matters,107 then 101 Here, reference is made to Shaykh Abd al-Karim Ha’iri Yazdi, the founder of the theological center in Qum. He held moderate political views and refrained from interfering in politics. The late Ayatullah Burujerdi (may he receive God’s mercy) adopted a very similar stance. The Imam here is trying to make the clergy aware of the fact that such a stance ought not be adopted under the prevailing circumstances. See Kashf al-Asrar (Imam Khomeini) and Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini. 102 Ayatullah al-Uzma Haj Shaykh Abdul-Karim Ha’iri Yazdi (1859- 1937 AD): considered to be one of the most outstanding maraji’ of the Shia. Initially he began his studies in Yazd and then in the holy cities of Baghdad, Karbala’ and Najaf (Atabat Ayliyat). Studying alongside such eminent scholars as Sayyid Muhammad Faysharaki, Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi, Mirza-ye Bozurg Shirazi and Akhund Khorasani, he achieved the noble rank of ijtihad and successfully initiated religious classes in Karbala’. In 1912 he traveled to Arak and brought high repute to the theological center there. In 1920 he visited the holy city of Qum with the intention of making a pilgrimage. While there, local ulama insisted on his remaining in order to establish a religious learning center. Many distinguished jurisprudents have received training and education from his classes, they include Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari, Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Ahmad Khwansari, Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Sadruddin Sadr, Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Muhammad Ali Araki and Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Muhammad Reza Golpaygani. Among his students was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatullah al-Uzma Imam Khomeini. His Eminence Ayatullah Ha’iri was able to retain his extremely modest way of life even when he was recognized as the marja’ at-taqlid and much has been related with regard to his moral and ethical virtues. The grave of this magnanimous and honorable scholar is situated by the holy shrine of Hazrat Masumah (sa) in Qum. 103 Here, The Imam means that if the late Haj Shaykh Abdul-Karim Ha’iri were alive, his duty would be to struggle against the government in power. 104 Sabet Habib Pasal (1903 -1990 AD), a renowned capitalist of Iran, was a follower of a misled sect of Baha’ism and converted to become Zionist Jew. He was among those who played a major role in the administration of both political and economic institutes during the Shah’s reign. Like many relatives of the Pahlavi family such as Farman Farma’iyan, Khiyamin, Rezai and Akhawan, Sabet Habib Pasal held shares in most banks, firms and companies, whilst being seen as one of the main shareholders of foreign investment in Iran. The Anglo-Iranian Bank and the banks of Iran and the Middle-East, Iranian industry, Iranian mines and industrial development as well as commercial enterprises such as Pepsi Cola, Volks-Wagon, Mashhad Cement, Plasco Kar, General Tyres and Rubber, Iran Farwag, Siycup and France Payk were but some of the areas in which this Zionist agent was active. After the Islamic Revolution occurred and all of his assets in Iran were confiscated. He fled to New York and died on a trip to Los Angeles on 22nd February 1990. See Dawlat va Huk’mat dar Iran, pp. 263267. More details on: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sabet-habib 105 Here reference is made to Colonel Partow, the chief of police in Qum and Colonel Badi’, the head of SAVAK in Qum, both of whom went to the homes of the maraji’ (March, 1963) under the Shah’s instructions. 106 A reference to Mr. Shariatmadari. The Shah’s envoy, achieving nothing by going to the home of the Imam, then visits Mr. Shariatmadari’s place of residence. 107 Reference here is made to Ayatullah al-Uzma Hakim, who had sent a telegram to the entire ulama of Iran inviting them to immigrate to the holy cities of Baghdad, Karbala’ and Najaf. Once informed of this telegram, the Shah sends both the chief of police and the head of SAVAK to Imam’s home, where they are not received. These envoys then go to the home of Mr. Shariatmadari to deliver the Shah’s

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the police have been ordered by His Majesty to ransack their homes, assault their families and to kill the ulama themselves. Unfortunately, on that day when they came to my home I turned them away. I now wish I had allowed them to enter so that I could have punched them in the mouth. This is what we have to tolerate from His Imperial Majesty; that is of course if what they say is true. If they are lying however, then let him state that this is the case. Let him declare that the governors of Qum108 have told lies so that I can give those governors what for! Let him tell us that the chief of police has told lies, so that I can send some religious students to teach him a lesson. The problem is of course that he makes no such claim. There again, this year was a good year because the clergy let the world know of its value and significance. It made the world realize that it is the clergy alone which speaks out against and confronts both oppression and the oppressor and injustice and the unjust. It is the clergy and the theological centers which take the beatings, cry out, sacrifice their lives and make protests. They destroy the clergy’s Fayziyyah Madrasah but the clergy continue relentlessly. The clergy say what they believe must be said regardless of what happens to them. The clergy have made the entire world aware of their existence. Therefore, it could be said that this year was a bad year since Iran became an object of ridicule throughout the world because of the regime in power; or again, it could be said to have been a good year because the propriety of the clergy was proven to the world. The clergy let the world know that we (too) are human; we are spiritual leaders. We don’t just concern ourselves with preaching and praying, but we also make our voices heard. We serve to admonish and advise you, the people.

THE SHAH’S DISGRACEFUL REFERENDUM I gave the Shah some advice; I sent someone to see him.109 In the days before the referendum I sent messages to him via Behbudi110 and Pakravan111 advising him not to hold a referendum nor to attempt to alter the

ultimatum. In this message, the Shah had said that the migration of ulama to Najaf would only be acceptable on condition that no political activities would be undertaken; otherwise the ulama would encounter severe reprisals from the government. 108 The chief of police (Colonel Partow) and the head of SAVAK (Colonel Badi’). 109 Once the intention to hold a referendum on the “White Revolution” was announced, the Imam, in a meeting with high-ranking ulama and maraji’ of Qum, comprehensively elaborated upon the real objectives of the Shah and America with regard to the “six points” of the “revolution”. Subsequently, the Imam along with other maraji’, asked the government to send a representative to Qum to hold negotiations on the “six points” and in turn convey the opinion of the clergy to the government. The envoy sent by the government was in fact a person named Behbudi with whom negotiations turned out to be unproductive. Following this, the Leader of the Revolution, having received approval from other maraji’, called on Ayatullah Ruhullah Kamavand, the influential religious scholar of Lorestan and revered teacher of the theological center in Qum, to go to the Shah to deter him from opposing Islam and to inform him of the views of the ulama in Qum with regard to the state of the country. However, neither the Imam’s warning nor the meeting held between the late Kamalvand and the Shah were to any avail, other than to provide an opportunity to voice objection to the referendum and to point out its illegality due to the fact that it was not accounted for in the constitutional law. See Inqilab-e Islami va Risheha-ye aan, pp. 448-449. 110 See the previous note. 111 Major General Hassan Pakravan served as the army commander-in-chief and the deputy Prime Minister during the terms of office of Dr. Ali Amini and Alam. He was also the head of SAVAK from 1960 to 1964. As a close friend and confidante of the Shah, he negotiated with Imam on the Shah’s behalf on several occasions before the success of Revolution. After revolution, he was arrested, tried in the court and was executed in April 1979.

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law112 since it was not in his interests to do so. I warned him that if today Arsanjani113 can bring a group of peasants and make them do as he tells them so that they cry “long live so and so”, then tomorrow another group can be brought to cry “death to so and so”!114 So again I advised him not to go ahead with this since it was not in his interests. However, he didn’t listen and we all saw what happened. They didn’t even manage to win two thousand votes; and those they did obtain were obtained by force. It is common knowledge that the bazaars of Tehran and Qum closed down in order to avoid having to vote and that in other cities too, the turnout was extremely poor. They couldn’t even attract two thousand votes without the need for force. We didn’t want you to suffer such humiliation in this way; neither did we wish for the nation’s repudiation of you. We wanted you to be the kind of person who, when he cries out to his nation, receives a wholehearted response from all of the people. This is how we would like our Shah to be. We would also like our minister to be a person in whose opinions the entire nation had confidence, rather than one who insists that six million votes were cast115 whereas I guarantee you they failed to amount to even a few thousand- the ballot boxes having been filled by the regime itself. Perhaps the Shah didn’t actually hear the truth of the matter. Maybe he was told that an “overwhelming majority” vote of six million had been achieved. Since the Shah doesn’t tell lies then this must be the case, otherwise why should he make claim to an” overwhelming majority” throughout the entire country of Iran? What about the bazaars of Tehran? Aren’t they a part of the country? The streets of Tehran, the city of Qum, other provinces, the clergy, are these not all parts of Iran? Where is this Iran that you refer to? Where did all those votes that you lay claim to actually come from? It was unfortunate that such events should have occurred this year. Yet it was fortunate that you, the respected clergy, by confronting oppression gave new life to Islam. Had you not shown resistance, God knows that by now they would have fully executed all of their evil schemes. It was your resistance which caused them to deny their former intentions, whereby they said: “Of course divorce is a man’s prerogative,

112 The constitutional law and its amendments. According to the articles of this law, the safeguarding of the religion of Islam and Shi’ism as well as the clergy’s continual supervision of the legislative procedure have been emphatically stipulated. 113 Sayyid Hasan Arsanjani (1922- 1969 AD), a law graduate who made great financial profits from the “land reform” program. He held several positions including publisher of the Dariya newspaper, Member of Parliament during the Majlis’ fifteenth assembly, political deputy of Qavam as-Saltanah and Agricultural Minister in the cabinets of both Ali Amini and Alam. 114 On January 9, 1963 (Dey 19, 1341 SH) Arsanjani, the Minister of Agriculture, assembled in a park gymnasium several thousands of those peasants who had ostensibly been given land through the land reform program. A number of high-ranking governmental officials, army commanders, officials of the Royal Court and both Iranian and foreign journalists were present at this assembly. As the peasants were busy cheering and applauding, the Shah, who was surrounded by security officers, entered the gathering to announce the “six points” of his “White Revolution”. See the newspapers of January 9 and 10, 1963 (Dey 19 and 20, 1341 SH). 115 The Shah in all of his speeches and interviews most unashamedly insisted that the number of votes cast in the referendum of January 1963 (Bahman 1341 SH) was in the” millions”. In Kerman on May 27, 1963 (Khordad 6, 1342 SH) he made claim to 5,600,000 votes; on June 9, 1963 (Khordad 19, 1342 SH), whilst addressing students who were about to go to America, he cited six million votes; and on July 27, 1963 (Mordad 7, 1342 SH), in an article which appeared in the American journal Life, he maintained that ninety-five percent of the population took part in the referendum. See the Kayhan and Ittila’at newspapers of the aforementioned dates.

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when did we ever say otherwise?”116 Whilst one voice from the “People’s Party”117 can be heard advocating full and equal rights, another voice from the other Party asks: “When did we say that divorce is a woman’s prerogative?” Hence, on one occasion they espouse equality in all spheres of life, but on another they advocate something quite different. Again, they speak in similar terms with regard to inheritance and women’s conscription, advocating one thing one minute and denying it the next. As for women’s conscription, we read about it in your (the Shah’s) very own newspapers which write whatever the security forces dictate to them. The editor-in-chief of Kayhan118 is said to have remarked that the paper’s journalists now have no problems to contend with, because in the past they were the ones who did the writing and certain persons 119 would make “comments” of approval or disapproval, but now these persons actually do the writing themselves, thus easing the task of the journalist. Here, however, I feel an objection must be voiced asking this person where his self-respect is if he allows others to dictate to him whilst he merely writes. Why should our press be so abject?

THE DANGER POSED BY ZIONISM So why don’t you (the ulama) speak out and say what they are actually doing?120 Now that Islam is threatened by Judaism and the Jewish Party, which in fact constitutes the Bahai Party, it is time for all of the ulama of Islam to speak with one voice; and for the orators, speakers and religious students to jointly declare unequivocally that they don’t want Judaism to determine the destiny of their country; nor do they want their country to align itself with the Jews in opposition to an Islamic alliance.121 Whilst elsewhere the Muslims are uniting, those here are making pacts with Judaism! What state of affairs is this? If you must

116 By adopting the blanket phrase “full and equal rights” the ground was laid for the elimination of Islam and the propagation of Western culture. The granting of women’s divorce rights was initially denied by the Shah, his Prime Minister and other officials. However, several years later during Hoveyda’s premiership a law was ratified in Parliament entitled “The Family Protection Law” according to which women were permitted to divorce their husbands on the approval of the law courts. The authority of the judges of these courts was not recognized by Islamic law according to which a husband is able to endorse a women’s right to divorce on condition that this stipulation has been included in the marriage vows. Needless to say, this legal ruling which is currently in operation in the Islamic Republic of Iran bears no relation whatsoever to the aforementioned “Family Protection Law” which was approved by the Shah’s Parliament. 117 In the year 1960 (1339 SH), a time of international political upheaval, the Shah was compelled to reconsider his style of government and his domestic policies. He therefore called on his Prime Minister, Dr. Iqbal and his Royal Court adviser Alam to form two political parties called “The National Party” (Hizb-e Milliyyun) and “The People’s Party” (Hizb-e Mardom) both of which were to give the appearance of being mutual rivals. In 1974, however, when the “National Resurgence Party” (Hizb-e Rastakhiz) was founded by the Shah himself, the two aforementioned parties were abolished. See I’tirafat-e Shah-e Makhlu, p. 66. 118 Kayhan, the socio-political newspaper, which was launched in 1942 (1321 SH) in Tehran with the publication of a twelve-page edition of the paper. Its proprietor was Mustafa Misbahzadeh and its editor-in-chief from its birth until 1974 (1353 SH) was Mahdi Semsar. For information concerning Misbahzadeh’s thirst for power, his dedication to the Pahlavi regime and the biography of a man who, for years propagated the plans, aims and ambitions of the Shah’s regime through one of the largest publishing institutes, see The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, pp. 131- 133. The current website of Kayhan International English edition is at: https://kayhan.ir/en 119 The press board of censors. 120 The Imam is addressing those clergymen who chose to remain silent, arguing that struggle would result in nothing but torture and imprisonment. 121 In this treaty the countries of Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan had united against Zionism; whereas the Shah, under America’s instructions, gave direct support to Israel and was thereby an ally of Zionism. He indirectly lent support to certain treaties which served the interests of American policies; and not only did he not represent the slightest threat to Israel, but on the contrary he served to safeguard the territory of the Zionist regime.

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be a lackey to others, then why must you be such a dedicated one?! I shall end here so that I can go to the Fayziyyah Madrasah to recite a surah of the Qur’an (Surah al-Fatihah) for the repose of the souls of those who died in the assault. May God grant you good health both now and in the future [the audience cries “Amen”] and may He grant victory to Islam [the audience cries “Amen”].

7th Speech Date: May 13, 1963/Urdibehesht 23, 1342 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 19, 1382 AH Place: Qum Subject: The religion is in danger Occasion: Arrival of the blessed Eid al-Ghadir122 Audience: A group of the clergy and people of Hamadan123 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE GOVERNMENT IS STRENGTHENING ISRAEL AND BAHAIS I am much obliged to you for taking the trouble. Please give my regards to the people and the clergy of Hamadan and say that the religion of you Muslim people is in danger of being assaulted; your administration intends to destroy you by Bahais and Israelis. Be informed that your state has furnished 2000 Bahais with 500 each for the air tickets to London so that they can gather and make decisions against the Qur’an and your Prophet. In a trade contract between Oil Incorporation and Sabet Pasal124 for selling him oil and petroleum, your state has granted him a profit of five million tumans, through a discount, which provided for the Bahais trip to London and for their propagations. Please tell the people that your state expends on strengthening the Jews, the Israelis, and Bahais from the taxes it exacts from you Muslims. I am fully informed that they are going to officially recognize the Israeli Government, in spite of the wishes of the Muslim Iranian Nation and other Islamic and Arab nations. However, it seems that they are afraid of you and are not sure yet whether to announce it officially. They attempted it two years ago, which was protested by ulama and the Muslim people and they had to deny it soon. They are planning to do it again. Please inform the others and they will in turn inform the rest; all of you should tell everybody

122 Eid al-Ghadir is celebrated throughout Muslim world by the Shia’s. Prophet Muhammad (s) appointed Imam Ali (as) as his successor while returning from his last Hajj. For details and analysis of this incident, please visit: https://www.al-islam.org/ghadir/ 123 Qum section of Intelligence and Security Organization (SAVAK), in its report sent to its headquarters writes: “Information on 2/23/1342 SH shows that a great number of tullab, tradesmen, and bazaar merchants from Tehran, Qum, Isfahan, and Hamadan have entered Qum to visit and greet Khomeini on the occasion of Eid al-Ghadir. At about 5 pm, a group of about 100 from Hamadan arrived at his home. After being introduced to Khomeini, a person read out a statement on behalf of the crowd which said: “We have come to meet you on behalf of the people of Hamadan, its clergymen and tradesmen, both to have the honor of meeting you and greeting you on the occasion and to announce the support of Hamadan people for Your Eminence. We are representing the people of Hamadan to announce to you that they will support you to the last, for destroying the Mu’awiyah of our time”. Then Imam Khomeini gave the short speech. 124 He is a famous Bahai capitalist. He owned the Pepsi Cola Beverage Company, and several other factories and commercial centers in Tehran and other provinces. His employees were all Bahais.

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to be ready, be united, until the day, it is the time to strike this government, which is a servant to the foreigners and an enemy of Islam, a blow to the mouth. God supports us and we will move forward.

8th Speech Date: Afternoon, June 3, 1963/Khordad 13, 1342 SH/Muharram 10, 1383 AH Place: Fayziyyah Madrasah, Qum Subject: The Shah and Israel, the root of the Iranian nation’s sufferings Occasion: The arrival of Ashura Audience: The clergymen, tullab, people of Qum, and pilgrims of the holy shrine of Hazrat Masumah (sa) In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE REGIME’S OPPOSITION TO THE FOUNDATION OF ISLAM It is now the afternoon of Ashura. Sometimes when I reflect upon the events of Ashura, a question occurs to me: If the Bani Umayyah and the regime of Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah were at war with Husayn, then why did they commit such savage and inhuman crimes against defenseless women and innocent children on the day of Ashura? What were the women and infants guilty of? It seems to me that their concern was far more basic; they did not wish the Bani Hashim to exist; the Bani Umayyah were hostile toward the Bani Hashim as a whole and their goal was to root out this goodly tree (Shajarah Tayyibah).125 The same idea prevailed in Iran. What business did they have with our sixteen- and seventeen-year-old youngsters? What had the Sayyid aged no more than sixteen or seventeen years done against the Shah?126 What had he done to upset the government? What had he done to upset the tyrannical regime? One is led to conclude that it is toward underlying principles that they are hostile rather than children. They do not wish these principles to exist, nor do they wish any of us to exist; the young and the old alike.

ISRAEL IS THE ENEMY OF ISLAM AND IRAN Israel does not wish there to be any learned men in this country. Israel does not wish the Qur’an to exist in this country. Israel does not wish the ulama to exist in this country. Israel does not wish to see Islamic

125 Shajarah Tayyibah phrase is taken from Holy Qur’an, alluded to in Surah Ibrahim, verses 24 and 25: “Have you not considered how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word (being) like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven?” It refers to God, Prophet Muhammad (s), the Ahlul-Bayt (as), who are the progeny of Banu Hashim, perfect human beings, faith, monotheism, light, etc. In traditions from Shia sources, Shajarah Tayyibah refers to Ahlul-Bayt (as). For example, Imam Sadiq (as) in the exposition of the verse 24 of Surah Ibrahim said: “The Prophet of Islam (s) is the root of this tree, and the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali (as)) is its branch, and the Imams who are their descendants are the smaller branches, and the knowledge of the Imams is the fruit of this tree, and their faithful followers are the leaves of this tree.” (Al-Kafi, vol. 1., p. 428). 126 It refers to the late Sayyid Yunus Husayni Rudbari (Sept. 1932 – April 1963), one the martyrs of the Fayziyyah tragedy. He was the first martyr of Imam Khomeini’s (ra) revolutionary movement. He was repeatedly tortured by SAVAK commandoes and passed away because of severe injuries. He was buried in Imamzadeh Husayn Cemetery in his hometown Rudbar, province of Gilan. When Imam Khomeini (ra) met his father Sayyid Yunus, while weeping, he said: “My this weeping is not for you! It is for one of my best and dearest that I have lost.”

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precepts in this country. It was Israel that assaulted the madrasah127 by means of its sinister agents. It is assaulting us too and you, the nation; it wishes to seize your economy, to destroy your trade and agriculture and to appropriate your wealth leaving this country without. Anything which proves to be a barrier, or blocks its path is to be removed by means of its agents. The Qur’an is blocking its path; it must be removed. The religious establishment is blocking its path, it too must be removed; Fayziyyah is blocking its path, it must be destroyed. The religious students might later prove to be barriers; they must be flung from the roof and their arms and necks broken. We are affronted by our very own government, which assists Israel in achieving its objectives by obeying her command.

WHO IS THE PARASITE? You respectful people of Qum! On the day that mendacious, that scandalous referendum took place- that referendum which only a few thousand were in favor of and which was carried out contrary to the interests of the Iranian nation- you witnessed how certain persons were let loose onto the streets of Qum, and in this center of religious learning which stands beside the shrine of Fatima Masumah (sa); and how thugs and ruffians were picked up and driven around the streets in cars, yelling, “Your sponging days are over! Your days of good living are at an end!” You look around; take note of the condition in which Fayziyyah Madrasah finds itself; take a look at the residential chambers. Those who spend the best and most active part of their lives in these small chambers, their monthly allowance not exceeding between 40 - 100 tumansare they parasites? How about those who have one account containing 1000 million tumans, while thousands of millions more are elsewhere in other accounts- are they not parasites?! Is it we (the ulama) who are parasites- people like the late Haj Shaykh Abdul-Karim whose sons possessed nothing, not even food to eat on the night of his death [the audience weeps intensely], or the late Burujerdi who was six hundred thousand tumans in debt at the time of his demise- was he a parasite?! Yet those who have filled banks all around the world, who have erected great towering palaces, who refuse to leave this nation alone and who continue in their endeavors to fill their own pockets and those of Israel with profits taken from the remainder of the national resources- they are not parasites?! It is for the world and the nation to judge who is parasitic.

ADVICE AND WARNING GIVEN TO THE SHAH Let me give you some advice Sir, Mr. Shah! Your Majesty! My advice to you is to abstain from such acts; you are being deluded. I would not like to see everyone rejoice if your departure was arranged. I will tell you a story that will be familiar to those aged thirty or forty years or more. Three foreign countries once attacked and then occupied Iran: the Soviet Union, Britain and America. The property of the people was exposed to danger and their honor was imperiled; but God knows how elated the people were when they saw that Pahlavi128 had gone. I do not want you to end up this way. Stop acting thus. It is not my wish that the same happens to you. Do not annoy the people so. Do not oppose the clergymen so. If what they say is true and you indeed oppose them, then it is wrong of you to think this way. If they hand you formerly-

127 It refers to the Fayziyyah Madrasah in Qum and Talibiyyah Madrasah in Tabriz that were simultaneously subjected to the savage attacks of the Shah’s agents. 128 Reza Shah

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prepared material and then tell you to read it, give it some thought first. Why do you speak without first thinking? The ulama and the religious scholars of Islam, are they really defiled animals?! Does the nation see them in this light?! If they truly are defiled animals then why do people kiss their hands? Is it the hand of a defiled animal they kiss? And why do they regard the very water they drink as blessed? Is this the treatment afforded a defiled animal! [the audience weeps intensely] Sir, are we really defiled animals? I hope to God that this is not what you mean. God forbid that you were referring to the ulama when you said, “The black reaction129 is like a defiled animal which is to be avoided by the people,” because if this is so then our task is made more difficult and so is yours. You will not be able to live. The nation will not allow you to live. Do not continue in this way; heed my advice. You are now forty-three years old; enough is enough. Do not listen to what others tell you. Think a little; ponder about where all this is leading you. Learn at least something from your father’s fate. Do not continue in this way. Listen to what I have to say; listen to what the ulama have to say; listen to what the religious scholars have to sayit is they who seek the welfare of the country and the nation. Are we reactionaries? Is the doctrine of Islam reactionary; and a “black reaction” at that? Is it you then who turned the “black” revolution into a “white” one?! Did you create a White Revolution? Which White Revolution did you make sir? Why do you try to deceive the people so? I swear by God, Israel is of no use to you, it is the Qur’an which can be of help to you. I was informed today that a number of preachers were taken to the offices of SAVAK and were told that they could speak about anything they chose other than three subjects: they were not to say anything bad about the Shah; not to attack Israel; and not to say that Islam is endangered. The problem is that if we don’t concern ourselves with these three subjects then what else is there to talk about? All of our difficulties without exception stem from these three issues. Sir, they themselves say this; it is not I who says it. Whoever you ask tells you that it was the Shah who ordered for such action to be taken; the Shah ordered for Fayziyyah Madrasah to be destroyed; the Shah ordered for those people to be killed That man130 - I will mention his name at the appropriate time when he has been duly punished [an outburst of emotion from the audience] - who came to Fayziyyah Madrasah, whistled to signal for the commandos to gather, and shouted, “What are you waiting for? Plunder the entire residential chambers and destroy whatever is there.” He gave the order to attack and they attacked; but when he is asked, “Why did you do such a thing?” He replies, “I was acting on His Majesty’s orders.” Are these (religious students) His Majesty’s enemies? Is Israel His Majesty’s friend? Israel will cause the country’s collapse. Via its agents, Israel will cause the dissolution of the monarchy. 129 The Shah refers to those clerics who struggled in opposition to the regime as the “black reaction”. In the interviews, speeches and messages given by him from the year 1962 (1341 SH) onward, he names the “black reaction” and the “red reaction” as opposes of the “White Revolution”. At the Farmer’s Congress held in January 1962, he said, “There is no doubt that the “black reaction” and the subversive “red” forces will not desist in their attempt to check Iran’s reforms. Indeed, they will make every effort to avert them!” Once again in a speech delivered in Qum a short while later, he insulted the ulama and most distinctly called the clergymen “black reactionaries”. Again, in the book Inqilab-e Sefid (The White Revolution), with regard to the great uprising of Khordad 15 we read: “The shambles of Khordad 15, 1342 SH (June 5, 1963) was the best illustration of the unholy union between the “black reaction” and the “red” subversive forces, that took place financed by a group of land owners whose interests were detrimentally affected by the laws of land reforms”! See DayiratulMu’arif-e Tashayyu’, pp. 566- 567; Musahibeh, Nutqha va Payamha-ye Muhammad Reza Shah, pp. 3087, 3089, 3284; Farhang-e Siyasi, p. 5. 130 Colonel Mawlawi (deputy-director of SAVAK)

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THE SHAH UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BAHAIS Beware, for one thing is certain- if you take a look at the Bahai almanac of two or three years ago, you will read, Abdul-Baha131 advocates “equal rights for men and women”; and this is the line that has been adopted by them. Then the ignorant Mr. Shah also steps forward and talks of equal rights for men and women! You poor wretch, they have purposely set you up so that they can say that you are a Bahai, and so that I in turn can denounce you as an unbeliever and you are finally got rid of. Do not continue in this way, you fool; do not do it. Conscription for women is what Abdul-Baha advocates. The almanac in question is available, so why not read it. Has the Shah not seen this?! If not then those who have seen it and have set this poor wretch up to say these things are to be rebuked. I swear by God that I have heard that the security police have plans to ensure that the people see the Shah in a bad light, so that he can be expelled; and it may be for this reason that some of these matters are in fact kept from him. There are many such matters, more than you can possibly imagine. Both our country and our religion are in jeopardy. You repeatedly tell the ulama not to mention that our religion is endangered; but if we do not say this, does that mean that our religion is in fact not in danger? If we do not mention what the Shah is like, does that mean he is really not like that? Indeed, you must do something to change this situation. You are being blamed for everything. You helpless creature, you do not realize that on the day when a true outburst occurs, not one of these socalled friends of yours will want to know you. They are all friends of the dollar. They hold no belief or moral principles and they have no sense of loyalty.

THE SHAH’S LINK TO ISRAEL We feel particularly emotional at present, not because of the fact that today is Ashura’ (although to a certain extent that is the case) but because of what is in store for this nation; because of that which is about to take place. That is the real cause of our extreme sorrow; we are truly apprehensive. What exactly is the relationship between the Shah and Israel anyway, which causes the secret service to tell us neither to speak of Israel nor of the Shah- what is the connection between the two? Can it be that the Shah is an Israeli? Does the secret service believe him to be Jewish? Surely this cannot be so; he professes to be a Muslim. He who claims to be a Muslim, according to the laws of Islam, is thereby a Muslim. The connection between us and Israel perhaps this concerns some kind of confidential matter. Maybe there is truth in what they say about certain organizations wanting to destroy the Shah. Do you not consider it a probability? If so then resolve the matter in some way. Somehow inform this man of these issues; it may cause him to wake up and become somewhat aware of the situation. However, they have ensured that he is under constant surveillance and they might therefore prevent such words of advice from reaching him. We are full of regret and sorrow. We truly regret the state in which Iran finds itself. We regret the state of our ruined country, of this cabinet and of those running our government. Kindly ask Mr. Shirazi132 to come and recite a prayer. I feel truly tired. 131 Abbas Effendi, the notorious “Abdul Baha” (1844-1921 AD), son of Mirza Husayn Ali (Baha’ullah) became the leader of the Bahais after his father. He was amongst the British government’s active spies who actually worked for the British in Palestine. The services rendered by Abbas Effendi to the British government made him worthy of a knighthood and the title of “Sir”. Abdul-Baha published Talim-e Bahaiyyat [The Teachings of Bahaism] in which he addressed the issue of full and equal rights of the sexes. 132 Sayyid Ghulam Hasan Shirazi

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9th Speech Date: Morning, April 10, 1964/Farvardin 21, 1343 SH/Dhul-Qadah 26, 1383 AH Place: Qum Subject: The clergy opposes the Shah’s White Revolution Occasion: The Imam’s return to Qum after release from prison Audience: A group of Tehran University students, tullab and people of Qum In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE TARGET IS ISLAM AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE COUNTRY Do not be disheartened by the incarceration of Mr. Taleqani133 and the engineer.134 We will not succeed without the occurrence of such incidents. The ultimate goal which must be borne in mind at all times is more important than the release of a group of people. The objective is Islam; it is the country’s independence; it is the proscription of Israel’s agents; it is the unification of Muslim countries. The entire country’s economy now lies in Israel’s hands; that is to

133 Ayatullah Sayyid Mahmoud Taleqani (1910- 1979 AD/1289- 1358 SH) after having acquired education in Islamic sciences at the madrasahs of Razawiyyah and Fayziyyah in Qum, went to Tehran in the year 1938 (1317 SH) to preach and lecture in Islamic teachings. In 1939 he was arrested and imprisoned, charged with opposing the Pahlavi regime. From 1948 (1327 SH) onward, his classes were held at Hidayat Mosque in Tehran which was the central gathering place for religious intellectuals and the religious members of the National Front (Jebhehye Milli), who later established themselves as the Liberation Movement (Nahzat-e Azadi). In the years 1951 and 1952 (1330 and 1331 SH) he traveled to Jordan and Egypt. He participated in the struggle for the nationalization of the oil industry and was arrested following the coup d’état of Mordad 28 (August 19) accused of hiding Nawwab Safavi, the founder and leader of the Fida’iyan-e Islam [Devotees of Islam] in his home. The late Taleqani was repeatedly imprisoned because of his activities and this was the case yet again in 1964 (1343 SH) due to his support of Imam Khomeini’s movement, his release being granted in the year 1967 (1346 SH). In 1971 (1350 SH) he was exiled to Zabol and then to Baft (a town in the province of Kerman); and in 1975 (1354 SH), having been betrayed by one of the Munafiqin (MKO) he was arrested and sentenced to ten years imprisonment. On November 9, 1978 (Aban 18, 1357 SH) he was freed along with Ayatullah Muntaziri and a group of other political prisoners. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution he was appointed as head of the Revolutionary Council and selected as a member of the Assembly of Experts; and following the Imam’s request he led the first congregational Friday prayer which was held at Tehran University. Among the many literary legacies of the late Ayatullah Taleqani are expositions of the Qur’an and books concerning Islamic teachings and socio-political issues. He passed away on 9th September, 1979 after suffering heart attack. He is buried in famous Beheshte Zahra cemetery of Tehran. Imam Khomeini (ra) mentioned him as Abuzar of the time. 134 Here, the Imam is referring to engineer Mahdi Bazargan. Mr. Bazargan (b. 1907/ 1286 SH) held official positions during Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq’s government at the Tehran Water Board and the National Oil Company, while also holding posts in education as an academic member of staff and as head of the Faculty of Engineering at Tehran University. He had played a significant role in founding the Liberation Movement of Iran and had spent many years in the regime’s prisons. At the height of the Islamic uprising in the year 1978 (1357 SH), he was sent by the Leader of the Revolution along with others to attend to the affairs concerning the National Oil Company workers’ strike. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the chairmanship of the provisional government was consigned to him; and the day after the occupation of the American Embassy (the Den of Espionage) by the Muslim students following the Imam’s line, he resigned from his post as Prime Minister. Later, however, he became the Member of Parliament for Tehran during the first session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

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say it has been seized by Israeli agents. Hence, most of the major factories and enterprises are run by them: the television, the Arj factory, Pepsi Cola, etc.135 The two passenger planes scheduled to commute hajj pilgrims to Mecca belonged to Israel! Saudi Arabia objected to them and they inevitably stopped doing it. Today, even eggs are imported from Israel.136 Make firm your ranks. These are the agents of imperialism and imperialism must be uprooted.

THE NEED TO HOIST THE BANNER OF ISLAM IN THE UNIVERSITIES Gentlemen, do your utmost to raise the banner of Islam in the universities, to promote religion, to build mosques, to perform prayers in congregation and to let the act of prayer be seen by others. Religious unity is of the essence. It is religious unity that makes this society so great and firm; if you like Iran to be independent, then be united in religion.

THE REGIME IS FORCED TO RELEASE THE IMAM The regime came to realize that it could no longer bear such opprobrium.137 It sensed the resentment felt toward it by the Muslim countries and was subjected to pressures from all quarters of the Islamic and nonIslamic world.138 Thus, in acknowledging the hopelessness of the situation, it decided that I was to be brought here during the night,139 “to ensure my safe arrival,” as they put it. They repeatedly said that they must offer me protection and that they feared people might harm me!! Having suffered so many public scandals, they realized there was nothing more they could do. They did not enjoy the favor of any nation or foreign government; and when they saw that the period of hajj and the month of Muharram were approaching, during which time nothing was predictable, they chose to release me. However, shortly after, they decided to turn public opinion against me, believing that via the press they could make me despised and could create a rift between the people and the clergymen.

135 The Sabet Habib Pasal and Elqaniyan families were among those mediators of world Zionism who resided in Iran. They engaged in certain joint ventures with the Pahlavi family and with both indigenous and foreign capitalist networks. Elqaniyan was the owner of Iran Leyland Motor Company, Iran Goodrich, the factories of Pars and America, the SRS Company and dozens of other factories, companies and mother companies. See Dawlat va Hukumat dar Islam, pp. 264- 267. 136 During the Shah’s “land reform” program the country’s agriculture and dairy farming were gradually ruined and what remained of the oil revenue was spent on the purchase of wheat from America, oranges from South Africa, chickens from Holland, eggs from Israel and other needs from various other countries. The cost of eggs imported from Israel in the years 1976, ‘ 77 and ‘ 78 (1355- 1358 SH) amounted to two hundred and twelve million, two hundred and fifty-four million and one thousand and twenty-two million rials, respectively; figures that had been continually on the rise. See Iran: Taswir-e smari-ye Bazargani-ye Khariji, p. 264. 137 It refers to the confinement and detention of Imam Khomeini. 138 Maraji’, clergy, politicians, bazaar merchants, students, and other sectors of society had persistently requested that the Shah and the government grant Imam Khomeini’s release from prison. Likewise, prominent religious figures from countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait as well as those from several other countries had pressed the Iranian government for the Imam’s release, certain personages such as Shaykh Muhammad Shaltut, the distinguished Egyptian thinker and clergyman, making great efforts and actually taking action to secure the Imam’s freedom. See Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 1, pp. 516- 555. 139 Having undergone ten months detention, the Imam eventually entered his home in Qum at 10 pm on Tuesday, April 7 (Farvardin 18, 1343 SH). He did so under the watchful eye of the regime’s officers who were concerned to ensure that no one yet found out about his release. Later that night, cars and taxis repeatedly beeped their horns and by doing so informed every one of the affair. Once informed, people immediately advanced toward the Imam’s home and they, along with the theological center in Qum and people of Tehran and other cities, held celebrations for his homecoming which in fact lasted for several days, people actually traveling from all quarters of the country to Qum to visit their leader.

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A CONSPIRACY LABELED AS “HOLY ALLIANCE” A few days have now passed since my release but I have not in fact had the opportunity to read a newspaper. In prison, however, I was entitled to leisure-time and so I used to read; or so it was, until I was handed the Ittila’at newspaper dated Tuesday, Farvardin 18, 1343 SH, (April 7, 1964). I am upset with the ulama for not having given this paper to me sooner. In the editorial of this abject newspaper, under the heading “Holy Alliance”, it was asserted that a compromise had been reached with the clergymen; furthermore, the clergymen are in favor of the ‘White Revolution’ of the Shah and the nation. Which Revolution? Which nation? Does this revolution really have anything to do with the clergymen and the people?!140

THE CLERGY OPPOSES THE WHITE REVOLUTION Those of you who are in the universities,141 let the clergymen’s opposition to this” revolution” be known to everyone. Unfortunately, we do not possess the media necessary for such publicity. They have taken everything from us. They have taken the television and radio from us. The television lies in the hands of that fraud142 and the radio is in the hands of the regime itself; and as for the press, that too is corrupt. Whatever they write or say immediately travels to the most remote of places; and knowing no better, people think that they speak for the clergymen, too. Let it be known, the clergymen do not favor such scandalous deeds, and as far as the Ittila’at newspaper is concerned, if it does not make amends for its misdeeds, then it will have to contend with the tough counteractive measures taken by us. [A member of the audience: “Boycott it!” The Imam: “No, this is not the time. There is a right time for everything.”]

KHOMEINI WILL NOT COMPROMISE Even if they threaten to hang Khomeini, he will not compromise. Reforms cannot be made at gun point; nor will the country be reformed by writing” Khomeini, the traitor” on the walls of Tehran!143 Now do you see that you were wrong? Do you realize that you made a grave mistake? Submit to the doctrines of Islam. We will help you in this; but if by releasing me you have other ideas in mind, if you actually want to have a riot on your hands, then so be it- go ahead.

140 The editorial of the Ittila’at newspaper dated April 7, 1964 (Farvardin 18, 1343 SH) carried an article entitled “Holy Alliance” in which was written: “It was the Shah himself who personally engineered the “six- point program” on the basis of which a new society was to be formed according to modern ideas and traditional cultures. This program in fact deserved to be carried by twenty million votes, for it was for everyone; for people from all walks of life. Everyone has a part to play in this national endeavor, no matter what sector of society they are from, or what class they belong to. How fortunate it is that the clerical community has also now joined forces with the people in executing the programs of the Shah-People Revolution, for indeed this revolution has been founded on the most worthy ambitions of the early leaders of Islam. It is also fortunate that the present government is fully aware of the public’s support, and it spares no effort in achieving” national unity for the national program” and in attaining the mutual understanding of different sections of society.” 141 It is to be noted that the present speech was delivered at the Imam’s home in Qum, in the presence of a group of Tehran University students, among others. 142 Sabet Habib Pasal, the renowned Baha’i capitalist who was also responsible for the television’s executive affairs at the time of the Shah. 143 After the event of Khordad 15, 1342 SH/June 5, 1963 the Shah ordered for certain insulting remarks against the Imam to be written on the walls. However, when confronted by the people’s anger he was forced to order for their erasure! Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 1, p. 565; also certain instructions given by the SAVAK in this regard can be found in the file compiled on the Imam at the offices of the SAVAK.

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When I was brought from Qeytarieh prison144, the newspaper of August 4, 1963 (Mordad 13, 1342 SH) wrote something to the effect that the clergymen will not interfere in politics.145 I will now tell you the truth of the matter. A person who will remain anonymous once said, “Take it from me, politics involves nothing but lying, deceiving, cheating, misleading: in brief, politics means chicanery! And you should leave that to us!”146 Because the time was not right I did not want to argue with him, so I merely commented, “From the very beginning, we played no part in the kind of politics of which you speak.”

ISLAM IS POLITICS IN ITS ENTIRETY Today, however, because the time has come, I say, “this is not Islam”. I swear by God that Islam is politics in its entirety but it has been misrepresented. Political science originates from Islam. I am not one of those mullahs who merely sit with rosary beads in hand. I am not the Pope to perform certain ceremonies on Sundays only, spending the rest of my time imagining that I am a sultan and not concerning myself with any other affairs.147 This is where the key to Islamic independence lies. This country must be rescued from these difficulties. They do not want this country to be reformed. The foreigners do not want this country to flourish. Even water has not been provided for this nation! The water used by us in Qum would not even be given to animals in Europe!148 If they are truly in earnest, then they ought to provide jobs for the 144 Notorious prison located in the Qeytarieh neighbourhood of Tehran. 145 The article, “Religion and Politics” printed in the Ittila’at newspaper of August 4, 1963/Mordad 13, 1342 SH reads: “Some believe that the government is out to weaken the position of the clergy and they have thus based their judgments accordingly; but this is not the case. The Shah himself holds a special respect for the clergy. He worships Almighty God and is proud of the fact it is the clergy who have exchanged their true mission to guide and lead the people with the sordid world of politics. That is to say, instead of offering people leadership and guidance they become involved in matters well below their station and dignity one hundred and fifty years ago in certain countries it was rightly realized that religion and politics should be separated and hence His Imperial Majesty, the King of kings, the sole Shia Muslim ruler in the world, warned the clergy to dissociate themselves from those clergymen who are involved in non-religious activities. Therefore, it is essential that the eminent ‘ulama and fuqaha, and in particular their eminencies Ayatullah Khomeini, Ayatullah Qummi and Ayatullah Mahallati, who have now agreed to compromise, accept this point and ensure that others accept it for the sake of glorifying the standing of both the clergy and Islam.”! 146 Pakravan, the then commander of the army and head of SAVAK, during an audience with the Imam on August 2, 1963 (Mordad 11, 1342 SH) at ‘Ishratabad garrison said: “I took great pains to obtain a document confirming the relationship between a great marja’ and a foreign country; and to this end I even sent an Arab person to see you but I didn’t find the least evidence of a relationship between your great eminence and foreign agents Your eminence is about to be released, but before this I have to tell you that politics means cheating and deceiving; politics means lies, hypocrisy and trickery. In brief, politics means chicanery. These matters are our concern and the leaders of the clergy must not soil themselves with these things; they must in no way indulge in politics.” The Imam in response to the latter part of Pakravan’s comments said: “From the very beginning we played no part in the kind of politics of which you speak.” See Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 1, p. 575. 147 Another part of the article, “Religion and Politics” printed in the Ittila’at newspaper of August 4, 1963/Mordad 13, 1342 SH, reads: “The truth of the matter is that His Imperial Majesty has realized that the foundations of religion have become weak in this country. The mosque and the pulpit have both been forgotten and in comparison to other Muslim nations, the Muslim nation of Iran is in a (spiritually) distressed condition. The Shah has realized that part of this moral and spiritual backwardness and depression is due to the fact that some individuals among the clergy have sacrificed their true mission of leading and guiding the people for politics and the sordidness which accompanies it Thus, to rescue both the country and the nation from this group, he has adopted an approach to achieve that which the churches actually achieved one hundred and fifty years ago and that is to separate the Church from politics. As a result of this measure, no Christian now slights the fundamental precepts of his religion. They all attend church and perform their prayers and they listen with enthusiasm to the preachers’ sermons and act accordingly”! 148 Among the serious problems faced by the people of Qum was the severe shortage of water, the high salt content of the water, the unhygienic state of water held in reservoirs and the ill health which ensued from that very situation. Although this city is densely populated,

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unemployed. After twenty years of studying, this young man wants a job.149 When he graduates in the near future, he will be left wandering aimlessly. If he is not provided with a means of living, then he will not be able to retain his religious beliefs. Do you really believe that the thief that climbs walls at night in spite of the dangers entailed, or the woman who sells her honor, is really blameworthy? No, it is a low standard of living which gives rise to all of these crimes and vices of which one reads in both the morning and evening press.

COLD WEATHER OF HAMADAN AND IMPORTING FLOWERS FROM HOLLAND While I was in prison, they informed me that the temperature in Hamadan had reached thirty-three degrees below zero.150 Then they brought the news that two thousand people had lost their lives due to the cold. I was unable to do anything under the circumstances. What could I have done? This was the state of affairs in Hamadan, but in Tehran and other cities too further lives were also lost. In spite of all this, however, what action did the government take? Under such dreadful circumstances they had flowers flown in from Holland with which they could receive their masters from abroad. How they squander the money of this poor nation! To hire the airplane in question actually cost these country three hundred thousand tumans!151 For God’s sake, make amends for your misdeeds; observe the laws of Islam. While in captivity, I read something about the state of hygiene and the material conditions endured by those living in southern Iran. I was surprised at how they had allowed such a thing to be written. After having made investigations about the living conditions of people living in the south, a reporter had written that in the rural areas in southern Iran there was absolutely no evidence of health care; there was no current water, and in one village the majority of people were actually blind.152 In short, they were deprived of all basic is significant from both a geographical and a religious point of view and caters for many visiting pilgrims, it nevertheless lacked a current drinking-water supply. 149 Indication is made to a student. 150 The winter of 1963 (1342 SH) in Iran was extremely severe and many lives were lost due to the acute poverty and hardship faced by the people as well as road obstructions resulting from bad weather conditions and the neglectfulness of the regime’s functionaries. At the same time, however, the governmental officials and their coworkers in these districts were in fact supplied with their needs by helicopter. See the press reports of winter 1963. 151 The splendid ceremonies of jubilation and festivity were meant to beguile and divert the Iranian people. The year 1966 (1345 SH) witnesses the commemorative ceremony of a quarter of a century of Muhammad Reza’s reign; in 1967 the royal coronation ceremony was held; and four years later we saw the celebration of two-and-a-half millennia of monarchical rule as well as other festivities. Great expense was afforded for each of these affairs, but the actual figures involved were never published. Moreover, these celebrations were in addition to the routine galas and parties of the Royal Court. A major item of expense in these celebrations was having the most expensive flowers flown in from Holland. In his description of the two-thousand-five-hu festivities, Pierre Blanchet, the French author, writes in his book entitled, Iran: La Revolution Au Nom De Dieu: “Private Boeing airplanes made daily deliveries of fresh flowers from Holland.” 152 With regard to the health and material conditions of Iranian villages at the time of the Shah-People Revolution, a report by one of the head supervisors of the organization established for the program of the Shah’s regime reads: “In the villages, the father, mother, daughters, sons, grandfather, grandmother, groom, and bridegroom, all live together in one small room. The centre of this room is reserved for the cattle whose filth and putrid stench permeates everyday village life facilities include: a few dirty, torn quilts which have never seen soap and water, a metal kettle and teapot, a few tumblers and a copper saucepan Food at the best of times is merely bread with milk, yoghurt or even watered-down yoghurt boiled millet and sometimes cooked turnips In most of the villages things like doctors, medicine, shops, and bathing facilities just do not exist. The villagers’ income is extremely low and the best part of this is handed out to brokers, intermediators and pre-emptors. As a result, the village population comprises a wretched group of ailing and backward people who have neither food nor clothes.” For the details of this report refer to Iran va Tarikh, pp. 179- 182; also refer to the Ittila’at newspaper of July 19,

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facilities and the very bare necessaries of life. At the ECAFE153 conference, however, where delegates of world states had assembled to find a solution to the global economic situation-if they should ever wish to implement it-as participating members from countries both large and small discussed their economic problems, the Iranian body of delegates declared that our economic situation was wholly favorable and was without drawbacks! Is the economic situation in Britain bad and that of Iran good?! Is the state of India’s economy after making such great progress bad, while that of Iran is good?! Likewise, is Japan’s economy in an unhealthy state whereas the economy of Iran is healthy?!

“PROGRESSIVE NATION” Those lords seated in their palaces speak of “the progressive nation”; does a “progressive nation “Die of starvation?! Ali (as) the amir (Leader, Caliph) of Islam, used to eat barley bread, but now they spend 500,000 or 1,000,000 tumans, if not more,154 for the receptions arranged in honor of their masters; and all they ever talk about is the “Development” program! They maintain that our country is on a par with advanced countries, but how can the admission of a few women to Parliament cause a country to be developed?155 You will not put the country right by implementing Israel’s policies.

KHORDAD’S MASS MURDER Islam calls for man to abide by certain rules and regulations during his life. These apply to all stages of man’s life; that is from the day he is born until the day he is buried. It is not a question of opposing a 1967 (Tir 28, 1346 SH) (“Five Years after the White Revolution”) in which an open letter to the Shah can be found that was written by a group of villagers from northern Iran describing their way of life. 153 ECAFE is the United Nations’ acronym for the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. This commission was set up by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Organization in the year 1947. Its function was to bring about integration between the governments of Asia and the Far East in order to raise the level of their economic activities and to step up relations both between the countries of this region and between these countries and the rest of the world. The members of this commission are from the Far East and Asian member-countries of the United Nations. Other regional commissions of the UN include the economic commissions of Europe, Latin America and Africa. In the twenty-fifth edition of the journal Pasdar-e Islam, a close associate of the Imam is quoted as saying: “Colonel Pakravan (commander of the army), who at that time was the head of SAVAK in Tehran, would visit the Imam from time to time while he was in Qaytariyyah. One evening, Pakravan’s visit to the Imam coincided with the time when the ECAFE economic conference was in progress in Tehran. I distinctly remember the Imam’s words to Pakravan on that evening and I hereby relate them to the reader. The Imam stated: ‘These economic delegates who have gathered here from all over the world, without exception spoke of the economic difficulties suffered by their home countries. The Iranian representative, however, who was the Minister of Economic Affairs (Dr. Alikhani) had said: ‘Thanks to His Majesty! all of our economic problems have been solved! The Imam then asked Pakravan, what exactly had been solved and continued by saying: ‘Which part of the country’s economy is healthy? Where is this healthy economy of ours? What do we have that can be called an economy?” 154 In 1963 (1342 SH), after twenty-two years of monarchical rule, at a time when the Shah could see that his ambitions were being fulfilled, many world leaders were invited to Iran to experience the stately banquets of Iran’s Royal Court. These leaders included figures such as Heinrich Luebke, the West German President; De Gaulle, the President of France; and Leonid Brezhnev the Soviet Union’s Head of State. Whenever any of these guests visited Iran the world’s press, radio and television were filled with reports, pictures and accounts of afterdinner speeches which were invariably given in recognition of the progress achieved by Iran and the leading role played by the Shah. In addition to the world’s leaders, American consultants and experts in various fields also traveled to Tehran on a regular basis, and whilst receiving and entertaining them, the Shah made efforts to change his administrative systems to their liking. See Az Sayyid Ziya ta Bakhtiyar, p. 485. 155 According to the precept “Reforming the Electoral Law”- one of the underlying principles of the Shah’s “White Revolution”- both the right to vote and the right to be elected to the Majlis had been given to women. In the first election to follow the “White Revolution” a number of women from the Royal Court and upper-classes entered the Majlis as parliamentary representatives. These included: Shawkat JahanBani, Farukhrow Parsa (the wife of General Shirinsokhan), Hajar Tarbiyyat, Mehrangiz DawlatShahi, and several others. Az zuhur ta Suqut, publication of the Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, p. 130.

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particular person. At the end of the previous government’s term of office, I was approached by someone in prison who criticized the said government claiming that the new government (by contrast) had some progressive policies.156 I told him that we the clergymen have no personal grievance with anyone and that we are concerned with the deeds of individuals. This poor nation needs to be rescued. Yesterday I held an audience here with the families of those martyred on Khordad 15. I was most disturbed by the fact that I was not informed of the event of Khordad 15 until I came out of prison. Unlike the first time that the madrasah was attacked, when I was in fact informed of the affair on the afternoon of that very same day. The slaughter which took place on Khordad 15 was worse than the behavior exhibited by a military force toward a foreign nation. At least they would not have killed the women and children. Today is no time to celebrate.157 As long as the nation lives, it will mourn the events of Khordad 15. A government official once said in a speech that Khordad 15 was a disgrace to the Iranian nation; I wish to complete this statement: Khordad 15 was a disgrace to the nation because weapons were procured with the money of this nation and it was with these very same weapons that they killed the people!

10th Speech Date: 9 am, April 10, 1964/Farvardin 21, 1343 SH/Dhul-Qadah 26, 1383 AH Place: Qum Subject: The crimes of the Shah’s regime and the divine duty of the seminaries Audience: A group of the ulama, clergymen and people of Shiraz In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

ENGENDERING DISPARITY BETWEEN THE ULAMA AND THE NATION Please give my regards to the ulama of Shiraz, especially to Ayatullah Mahallati.158 Kiss His Eminence’s hand for me and say: “You suffered much; your imprisonment and your efforts will never be forgotten; the

156 After Alam’s dismissal, Dr. Sadr the Interior Minister of the former’s replacement Hasan Ali Mansur, visited the Imam at Qaytariyyah. At this meeting, as well as announcing the Imam’s imminent release, Dr. Sadr, in order to please the Imam, strongly criticized Alam’s government, blaming it for the periods of the Imam’s detention and incarceration; whereas he spoke highly of Mansur and described the new government as completely different to the previous one. In reply the Imam offered him a few words of advice and added: “We were neither the enemy of that government nor have we signed a contract of fraternity with this one. If you behave as the government before you did, then we will oppose you also.” 157 On Tuesday evening, April 7, 1964/Farvardin 18, 1343 SH, Imam Khomeini entered the city of Qum after a lengthy period of detention and imprisonment. His return was celebrated in such a way that some historians have reported it as being beyond description. People from the capital city and elsewhere hastened towards Qum to meet the Imam, and both the Khan and Fayziyyah madrasahs held non-stop celebrations for three days and three nights. These historic festivities culminated in the reading of a ten-point declaration in the presence of the Imam and ulama from the theological center. Matters stressed in this declaration included the making of necessary changes in the theological centers; the implementation of both the Islamic and constitutional laws; the abrogation of the Provincial and District Councils Bill; the annulment of both the upper- and lower-Majlis; the release of all political prisoners; the elimination of corruption; and the arrest of the regime’s anti-Islamic campaigns. Programs similar to this were also held in other cities of Iran. For further information refer to Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 4, p. 274 onward. 158 Ayatullah Baha’uddin Mahallati (1897 -1981 AD) was one of leading scholars and maraji taqlid. He was at the forefront in struggle against defunct Pahlavi regime and Bahai-Zionist lobby in Iran. He was embodiment of piety and wrote several books. He died on 23rd July, 1981

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thirteen days you spent in a place which is made for the ruffians will be remembered by the Master of the Age (may God Almighty expedite his advent).” Now you should know and inform the honorable people of Fars province and other places that they cannot advance, control the emotions of the Muslims or destroy Islam by using bayonets, killing and imprisoning and other brutal actions which are not practiced anywhere in the world today, not even in Africa or other places. They will be defeated. Now they have made a more prominent plot. It is not killing, imprisoning, or other harsh treatments for the time being. Of course, there was nothing wrong with it. Let them arrest everyone, take everyone away, kill some people. There will be still some more and more; but their major plan is to engender disparity between the ulama and the Islamic nation. They want to pretend that the ulama agree with the Shah’s revolution so that they turn people away from them and deprive the ulama of their public support. Please tell Ayatullah Mahallati and the other ulama of Shiraz to notify the tullab of this and to unify the people. Be wary and watchful. Inform all people that they are the enemies; enemies of Islam; enemies of the whole nation.

WE ALL BELONG IN THE SAME RANK The Prophet of Islam was an Arab. We have no disagreement, and we should not be dispersed. There is no difference between our younger and older ones. No one is higher or lower than the others are; prior or posterior to others. We all belong in the same rank. We are all rising for the sake of Islam and God, and it should be for God’s sake too, not for the sake of the world. No one ranks above the other. It is not just the duty of the seminary but everybody is responsible. They thought Islam was dead as well, when Ayatullah Burujerdi died. They were wrong; they are mistaken. The Prophet (s), Ali and the other Imams (as) all passed away but Islam remained. Khomeini will also die. My life is coming to an end. There remain only a few days of my life. You young tullab and the scholars, have to carry on. I will die; others will take over. They will depart and someone else will take over again. It is Islam that should be protected. Hand kissing, putting up someone’s pictures, or using titles before or after somebody’s name does not matter at all Seminaries should be all useful to Islam. If the Seminary does not prove to be useful for Islam, it will be futile, worthless. It is the religious obligation for everyone, for all orators and all Muslims to inform the people, because the basis of Islam is in danger. We all concur in the essentials. Are there any secondary things at all to disagree about? Are they not sure that Islam is in danger? Nobody should recommend silence. Nobody should think it is advisable.

PEOPLE’S FONDNESS OF RELIGION I suffer from seeing some excessive prejudices. When I hear some of the young tullab’s ideas, it gives me a headache. What is this superstition about my picture? People will destroy even Khomeini, if he doesn’t work honestly for the sake of God... One should seek God’s satisfaction, and working for the spirituality of the people, not for the worldly gains. By God, that those who kept silent- who will also lose their worldly gain- will become wretched. People esteem religion. The ulama and clergymen are servants of the religion, so they are liked by all. But if the people know that their effort is for the gain of the world and out of ambition or the like, they will not pay them any attention. I any more cannot collect the money

in Tehran heart hospital due to heart ailment and was buried in the vicinity of holy shrine of Imamzadeh Ali bin Hamza (as) his hometown in Shiraz. Imam Khomeini (ra) issued statement praising this great scholar and his contribution to the movement of revolution.

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and give it to tullab while people are hungry and miserable and the religion is being destroyed. They (tullab) should destroy and forsake me if I do that. People are quite aware. Faithful people need a person who serves the religion; they will like him who is more prominent. People like us because of religion. They express their fondness because they are fond of religion. Those who try to cause division among the ulama, people, and in the religion are badly mistaken. Their intentions have been revealed to us. Sayyid Ziya159 told the Shah that it has been a mistake to arrest this man and another mistake to release him. They have become disgraced. Although our press does not write about it, the foreign press does. I receive the news of their becoming scandalized abroad. It was proved to the whole world how the people hate them. Whosoever tries to deceive people is a traitor. The press here is a traitor. Answering my telegram, His Eminence Ayatullah al-Uzma Khui160, has made a big mistake. He had expressed what he meant in a few sentences and had refuted my words. He has said, “The ulama have not understood the truth of Islam. I understand the philosophy of Islamic laws.” He has said that the Prophet wished for equality of rights (between man and woman). They (the government) don’t mean social justice when they talk about the equality of rights. Maybe if the ulama become quite, they will start talking about inheritance, divorce and equality in other rights. They are the enemies; you have to unite. Leave your disputes. Do not be afraid of imprisonment. Elimination of Islam is161 Islam has to be preserved, as well as the Qur’an. It doesn’t matter if Khomeini is lost; if someone else is lost. Our aim is to preserve Islam and the Qur’an, not our worldly lives. We all have the same goal. We all share the same thing. There is no disagreement among us, and there should not be. I thank the whole nation of Iran, especially the ulama and the clergymen, as well as the people of Fars Province, its clergymen and ulama. May God assist all and make them victorious. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

11th Speech Date: 8 am, April 15, 1964/Farvardin 26, 1343 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 2, 1383 AH Place: Azam Mosque, Qum

159 Sayyid Ziyauddin Tabatabai (1888-1969 AD), the experienced pro-British Iranian politician. He conspired with Reza Khan and the British in Esfand 1299 SH (1921 AD) coup which caused the fall of the Qajar dynasty and the formation of Pahlavi dynasty and Reza Khan’s succession to the throne in which he became prime minister. Tabatabai’s political carrier started during World War I as the editor of a proBritish newspaper, Raʾd (“Thunder”). In 1919 he joined a secret nationalist society, Anjuman-i Fulad (“The Steel Committee”), created a coalition of anticommunist politicians, and masterminded the British orchestrated coup d’état of February 21/22, 1921, that made him prime minister of Iran. Soon after assuming that office, he quarreled with the coup’s military leader, Colonel Reza Khan (who in 1925 became Shah of Iran), and in May was forced into exile. Tabatabai spent the next 20 years in Palestine; after the abdication of Reza Shah in September 1941, he returned to Iran. In 1942 he was elected to the Iranian Parliament, and in 1943 he founded the pro-British, anticommunist political party Iradah-yi milli (“The National Will”), which was active until 1951, at which time Tabatabai faded from the political scene. 160 Ayatullah Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Musawi al-Khui (1899 – 1992 AD) was the leading marja and scholar of Iraq, expert in Kalam (Scholastic Theology), Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Rijal (biographies of transmitters of hadithes) Sciences. 161 An illegible word

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Subject: Analysis of the Khordad 15 uprising; performance of the government and the mission of the ulama and the clergy Occasion: Imam Khomeini’s release from prison Audience: Ulama, clergymen, merchants, students and people from other sectors of society I take refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful We belong to God and to Him we shall return.

SIGN OF CIVILIZATION, THE MASS MURDER OF KHORDAD 15! [the audience weeps bitterly] I have never felt so weak and incapable in speech before; I feel quite incompetent today. I am unable to express the sadness I feel for the general state of Islam and in particular for the state of Iran, as well as for the events which took place during the course of this illfated year162 such as the storming of the centers of learning and the affair of Khordad 15. It was only when my imprisonment turned into detention that the outside news reached me and I became aware of what had occurred on Khordad 15. God knows how devastated I was on learning of this incident [the audience weeps bitterly]. Now that I have returned from my detention in Qeytarieh, I see young children without fathers [the audience weeps], mothers who have lost their children, women who have lost their brothers and people with missing limbs [the weeping continues]. Much despondency prevails. Indeed, this is the imprint of their “civilization” and our “reaction”. It is a pity our voice does not reach the outside world. It is a pity that the sound of weeping of these bereaved mothers does not reach the outside world [the audience weeps intensely].

SINISTER PROPAGANDA AGAINST THE CLERGY They introduce us as traditionalists, as reactionaries; they regard the ulama of Islam as “black reaction”. Those heavily-subsidized foreign newspapers which have set out to ruin us,163 introduce us abroad as anti-

162 Among the major events of that year were: the assault made by the Shah’s agents on the Fayziyyah and Hujjatiyyah madrasahs and the killing and wounding there of a large number of clerics and religious students; the conscripting of academic students and students of religious learning centers to military service; the detention of Imam Khomeini; the holding of mass demonstrations and protests against the detention of the Imam and the quelling of demonstrations held in Qum, Tehran, Shiraz, etc.; the incarceration of Ayatullah Qummi in Mashhad and also Ayatullah Bahauddin Mahallati, the latter’s brother and son, the son of Ayatullah Dastghayb and others in Shiraz, all of whom were sent to Tehran as was Ayatullah Sayyid Abdul-Husayn when he too was arrested ten days later; the journey made by distinguished Ayatullahs and clergy to the capital city in protest against the detention of the movement’s leader and the confinement of university lecturers and a great number of clergy from all over the country; and in addition to all of these events was the regime’s increasing cooperation and collaboration with Israel. 163 The Shah used to spend part of the country’s revenue on heavily financing propaganda campaigns. Both ambassadors and the Royal Public Relations Bureau gave millions of dollars to writers and publicity agencies and to the press, radio and television, to ensure that the Shah’s crimes and treacherous activities remained concealed and that instead he was introduced as one of the world’s great politicians and outstanding thinkers. Le Point, printed in France, voted the Shah as “The man of the year”! Barry Rubin, the American researcher, in his book The Power Struggle in Iran writes: “The extensive nature of the propaganda which was spread by the regime was one of the main reasons why the latter’s shortcomings remained hidden.” The sums of money given by the Shah for propaganda purposes were so vast that rivalry broke out between Iranologists from America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Holland over the translation of materials such as the Shah’s own book or the Muarrifi-ye Tamaddun va Shahan-e Gozashteh. Such payments were made in absolute secrecy and hence the exact amounts involved for these or other payments offered as bribes for propaganda are not yet known. Documents uncovered since the

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reformists, as those opposed to modernization.164 Akhunds are presented as those who travel on donkeys and who argue that they don’t want electricity nor do they need airplanes. It is said that they want to return to the Dark Ages, that they are reactionaries. In fact it is this dark period brought about by you (the Shah) in this country to which the akhunds are opposed. Is this traditionalism? The virtuous ulama oppose these beatings and murders, and this autocracy, dictatorship and despotism. Do you call this traditionalism? It was the ulama of Islam who, at the dawn of Constitutionalism,165 fought against the evils of despotism and procured freedom for the nation. They ordained laws which were in the interest of Islam and benefited the nation and which enhanced the country’s independence, for they were Islamic laws. They ordained these laws with the blood that they sacrificed, the burdens that they bore and the trials that they endured. Are these akhunds reactionaries? Today also, the clergy is rising up in revolt; it is embarking upon a movement and in following the clergy the nation too is rising up in revolt. Now, the Islamic nations are awakened, they are engaged in revolution. The clergy wants the laws of Islam to be implemented. Is this reactionary?!166 Inviting others to abide by the holy laws of Islam, these divine laws for which we undergo so much hardship and bear so many insults; is this in fact reaction? Is God, the Blessed and Exalted, a reactionary?! The virtuous (archangel) Gabriel, the mediator of divine revelation, is he a reactionary?! Is the Holy Prophet a reactionary?! Are the exemplary Imams reactionaries?! From the advent of Islam it has been the sole function of the ulama, those who themselves possess nothing, to convey the laws of Islam- the divinely-revealed laws- to the people. Is it reactionary to convey these holy laws?

victory of the Revolution however, both in Iran and in Iranian embassies abroad, indicate that these amounts had been quite substantial. In America alone, millions of dollars were spent each year on popularizing the Shah’s regime. Among the contracts made to this end, was the five hundred and seventy thousand dollar contract made with the New York public relations counseling agency, Ruder and Finn, Inc.; the agreement to pay Marion Javits, the wife of Senator Javits, an annual sum of sixty seven thousand five hundred dollars; and the regular payment of exorbitant sums to William Rogers, the former US State Secretary. Following his departure from Iran in November 1978/Aban 1357 SH, Siyamak Zand, the head of the press section of the Royal Public Relations Bureau, stated in an interview that he used to bribe most of the foreign journalists. In the same interview, he clearly named four of the journalists in question to be the editor-in-chief of the American magazine Newsweek; two journalists from The Daily Telegraph and The Times; and the French reporter Gerard de Villiers. Refer to The Power Struggle in Iran, p. 117; In The Service of the Peacock Throne, p. 310; and the Herald Tribune newspaper of November 17, 1978/Aban 26, 1357 SH. 164 Time magazine, June 14, 1963/Khordad 24, 1342 SH, reads: “For three days during the past week, Tehran became a battleground. People were screaming, machine guns were rapping and how ironic that this was a fight against ‘development’. Powerful opposition to him (the Shah) includes the corrupt leaders as a whole, big landowners and the mullahs who believe that his program entails non-Muslim involvement.” United Press International writes: “Demonstrations have taken place due to incitement by religious figures: those who are opposed to the Shah’s reforms since their interests have been damaged by them.” Moscow radio, on the eve of June 6: “The reactionary elements in Iran who are unhappy with the land reforms held a demonstration today in the streets of Tehran, Qum and Mashhad. Certain religious leaders were the directors and main instigators of this unrest.” 165 Here, reference is made to the militant ulama such as the martyr Ayatullah Haj Shaykh Fazlullah Nuri, Ayatullah Sayyid Abdullah Behbahani, Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai, Ayatullah Mirza Muhammad Hasan Ashtiyani, Shaykh Muhammad Khayabani, and Sayyid Jamaluddin Isfahani. 166 In a speech given a few days prior to this address, the Shah had said: “We condemn traditionalism and reactionary thinking”; and similarly, he later wrote in the book The White Revolution: “The unrest of Khordad 15, 1342/June 5, 1963, which was financed by a group of landlords who had been hit by the Land Reform Bill was the best illustration of the ‘unholy’ alliance which exists between two camps: the black reaction and the red destructive force.”

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ISLAM APPROVES TRUE FREEDOM If you truly believe in the precepts of Islam then this is what you should believe in: Islam has afforded man freedom and made him the master of his possessions, his family and his own self. In fact Islam demands man’s freedom and self-determination. In Islam man is free to choose where he lives, what he eats and drinks and how he conducts his everyday life, as long as the holy laws are not breached. It is the law of Islam which affords one, whose home has been attacked, the right to kill the attacker. This is the extent to which Islam values freedom. So can Islam be described as ‘black reaction’? The ulama do not speak for themselves, but merely quote God’s Prophet, who in turn quotes the Almighty Lord. Thus, if we are reactionaries then the Holy Prophet must be a reactionary too. If you regard us, who merely repeat the words of God and His Prophet, as traditionalists- as that foolish man persistently insists on calling us- then you consider the Holy Prophet a traditionalist too! The Devil takes this ‘civilized’ thinking! If however, you have faith in Islam and its laws- Islam which is the source of all freedom, dignity, glory, self-determination, and independence- and if we are the followers of Islam, then you have to accept that these are the precepts of Islam. In what way can they be said to be reactionary? Exactly what is it about the precepts of Islam that these gentlemen regard as black reaction? Why not come and discuss this issue with us? It really isn’t right for you167 to make speeches here and there saying, “We condemn traditionalism” and so on and to persist in your swaggering. Why not come forward and say that you believe what the Prophet has said to constitute black reaction, so that we may examine the validity of your claim and may prove that to the contrary it is not reaction?

ABIDE BY THE LAW We say: “Don’t be the slave of others.” We want you to be honorable and dignified. We suggest sir, that as a Muslim government and as the so-called ruling body of the Muslims, you should be reverent, noble and great. You are to safeguard independence and to be your own master. At whichever meeting you attend you request more financial assistance.168 Don’t degrade yourself for the sake of begging for a few dollars. These are in fact the things that we oppose. If this is reaction then yes we are reactionaries; and if that is what being civilized is, then you are undoubtedly civilized. If you believe in the laws of Islam then they are as we have explained and you are fully aware of them. And if you say you prefer to rely on the constitutional law instead, then that too has given the right of freedom to people, be it with regard to their abode, their occupation, their wealth or their souls; and it in fact prohibits coercion. It isn’t that you don’t accept the constitutional law because you do; although even then some time ago you murmured something about it being fifty-years-old and so on. What nonsense! How can a constitution which argues for the freedom of the people and the press be criticized for being ‘fifty-years-old’? All we are saying is that you should act according to the law. Let us take a good look at the constitutional law; you send your representative and we shall send ours. O you, who lay claim to being law-abiding, democratic, reformist and progressive, let us

167 A reference to the Shah. 168 John F. Kennedy (then US President) had given the Shah his word that Iran would receive both loans and foreign capital investment in return for the implementation of “reforms”. By the word “dollar” the Imam means the American financial aid for which the Shah used to appeal. The New York Times with reference to the Shah’s referendum and implementation of reforms writes: “Iran has discovered more suitable terms for the receipt of American aid.”

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examine the constitutional law. You’ll see that if you act according to this law then we won’t say anything more. Abide by the Supplementary Constitutional Laws which were achieved through the ulama sacrificing lives and delivering nations from captivity. The constitutional law grants freedom of the press; but are you prepared to free it? Is it we, the ones who say allow the constitutional law to be implemented, grant the press freedom and permit the press to enjoy freedom of expression, who is the reactionary? The press may well be corrupt, but in spite of all their malice, they still would prefer not to poison people’s minds to the extent to which you force them.

DISGRACE OF THE GOVERNMENT Now you, gentlemen and people of Iran, you must have seen the editorial of the Ittila’at on Tuesday Farvardin 18 (April 7). You read about the plans they had intended to carry out and the one which they now have in mind.169 They saw that whatever move they made backfired. They used force, intimidation and threats; they brought about the episode of Khordad 15; they destroyed the Fayziyyah and Talibiyyah madrasahs;170 they affronted the ulama; they banished, deported, imprisoned, and much more. Not only did things go wrong, but they went so very wrong that even he171 came to know about them. Indeed everyone knew about them. Moreover, objections raised by the outside world put the regime in a very embarrassing position. 172The events of Khordad 15 had truly disgraced the government. We hadn’t wished for them to be so disgraced, but the shame brought about by the events of that day was so deep that it irrevocably stained this country. This affair will be recorded in history. Even some members of the regime have themselves admitted what a disgrace Khordad 15 was and I too say this. But they failed to say why, so I will now do so: it was a disgrace because they had actually purchased the machine guns, tanks and bullets that they fired at the poor Iranian people with the wealth of this very same nation. They trampled this poor nation underfoot. Could anything be more disgraceful than this? Tell us exactly what these poor victims had done to deserve this? What could they possibly have done?

WHO IS THE REACTIONARY? We only gave you a piece of advice; surely it didn’t warrant such a reaction. Our argument is quite logical. We merely say that we have laws and that they should be implemented. Is it that you don’t recognize the

169 The leading article of the Ittila’at newspaper on April 7, 1964/Farvardin 18, 1343 SH reads: “How fortunate it is that the clerical community has also now joined forces with the people in executing the programs of the Shah-People Revolution.” 170 Early in the year 1963 AD/1342 SH], at the time of the Fayziyyah incident, the Talibiyyah Madrasah was also attacked. A number of SAVAK agents and police officials in Tabriz proceeded toward this madrasah with the intention of tearing down Imam Khomeini’s declaration which had been posted upon the wall there. However, on arrival they encountered the resistance and protests of the religious students. A violent scuffle broke out between the latter and the officials during which one police officer was killed. In the meantime, further officials surged towards the madrasah and employing both fire- and side-arms they destroyed whatever they came across. They beat and swore at the theological students and clergy, towards whom they fired, killing some and injuring others. 171 The Shah. 172 The tragedy of Khordad 15, 1342 SH/June 5, 1963 was so great that news of it spread beyond the Iranian borders, the millions of dollars of money spent annually by the Shah on self-publicity failing to keep this horrifying news veiled. On June 6 and 7, 1963 the newspaper Al-Ahram took to describing the tragedy; an article entitled “The Great Deceit” was carried by the weekly The Arab Observer on June 17, 1963; on July 10, 1963 Shaykh Mahmoud Shaltut, the head of Al-Azhar University in Egypt issued a statement with regard to this event; and “The Lebanese Islamic Scientific Society”, the youth of Kuwait, Iranian Muslim students in Germany and other groups responded and voiced their objection by issuing statements, wiring telegraphs and sending open letters to both Muslim and international leaders.

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constitutional law? If so, then get your governmental employee173 to go to the Majlis and announce that this is the case so that you can then return to primitive times if that’s what you really want. Are we, the ones who ask for the implementation of the constitutional law, reactionaries, or you, who imprison people and order for their exile? Your prison cells are packed with prisoners, with people of distinction, religious people, ulama, professors; and places such as Bandar Abbas are full of exiles whose only crime was to have said, “We don’t want to be slaves; we don’t want to be the captives of imperialism.” What they said of us lately? Are you reactionaries as we say that you have to abide by the Constitution? Lay down the Constitution and let all of us abide by it; you accepted it. We say, observe the religion (religious precepts); you say that the Holy Prophet is a reactionary (we seek refuge in God). You do not speak literally; it means so. You do acknowledge the Constitution, yet at that time they used to utter that it is fifty-years old, so on and so forth. It is a constitution that has more than the affair of fifty years ago- a constitution that stipulates that the nations should be free; that the people of Iran should be free; that press should be free; that no one has the right to hinder others to write.

SLANDERING THE CLERGY You no doubt read in the Ittila’at newspaper of Tuesday Farvardin 29 (April 18): “What welcome news it is that the clerical dignitaries have reached an agreement with the government concerning the Shah-People Revolution”- of course the same was written in other papers but this particular newspaper has a wider readership. Following this, some people who went to Tehran to voice objection requested that this clergyman be identified174, saying: “Is the person in question Khomeini? Please tell us so that we might execrate him; or is it perhaps another ‘alim of Islam? Come now, indicate who it is!” Some of our highranking ulama are with us here today, may God preserve them [the audience cries “Amen”]. Others are to be found in Tehran, Mashhad, Najaf and in other Muslim lands. May God praise them all [the audience cries Amen]. Now then, these ulama of whom you speak, do they exist out in space? Well if not, why do you not name those who have secretly made a deal with you? Name them if you dare. Tell us, was it Khomeini who made concessions while in prison? He had no right whatsoever to do something so contrary to Islam. How can Khomeini compromise with the cause of oppression? It would be damned wrong of him to do so. Could he do other than to preserve the dignity of Islam while he was in prison?- which is in fact what he did. Could Khomeini and others like him possibly bring themselves to say something which was to the detriment of Islam: this Islam for which the Holy Prophet and the Immaculate Imams (as) labored so hard and for which the ulama have exerted so much effort? Indeed if Khomeini actually did do such a thing, then he would be cast out from the society.

173 Reference here is made to the head of the government of the day (Hasan-Ali Mansur). 174 Following the publication of the article, “Holy Alliance for a Holy Cause” (Ittihad-e Muqaddas beh Khatir-e Hadaf-e Muqaddas) in the Ittila’at newspaper of April 7, 1964 (Farvardin 18, 1343 SH) covering the alleged unity between the Shah and the clergy over the “White Revolution”, Imam Khomeini sends Hujjat al-Islam Fazlullah Mahallati to the newspaper’s office to ask who these “clergy” are. The editor-in-chief of Ittila’at states that the article was sent to the newspaper from high-ranking government officials and that they had no choice but to publish it. The Imam demands that the editor-in-chief refutes the report in question in his paper and that he follows up and acts upon his own decision with the utmost strength and firmness. Eventually the government is forced to send a representative to Qum to visit the Imam and apologize to him; and as well as asking forgiveness the representative was to give assurances that henceforth the publication of lies and defamatory statements pertaining to the clergy would be prevented.

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THE PLOT TO INTRODUCE THE ULAMA AND THE CLERGYMEN They have hatched a plot which is to introduce the ulama of Islam to the people as like them. They are ostracized by the society, and they like us also to be ostracized. The society does not accept them, and they like it (the society) also to say that it does not accept us. Through this sinister plot they like us to be hated by the society What a calamity! Could I tell the corruptions of this country to this Majlis, its two, four chambers? Today, I am not also feeling well. Last night I slept only a little. Nevertheless, well, a general issue must be stated. Don’t we have any right to defend ourselves?

HELPLESSNESS OF THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF ITTILA’AT These same people visited the editor-in-chief of the Ittila’at175 and asked him: “Who actually told you of this matter concerning the alleged concessions made by a clergyman? Let us know who this treacherous176 spy is who has accepted your terms and has compromised against the interests of Islam.” Initially the poor wretch said in embarrassment that he hadn’t been there at the time. Then, after giving a detailed account to absolve himself from the matter, an account which is far too lengthy to recount here today, he added: “This is the article which I had prepared for that day.” He then showed it to those present and continued: “But some officials brought several attached sheets to me and told me that I must print those instead. It was an order; what could I do?” I will tell him what he can do. If the editor-in-chief of Ittila’at is someone who truly regrets such obtrusions, then luckily, being financially comfortable and not in need as such, he can quit journalism and become a minister. Fortunately, it is the done thing here [the audience laughs]; so you too become a minister or a Member of Parliament or something. Of course you won’t get the people’s vote, but you can still be appointed to the office. It’s not necessary for people to favor this appointment, since they have no mandatory rights anyway. No, there’s no doubt that they will appoint you as a Member of Parliament, or they will nominate you as a senator.177 So if you genuinely deplore these obtrusions, then why not quit journalism and find a better occupation? It must also be said however, that I actually sent a message to this editor-in-chief telling him to repudiate the article in question and from what I was told last night, he had said that he could no longer show his face to the nation or the clergy and that he would come up with an article which would refute the former one. Now, is it we who are reactionary or you?

SHEER LIE You are mistaken to lay such a lie at our door as if we are deceased. Indeed, praise be to God, we have a large number of ulama. We have both distinguished and pre-eminent maraji’; we have many great philosophers and scholars of the religious sciences in theological centers and throughout the land. They will not just sit by while someone writes such a great lie in one of the popular newspapers stating, “Thank goodness they have compromised”. However, even if we scream and cry out, they will ensure that our voices are not heard. Now you178, the one who either yesterday or last night declared that you will curb

175 Abbas Masudi, the proprietor and editor-in-chief of Ittila’at. 176 In the text reference is made to “ruhani-ye sazmani” meaning the pseudo-clergy agents of SAVAK. 177 The “Senate” (or Upper House) was the second Majlis of the late regime which was established according to Articles 43 and 45 of the constitutional law and comprised sixty members (senators): thirty members appointed by the Shah and thirty members popularly elected. 178 The Shah.

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traditionalism, are not your censoring of and obtruding upon the press in itself a form of traditionalism? And don’t claim that we are falsely accusing you because we have evidence of your actions. This is no lie. The very article which you ordered to be printed and which you later refused to allow to be refuted, now lies in the editor-in-chief’s office of the Ittila’at newspaper.

I AM NOT AFRAID AND HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID All we are asking is that you abide by the constitutional law. If you have a faith then act according to its ordinances; and if you regard religion as reaction then at least act according to the constitutional law instead. Allow freedom of the pen. This poor editor-in-chief was truly in a wretched state. I sent word to him that I am not one of those who make empty demands. No indeed, I follow my demands up. God forbid, but if I ever feel that I have to say something to defend the interests of Islam, then I shall surely say it and follow it through without fear. I swear by God that I have never experienced fear [an outburst of emotion from the crowd]. Even on that day when they were taking me away, it was they who were frightened, whereby I comforted them by telling them not to be afraid [the audience laughs]. Don’t you see that if we fear while striving for the goals of Islam then we in fact have no faith. These are the goals for which the prophets made unrelenting efforts and for which great men of Islam gave their lives. In striving for these goals the noble ulama of Islam have been set on fire; they have lost their lives, been imprisoned and exiled and have served long sentences. Hence, if we fear for ourselves more than we are concerned about the interests of Islam then we cannot be said to have faith. Would anyone with faith be afraid to leave this world? In fact if we really believe in the afterlife then we should pray to be killed in the path of God and so join the martyrs. One who has no faith in the afterlife should fear, not us. We have been assured a good place (in the next life) by our Lord, the Exalted, the Merciful, as long as we live according to His religion; and we hope and believe that this is in fact what we are doing. Of what should we be afraid? Why should we fear you? The most you could possibly do would be to execute us, in which case our life of ease would then commence. We would leave all these iniquities behind us; we would be relieved of all the pains and anguish of this life. Our beloved master (Imam Ali (as)) has said: “I swear by God that Abi Talib’s son (Imam Ali himself) is as fond of death as a suckling baby is fond of its mother’s breast.”179 Of course we cannot make such a claim, but nevertheless we are his followers. To fear death is to have no faith in the hereafter.

THEY MADE A MISTAKE IN RELEASING ME Are we, who say the press must be free, traditionalists, while those who use force to demand that certain things be reported are progressivists? Unfortunately, however, whereas our voice doesn’t go beyond these four walls, their voice reaches as far as America as well as the other countries from whence they obtain their dollars. They spend the wealth of this nation on the foreign press- a press which writes articles disparaging our clergy, Islam, our nation, and everything we have. I used to read these stories when I was in captivity. What a blunder they made in releasing me. They certainly made a grave mistake. In fact I told them while I was there that if they intended to continue with their scheming then it was best for them that I remained imprisoned, for my release would only create further unrest. Now I am telling them again, we are

179 Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 9.

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not reactionaries in the sense that you mean. Islam does not disapprove of the fruits of civilization and neither do we.

ISLAM AS THE FORERUNNER OF INDEPENDENCE AND POWER Islam would like nothing more than for you to be in command over all of the world powers for after all it was Islam that drew its sword and conquered half or even more than half of the globe. Can this Islam be called reactionary? Islam once governed all of these countries that you are now governed by.180 The sheer fact that those countries which implemented the commandments of Islam (of course this only applies to one or two Muslim governments, the rest never having really implemented Islamic precepts) considered themselves to be carrying the banner of Islam and to be identified with it; and the very fact that they implemented Islamic principles, even if only in appearance, meant that they were able to achieve such power and might that an army of a mere twenty-odd thousand Arabs succeeded in trampling such a vast country as Iran underfoot. This it did in order to make human beings out of its inhabitants and to bring civilization to the country, which indeed it succeeded in doing. The lofty thoughts held by the ulama and maraji’ in our country are all due to the light of Islam. They all come from Islam. The rotten and traditionalistic minds of this regime however, are the cause of the nation’s servitude to all; offering this country lock, stock and barrel to foreigners and thus giving the country’s entire wealth to others. This is true reaction. Shame on it!

THE ITTILA’AT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TO ABIDE (BY HIS PROMISE) The Prime Minister sent someone to me yesterday who said: “We ask for your forgiveness, there has been a mistake. Please do your best to ensure no further unrest breaks out and we shall do as you ask,” thereby uttering the usual rhetoric. In reply I said: “The Ittila’at newspaper maintains that it is not to blame for the article, but that it is in fact your fault; and you claim that you regret your past behavior. Therefore, you must promise that such things won’t reoccur, because if they do then the consequences will be far worse next time. Don’t persist in calling us reactionaries, for if you do we have no choice but to expand on the issue in order to determine who the real reactionaries are, the dear ulama of Islam who ask that you don’t oppress the people so, or yourselves.”

STARVATION AND HUMILIATION IN THE “PROGRESSIVE” COUNTRY We were deeply distressed by the winter just passed, when lethally cold weather struck Isfahan, Hamadan, Tehran, Qum and elsewhere; but did you show any consideration or make any arrangements for those poor victims in this our “developed” society? I was told that in Hamadan more than two thousand people died due to cold weather which reached forty-three degrees below zero. O you who have caused our country to “develop”, did you do anything for these people? We are not against development, in fact we truly want you to be modern, but please do something for these poor wretches. Must they suffer both from the pain of starvation and the pain of humiliation? Must they both walk barefoot and be struck on the head too? All we say is don’t do this. Is it reactionary to say don’t suppress people so;

180 At the onset of Islam’s period of expansion, the Muslim armies captured Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Iran, Tripoli, Cyprus, and Punjab; and subsequently they went on to take Egypt, North Africa, Spain, Portugal, south-west Europe (the Iberian Peninsula), south-east France, and Athens. Refer to Faraz va Nashib-e Tamaddun-e Islami dar Espanya, p. 6; and Inqilab-e Islami va Difa’i Muqaddas, p. 274.

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don’t beat or insult them so; or to ask that you act according to either Islamic law or the constitutional law? You, however, the agents of despotism, who use force, intimidation, banditry and whatever other practices you choose against these people; you who violate the constitutional law and totally disregard Islamic ordinances, are you the progressivists?

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF THE GENTLEMEN! It’s preposterous I know, but they have decided to establish an Islamic university.181 Apparently they have allocated a budget of a few million tumans for this purpose. Well, those of you responsible for this scheme, if you really are sympathetic toward Islam then why do you demolish our university; yes look, the one standing over there? If you have genuinely reached the conclusion that Islam, Islamic precepts and the ulama of Islam must remain, then although it’s true we don’t expect any goodwill from you, at least don’t subject us to your malevolence. Just give us a chance to render you a service. Fortunately, we don’t receive a penny from the national budget. Instead we have to endure poverty and tolerate your mean treatment of us. Whoever so wishes is free to witness for himself the living conditions of these students of the religious sciences. Go and see how they have lived both before and after their rooms were plundered. What did these agents of the regime want to plunder; an old rug maybe or perhaps a broken samovar? Are these what they were after? God knows this is not the case. Their intention was to intimidate the religious students. Why not go and see our madrasahs and homes for yourselves? We have nothing to hide. Our entire annual budget which consists of money donated to us with the utmost sincerity by these indigent people for the safeguarding of Islamic principles, doesn’t amount to the money spent on even one of the parties given by you in honor of a foreign guest. If our entire annual budget can be said to equal the cost of one of your parties, then you are entitled to say: “Fie to you reactionaries!”

THE CLERGY IS AFTER THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION AND COUNTRY We argue that you ought not to squander so much of this country’s budget. What is the point in holding so many parties? Is it reactionary of us to suggest that you be your own master and don’t beg from people so much or that you don’t incur unnecessary expenditure in the first place which indeed brings about the need to beg? If you come to believe in the precepts of Islam, all of us, the whole nation, will be behind you. Have we ever bribed this nation to love and support us to the extent that they do? No, in fact they have realized that all of us, the clergy, the great maraji’, this religious student Khomeini, we all feel affection for them and seek their interests and the interests of the country and nation. People truly believe this. This belief sits firmly in their hearts; and man generally follows his heart. That is why they support us.

HEED MY ADVICE Why don’t you begin to heed my advice? Just as I told those who were sent by the regime to speak to me, so too I am now telling you that you must change the way you tackle things. You saw that by inflicting pain, by beating, torturing, imprisoning, exiling and throwing insults, nothing was achieved. Indeed you

181 Toward the beginning of the 1960’s the regime decided to establish a university by the name of “The Islamic University”! Imperialist policies required that the religious and scientific teaching centers lay under government control and that the clerical community became attached to the government administration departments. The clergy of Iran, however, ever- vigilant, did not allow the Shah to succeed in this.

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saw that the nation deeply resents such behavior; and that you cannot suppress a nation forever. You witnessed all this for yourselves so why not change your policy somewhat and see what happens? Why, you are the ones who claim to be rational! So try out a new approach for a change and show people a little benevolence, a little courtesy. See here, the government actually belongs to the people. The national budget comes from the people’s pockets. You are a servant of the people and governments are their attendants. Don’t continually assert that you are the people’s servant, while in practice you hit the people on the head; don’t trample these poor people underfoot. You obtain your means of livelihood from the nation’s budget, and you enjoy a comfortable life. Very well let’s regard that as a gift to you. You live in whatever manner you want and can have whatever you desire. The kind of life led by these people is inconceivable; you couldn’t possibly imagine how they live. We still have difficulty in comprehending how an airplane can actually make a return journey from here to Holland in order to bring flowers for a party. I have heard that the rent for this airplane has been three hundred thousand tumans. This is something widely discussed and well-known, but we still find it hard to grasp. Even so, let us again look upon all of this as a gift to you. In fact it is from the wealth of this nation that you feed; from the wage of this laborer and this farmer. If, as you maintain, you feel for the laborers and farmers then why not throw a few crumbs to the poor? With as little as one million tumans almost everyone could have been saved from the bitter cold of last winter; after all one million tumans is a mere drop in the ocean for you. Therefore share out some of the money you have appropriated from the nation amongst these poor people. With a little help they could be active and earn themselves an honorable living. Such actions would safeguard your future. Not only would you not meet with opposition, but the people would warm to you. Then, just as I am sitting here talking and people are listening and trusting in what I say, so too, people will find confidence in what you have to say. As things stand however, no one has faith in you. Even if you were to say two times two is four, people would say that this is too obvious to be true.

THE CLERGYMEN OPPOSE THE VIOLATION OF ISLAM AND THE LAW Someone approached me and apologized for the wrongdoings of the previous government. He thanked God that this government had eventually been dissolved; and he claimed that by comparison the members of the latest government were in fact religious people whose fathers had mostly been clergymen. In reply I said: “We were neither the enemy of that government, nor have we signed a contract of fraternity with this government. It is your deeds with which we are concerned and which we monitor. If you repeat the deeds of your predecessors then we shall relentlessly oppose you as we did them, for we are the same as we were before. Your names too will be blackened as were theirs. Nevertheless, if you change your attitude, then we are all Muslims and brothers together. Not only will we not oppose you, but we will lend you our support. I told you before and I will tell you again, you must bow in humility before Islamic precepts, that is, if you really are the Muslims that you claim to be. Yes, you must submit to the precepts of Islam and of course abrogate those laws which contradict them.” Have we ever argued that there should not be a government? No indeed, but what we do say is that the government must obey the laws of Islam, or if not, then at least the laws of the Constitution. Neither have we ever advocated living the kind of life lived thousands of years ago, when people made their homes in caves. Which clergyman has ever said such a thing? Just name one clergyman who maintains that we are hostile to the signs of civilization.

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TURNING THE SIGNS OF CIVILIZATION INTO CORRUPTION When such signs arrived in this country, you tampered with them while in their unadulterated form, thereby transforming them into something unacceptable and prohibited according to Islam. Our radio service for example, is its purpose really that for which it is used here in Iran? Similarly, with regard to the television, should it be abused as it is here in Iran? Indeed, these modern devices are in fact also utilized by civilized countries in the same way as they are utilized here. The education and training received in this country is truly bad. Our educational system182 is not capable of answering the needs of this country. It is incapable of rearing strong athletic youths who would confront the forces of imperialism, clench their fists, be killed and rescue the nation. No, our system of education is incapable of this. They undermine people’s resolve with this situation that they have brought about and by the kind of programs broadcast by our radio, television, etc. Our newspapers, our magazines, our books, in fact our entire publications, are in the hands of imperialists. It is the imperialist powers which vulgarize our newspapers in this way in order to poison the minds of our youth. It is they who organize our cultural programs in such a way as to ensure that we have no capable, virile youngsters. It is the imperialist powers who arrange such radio and TV programs so as to weaken people’s resolve and to make them lose their vigor, their potency. All this is the doing of the imperialists and it is to such imperialist manifestations that we object. Does that then make us reactionaries? What we have to say is extremely simple and doesn’t warrant aggression or hostility. Why not sit down and talk rationally? There is no need for anger and rage. There is no need to throw insults. All you have to do is to send some sensible representatives to talk with us and explain exactly what it is about cultural development and progress that we supposedly take issue with. What we do object to is all forms of corruption. We believe that your reform programs are in fact devised by Israel and it is to Israel that you turn for help and advice whenever you want to draw up a plan. You bring military advisers from Israel into this country.183 You send students from our country to Israel. If only they were sent elsewhere; to America or even to Britain for example. But no, you send them to Israel! These are the kinds of issues we dispute.

THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES ON ONE FRONT, IRAN AND TURKEY ON THE OTHER We argue that the entire Muslim countries have formed a united front on one side, in opposition to infidelity and Israel, while you yourself and the Turkish government are stationed on the other side in support of Israel. We hold that this is ill-advised. For God’s sake man, don’t go against the sensibilities of the Muslim peoples so, for I swear by God this is suicidal. All of the Muslims on one side and Iran on the other! If this

182 It refers to the Ministry of Training and Education that was called the Ministry of Education at that time. 183 The political relationship between Iran and Israel dates back to the post-1953 (1332 SH) years. In 1960 (1339 SH) the government of the day in Iran gave official recognition to Israel and a friendly relationship between the Shah and Israel got under way. During these years of friendship many army officers and SAVAK agents were sent to Israel to receive training from MOSSAD (the Israeli intelligence agency) agents, and hundreds of Israeli officers and agents came to Iran to supervise the army and the Shah’s intelligence agency (SAVAK) and to assist the Shah’s agents. Toward the end of the Shah’s reign the transactions which passed between Iran and Israel had reached an annual sum of four hundred million dollars. The Shah had himself ordered for an arms purchase worth six hundred million dollars in one go alone. According to the documents which were obtained from the American “den of espoinage” after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Shah’s regime had in fact, since 1958 (1337 SH), been a member of an official tripartite organization composed of the security services of Iran, Turkey and Israel which was named “The Triple-Headed Bayonet”. Refer to Documents from the US Espionage Den, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam.

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is to be the case, then the nation of Iran will become reproachable and our Sunni brothers will think that Shia are Jew-worshippers.

VOICING OUT THE OPPOSITION TO ISRAEL O people of the world! Let it be known that our nation condemns any alliance made with Israel. It is neither our nation nor our clergy who have made such an alliance. Indeed our religion beseeches us not to join hands with the enemies of Islam; just as our Qur’an implores us not to align with the enemies of Islam against the Muslim front. This is what we maintain. Can you call this being reactionary? If so then come and explain to us in what way this can be said to constitute reaction. You who boast a history of two-and-a-half millennia of sovereign rule and endlessly crow about those rotten bones which have decomposed and are no more184 and which you now want to dig up from beneath the soil to use in your confrontation with Islam, have you now at this late hour joined forces with Israel against the precepts of Islam and against the Muslims?! We are the ones who advocate your non-involvement with Israel, yet you now try to accuse us of collaborating with others and of being involved with so-and-so and whatever he brought with him.185 The Devil takes this reasoning! Shame on you! Yes, this is what we have to say. Now in what way can this be called traditionalism, as that stupid man persists in asserting? What is traditionalist about our argument?

ISLAM AT A SUPERIOR LEVEL OF CIVILIZATION We enjoy a superior level of civilization; Islam enjoys a superior level of civilization; the greatly-esteemed maraji’ of Islam also enjoy a superior level of civilization. You may go and see them for yourselves. They can be seen here or in Mashhad, Tehran, or Najaf. Go and see which of these great men is reactionary. Those in power travel around by air or by car and expect the nation to travel by donkey. Earlier this year however, we all saw how one of these respected maraji’ traveled to Mashhad by air186 and everyone knows that the other maraji’ always travel by car. Again this year we witnessed how the maraji’ journeyed to

184 The Shah had given himself the title “Aryamehr” meaning “light of the Aryan race” and had tried to give a new lease of life to the history of the Iranian monarchy. He also went through with the two-and-a-half-millennium celebrations in an attempt to bring to life the Iran of the past as well as its kings and to destroy Islamic culture and its teachings. In the book Mission for My Country, the Shah has immeasurably glorified past kings of Iran, kings not at all much different from himself. 185 From the movement’s onset admirers of the Imam both from within and without the country would come to see him in a show of support, and these would include outstanding national and revolutionary figures. On one occasion a person introducing himself as an Egyptian diplomat in Lebanon managed to meet with Imam with the help of an Iranian cleric who acted as intermediary. At this meeting this person said that he was commissioned by Jamal Abdul Nasir, the head of the Egyptian government, to convey the latter’s gratitude to the Imam for his having revolted against Israel. There is reason to believe that this man had probably been sent on behalf of the Shah’s intelligence service. Jamal Abdul Nasir was one of Israel’s major enemies, while the Shah was regarded as one of its staunch supporters and the propaganda spread by the Shah persistently presented Egypt as Iran’s enemy. With the intention of plotting against Imam and of generating suspicion toward him, the regime published this concocted report in the press of June 1963/Khordad, 1342 SH): “On June 1, a person named Abdul-Qays Jowjow (or Muhammad Tawfiq al-Qiyasi) arrived at Mehrabad airport in Tehran from Lebanon. Since he was viewed as being suspicious by the custom officers he was taken for questioning and enquiries were held. As a result, a sum of about one million tumans was taken from him which, subsequent to investigations, he confessed to have brought from Jamal Abdul Nasir to give to certain persons in Iran.”! 186 Sayyid Hadi Milani was one of the maraji’ of that time who was resident in Mashhad and who, along with other migrant ulama and maraji’ of Tehran, had gone to the home of Ayatullah Khwansari. The Imam’s address indicates the extent of the regime’s anti-clergy propaganda in that Imam was forced to make mention of something that seemed so trivial and obvious.

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Tehran where they all assembled187 I would later like to praise this move- but the question is, did they go by donkey? Are these men hostile to the effects of development and progress?

THE CLERGY AS THE USUAL SUPPORTER OF THE COUNTRY We ask you not to behave in this manner. We are after all members of the same family; we are all fellow countrymen. So why do you want to divide us? We lend this country our unconditional support without making any demands upon her budget; and despite the beatings, insults, abuse, imprisonment, and torture we are made to bear, we still remain a solid column which remains standing at the service of our country. If, God forbid, any danger ever threatened this country, then we would stand steadfast in readiness to fearlessly confront it.

THE AKHUND REMAINS WHILE YOU FLEE There are those who say that they want to protect this country and who brag about their courage and valor. But do you recall how, when the Allied Forces came to Iran, it was these very poor souls who fled even as far as Yazd?188 Can you name even one akhund who fled the scene; just one? On that day when airplanes were flying over Tehran in order to intimidate and terrorize the people, the late al-Shaykh Husayn Qummi189, may his soul rest in peace, and I, were somewhere in the vicinity of Shapur Square.190 As these aircraft were ominously hovering above, his eminence was twiddling his moustache as if absolutely nothing was happening; and I likewise was very calm and collected. On the contrary, however, if the shoe was on the other foot, then the first ones to flee would be those decorated heroes who are so puffed up with selfesteem and who constantly boast of the services they render to the country. It is only when oppression reigns and when it is in their own interests that they are strong. Thanks to God, however, that we are the

187 Following the arrest of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the radio broadcast of Alam’s (the Prime Minister) speech in which he gave notice that those who had been arrested would be tried and executed, the clerical community in Iran converged on Tehran from all over the country: from Qum, Ayatullah Marashi, Mr. Shariatmadari, Ayatullah Murtaza Hairi; from Mashhad, Ayatullah Milani and Shaykh Mujtaba Qazvini; from Hamadan, Akhund Mulla Ali Masumi; from Ahwaz, Haj Sayyid Ali Behbahani; from Isfahan, Haj Husayn Khadimi and Baqir Zand Kermani; from Khorramabad, Ayatullah Kamalvand; from Yazd, Ayatullah Sadiqi and other ulama from all over the country. Refer to Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 4, p. 132. The aforementioned clergy having assembled, issued a declaration entitled, “The declaration of the clerical community in Iran,” the complete text of which is to be found in ibid., vol. 4, p. 134. 188 At 4 am on August 25, 1941/Shahrivar 3, 1320 SH, the British and Russian ambassadors went to the home of Ali Mansur, the Prime Minister of the day, to inform him of the Allies’ attack on Iran. On the eve of September 13 (Shahrivar 22), Reza Khan (Shah) was informed that the Russians had entered Karaj and that they were advancing toward Tehran with great speed. On hearing this news the royal family and Reza Khan himself all made for Isfahan. Reza Khan went from Isfahan to Kerman and then to Bandar Abbas from where he was then taken to his place of exile by ship. Ministers, parliamentary representatives and army commanders too- i.e., those who make claim to being the country’s protectors!- every one of them slithered into some hole or other! The commander of the Khuzistan troops surrendered without hesitation whilst the Americans, who were situated at the Ahwaz-Dezful frontier, continued to advance; the military commanders of Tabriz along with their soldiers and officers laid down their arms and fled toward the mountains and the Russians took over the region without meeting any opposition; the army of Gilan, whose commander was later decorated for bravery, fired a few cannon balls and then fled! The commander of the First Division which was stationed at Marzanabad lay in hiding and the troops of Mashhad fled toward the salt desert without water or food. Refer to The Memoirs of General Fardoust, vol. 1, p. 87 onward. 189 Sayyid Husayn Tabatabai Qummi (1865 - 1946 AD), known as Haj Agha Husayn Qummi was a famous scholar and jurist. He protested the actions of Reza Khan and was exiled from Iran to Iraq. Haj Qummi's arrest by the order of Reza Khan's government became the basis for the gathering and incident of Goharshad Mosque (June 1935 AD) in Mashhad. 190 Shapur Square (currently named Wahdat-e Islami Square), is situated in one of the old areas of Tehran, which, due to urban expansion, is now to be found in the south of the city immediately north of the railway station.

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ones who will always remain until the very end. Unless of course they come and take us away; otherwise you can be sure that we will be here.

RELIGION VERSUS RELIGION Don’t be mistaken in thinking that their plan to establish an Islamic university is due to their reconciliation with Islam; this is not at all the case. Instead, it is but a repetition of the time when the Qur’an was raised at the end of the bayonet in the confrontation with Amir al-Mu’minin (the Commander of the FaithfulImam Ali (as)).191 Mu’awiyah defeated Amir al-Mu’minin by taking advantage of the power of the Qur’an and using it as a weapon. Yes, by using the Qur’an as a weapon! Otherwise there is no doubt that it would have taken a maximum of a few hours only to wipe the Bani Umayyad off the face of the earth. They drew up a plan, however, whereby the Qur’an was brought forward and they said: “We are Muslims and you too are Muslims. We both bear witness to the same God and quote this Qur’an saying: There is no god but Allah.” No matter how much Amir al-Mu’minin insisted on being patient and not rushing into war, arguing no good would come from it, the foolish Kharijites192 who were the Imam’s friends and companions (although they never really came to know him) ignored the Imam’s pleas claiming that according to the Qur’an it was incumbent upon them to fight. They thought of an artifice: they fastened copies of the Qur’an onto their lances and raised them up into the air declaring: “The arbitrator between ourselves and yourselves is the Book of Allah; the arbitrator is the Book of Allah.”193 Hazrat Imam sent after those of his companions who were actually engaged in battle, telling them to cease fighting and to return. His companions however, returned a message stating that they needed to fight for a further hour. Thus, the Imam explained to them that the Kharijites, having been deceived by the enemy, had now surrounded him and with swords drawn were about to kill him unless they returned from the battle front. Hence, we see how Islam was defeated by misuse of the Qur’an.

THE CONSPIRACY TO DEFEAT ISLAM IN THE NAME OF “ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY” Do you truly believe you can defeat Islam by establishing an Islamic university? Do you imagine we will sit back and permit you to execute your plans? Indeed, we shall anathematize whosoever enters that university. The people themselves will bring it down. Could they conceivably allow the religion, believers and ulama of Islam to be under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture? The Ministry hadn’t better make the fatal mistake of interfering with our religion or with Islamic issues, because only if Khomeini or God forbid, all the maraji’ of Islam actually passed away could they continue to see this program through. Even when we have gone and are thereby relieved of our Islamic duties, the nation of Islam will live on; it has been revived and given a new lease of life. May God reward all those responsible for this revival.

191 In the battle of Siffin, Mu’awiyah’s soldiers, seeing that they were in danger of defeat, fixed copies of the Qur’an to the end of their spears under the orders of Amr ibn al-Aas and proposed to Ali (as) that God’s Book be the arbiter between them. The purpose of this ploy was to sew discord amongst Ali’s troops and indeed resulted in the latter ceasing to fight in the battle. No matter how much Hazrat Ali counseled them it was to no avail. Eventually the matter was taken to arbitration and Ali’s near-victory turned into defeat. Refer to Waqi’at al-Siffin and Al-Imamah wal-Siyasah. 192 Khawarij (Kharijites) is the plural of Khariji (“foreigner/dissenter”); someone who turns against the government. After the battle of Siffin, a group of the Muslims who were later called the Kharijites left their ranks and chanting, “No arbitrator other than Allah” they held that the murder of Ali and Mu’awiyah was a religious duty. 193 Refer to the book Waqi’at ul-Siffin, p. 481.

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THE NATION AS UNCOMPROMISING The nation of Islam has arisen and will never again acquiesce. Even if I make a U-turn or compromise with you (the Shah), the nation surely will not. We still adamantly retain our stance in opposition to those laws which counter Islam and to unwarranted incarceration and all kinds of compulsion and pressure exerted upon the nation. Are we reactionaries because we ask why certain people had been imprisoned, or ask what those poor souls in Bandar Abbas had done to deserve banishment there or indeed to deserve execution; or what they had done to deserve detention?194 Supposing their crime had been to utter a few words concerning your duty to abide by the law, do those few words warrant a life sentence in Bandar Abbas?

SAVAGERY OF THE MIDDLE AGES You ought to reconsider your stand somewhat. Amend your behavior and abandon this reactionary attitude of yours. Try not to behave so savagely. Make efforts to leave these medieval practices behind. Don’t be so reactionary; be civilized, be progressive. Allow the country to develop and afford its people respect. Don’t subject the people to such hardships. Ensure that university curricula are such that our youth receive good moral and educational instruction. Train them to be combatants so that they refuse to tolerate imperialism.

“PROGRESS”, OR DEBAUCHERY, CORRUPTION AND DESPOTISM This is what we the reactionaries urge. If you still call this being reactionary then so be it. But it is you, the “progressivists”, who are systematically causing (moral and intellectual) damage to our youth by the score. As for your schools, they are not upright, thus rendering them untrustworthy. The educational programs implemented are in fact imperialist. Schooling entails nothing but games and football. Is this the situation in other countries? If so then who made all those major scientific discoveries? Who invented the airplane? It was the developed nations of course. Even the water-pipe installed in Qum is unfit for use because it was made in Iran. You and your “developed” country are not even capable of manufacturing a water-pipe.

194 It refers to the unfortunate episode of 1963. This episode concerns the execution at dawn of two combatants on November 2, 1963/Aban 11, 1342 SH) - Tayyib Haj Rezai and Haj Ismail Rezai- their crime having been their participation in the Khordad 15 uprising. During this event, Tayyib caused the gang of Sha’ban Ja’fari (known as “bi mukh” (brainless) ) to flee: a group established by Ja’fari in support of the Shah’s regime. Haj Ismail Rezai was another of the devout, free-minded people of Tehran. By administering both mental and physical tortures to these two combatants the regime hoped that they would declare their receipt of a monetary payment from the Imam. Eventually, due to the resistance they exhibited they were both tortured to death. Once the news of their martyrdom broke, the theological center closed down and all religious classes were cancelled. On the seventh day following their martyrdom a group of well-known religious merchants and clerical combatants issued a declaration headed, “The United Islamic Councils”. Part of this declaration reads: “Following the mock trial held on Saturday 2, two of the bravest of Iran’s children who were not prepared to accept the false charges made against the clergy by the security organization, despite the most inhuman tortures they were made to endure, lost their lives under the gunfire of the slaves of bloodthirsty foreigners. Their names however, now adorn the pages of a history of struggle against foreigners.” With regard to the Bandar Abbas exiles and those imprisoned in Tehran, it must be remembered that the number of those arrested in the event concerning Tayyib and Haj Ismail was seventeen in all, for each of which the military courts’ prosecutor requested execution. Five people were sentenced to death in court but this sentence was later commuted for three of the convicted in a second court. A number of those arrested remained incarcerated until the victory of the Revolution. This account is verified by a confession made by Marshal Davallow Qajar (the adjudicator of Tayyib and Haj Ismail), who was a trial witness in the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, and it has been recorded in the newspaper Jumhuri-ye Islami of November 25, 1979/Azar 4, 1358 SH).

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Interestingly, Razmara195 made the claim: “We don’t know how to manufacture anything other than pipes” and he was subsequently killed as a result. How can you call a country which is totally dependent upon foreign trade for its every need, developed? You bring specialists to Iran from Israel and I believe it was the Ustavar196 newspaper that carried an astounding report which told of people actually being sent to Israel from Qum in order to “learn something”. God only knows what kind of things they can learn from the Jews, other than the art of cheating, deceiving and betraying. What is there for this “developed nation” to learn? What do you think? What’s your opinion? Do you really think that words are sufficient? Can development result from sending a few women to the Majlis? Have the male members of the Majlis actually accomplished anything for you so far which leads you to believe that your women may now do so? We believe that sending women to the Majlis will result in nothing but immorality and we believe that in ten, twenty or thirty years’ time you will see that we were right. We in no way oppose women’s progress, but we do oppose fornication and other such sinful deeds. It’s all too easy to talk about “men’s freedom” and “women’s freedom”, but will it be achieved by mere words; and anyway, do men themselves really enjoy “freedom” in this country that you now want to offer “freedom” to women? Exactly what is it men are free to do? I am unable to adequately thank all of the Muslim nations; the great nation of Iran; all the members of different sects and groups and all of those who joined forces with us and shared our grief. Particular recognition must be given to those most revered maraji’ at-taqlid, who took the trouble to travel to Tehran, where they experienced insults and abuse and truly went to great lengths. The eminent maraji’ from all over the country assembled in the capital city having traveled from the cities of Mashhad, Ahwaz and Qum. Cooperation was forthcoming from all quarters, such as Najaf and even from the one person who had remained in Qum.197 Everyone united and worked together thus proving the vitality and consciousness of the nation. We are prepared to endure anything for the liberty of this nation, whether it involves imprisonment, undergoing torture or bearing insults and abuse. I am pleased to say that those same distinguished maraji’ are present with us today, may God multiply their like [the audience cries, “Amen”], including those from Najaf, Mashhad and Tehran, may God multiply their like [the audience cries, “Amen”]. Islam is not a forlorn religion with merely one or two devotees, but rather every Muslim is a soldier of Islam. We must praise God that the ulama have joined hands and are prepared to sacrifice their lives in the path of Islam. It would be impossible for them to be any other way. We are all organs of the same body; we are as one, whether it be the person who considered it wiser to act temperately or the person who believed it better to take a dynamic course of action. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to these noble people. May Almighty God save them all [the audience cries, “Amen”]; and may their protective shadow remain above us and 195 Marshal Ali Razmara (1901-1951 AD), the supreme army commander during the time of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, who became Prime Minister in July of 1950/Tir, 1329 SH) advocating reforms in the system of government and a strengthening of the judicial system. He was among those who opposed the ratification of the bill to nationalize the Iranian oil industry, and in the National Consultative Assembly he said: “How can an Iranian who even manufacture an ewer (a jug), run the oil industry can’t should it become nationalized?” On March 7 (Esfand 16) of that same year Razmara was assassinated in the Shah Mosque (current name: Imam Khomeini Mosque) by Khalil Tahmasbi of the Fadaiyan-e Islam group. 196 Refer to the local Qum-based Ustavar newspaper, No. 16, 3/5/1964 (12/25/1343 SH). 197 Following the Imam’s arrest, Ayatullah Golpaygani did not travel to Tehran along with the other ulama and maraji’ but instead he remained in Qum.

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above all the Muslims [the audience cries, “Amen”]. Although we are many in number yet we are but one unit. Let no one presume that they can cause a rift between the ulama via mischievous propaganda, for this is not so. We are all together as one entity to fight in defense of Islam and its honor and in defense of Iran and the nation’s independence. We are unified and have but one voice.

INSULT TO THE MARAJI’ MEANS TERMINATION OF WILAYAH I feel I must offer a word of advice to the young theological students who have recently joined the clergy and who are full of vigor and vitality. They need to be aware that the least insult aimed by them at any of the maraji’ of Islam would mean the termination of the wilayah between themselves and God. I assure you that to slight a distinguished marja’ is no trivial matter, so much so that if this great movement was to be impaired in any way as a result of such ignorance, then you would be chastised by God Almighty and the acceptance of your repentance would be problematic, for it is the honor and dignity of Islam that would have been damaged. I swear that if my children or myself were slapped in the face by someone, an act of retaliation would not please me and I would not agree to it, 198for I am aware that there are those who would like to create discord within this circle, be it through ignorance or by intent. Such discord, God forbid, would be most injurious to Islam whereby the wishes of the imperialists would materialize. We must all sacrifice ourselves for Islam. We must sacrifice our aspirations and desires for the sake of Islam. All of the maraji’ are over sixty years old. Is it conceivable that someone who has grown old devoting his life to Islam can then act to the detriment of Islam? Of course not. If at any time a disagreement does arise however, concerning the ijtihad of the maraji’, as may also occur with any other Islamic issue, then the youngsters must not become involved or interfere in any way, for this would present danger. The enemy is vigilant and awaiting. Hence, be aware that to insult one member of the clergy is to insult the entire Muslim community and to weaken the Muslim society.

EXTENDING A BROTHERLY HAND TO THE MUSLIMS I who am now seated here before you, humbly kiss the hands of all the maraji’, wherever they may be; be it in Najaf, Mashhad, Tehran, or right here (in Qum). I kiss the hand of the entire ulama of Islam. It is the ultimate goal which is of primary importance. I extend a brotherly hand to all Islamic nations and to all the Muslims of the world, be they in the East or the West. We humble ourselves before all the ulama of Islam. You too must humble yourselves; all of you without exception. We are all from one nation and one country and we all have one religion. We are all seated at the table of the mercy of God, the Blessed and Exalted. We must thank God and be appreciative of the great maraji’ with whom we are blessed. To honor them is to honor Islam and to insult them is to insult Islam. Bear it in mind never to insult a marja’ or indeed any Muslim, for that would deeply displease Almighty God and I fear He might at some time chastise us; akhdha azizin muqtadir.199

198 A number of religious students objected to the uncooperative and cautious behavior of some of the maraji’. They thus behaved insolently towards the latter protesting that they did not confront the Shah in the way that the Imam did. In defending the maraji’ and the unity of the religious teaching centers, the Imam reminded them of the aforementioned issues. 199 Ma’khudh or “overtook,” from Qur’an, 54:42: “Who denied all of Our signs. So We seized them with the seizing of One [who is] All-mighty, Omnipotent.”

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May Almighty God grant success to all of the ulama in their service to Islam [“Amen”]. May God keep all the maraji’ of Islam in the shelter of His protection [“Amen”]. May the protective shadow of all the maraji’ remain over all the Muslims [“Amen”]. May God grant strength to the religion of Islam and may the hands of those who seek to betray this nation’s independence and her economy be severed [“Amen”]. May peace be upon you.

12th Speech Date: September 9, 1964/Shahrivar 18, 1343 SH/Jamadi al-Awwal 2, 1384 AH Place: Azam Mosque, Qum Subject: The danger of the penetration of Israeli influence in Iran and the plots perpetrated by the imperialists in the Muslim countries Occasion: The beginning of lessons at the theological center Audience: Religious students, clerics, merchants of the bazaar and other residents in Qum In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Verily, we are from God and to Him we shall return. O God, preserve our tongues from vain discourse and lies. O God, enlighten our hearts with the light of Islam and devotion. O God, grant a listening ear to the kings of the Muslim governments, to the presidents of the Muslim governments, to the members of parliaments of Muslim governments, to the prime ministers and ministers of Muslim governments, to the heads of the universities of Muslim governments, to the employers and employees of Muslim governments. O God, place them amongst those who listen to all that is said and choose the best of it.200

MUSLIM STATES BEING UNDER THE IMPERIALIST INFLUENCE In this short time, and because of the chest pains from which I am suffering, 201 I cannot convey all that has been on my mind; but I will talk about the important matters. I am deeply distressed about the general situation of the Muslim countries, and especially about the situation in Iran. The Muslim governments, whether led by Muslim kings, Muslim presidents or prime ministers, under the influence of imperialism are ignorant of the aims of the religion of Islam. They are not aware of Islamic affairs. They do not want to be aware of the Islamic laws. They cannot, in their present situation, be aware of what Islam has brought for humanity and to what heights mankind will reach if the tenets of Islam are obeyed. 200 In the existing recordings of the speeches, this prayer is recorded at the beginning of another speech. However, from the point of view of style and content it is related to this speech. Some books such as Sahifeh-ye Nur have included it in both speeches. Refer to Qur’an, 39:18. 201 The unpleasant events of 1962 (1341 SH), 1963 (1342 SH) and 1964 (1343 SH), the problems and difficulties of the Islamic world, the anti-Islamic agreements made by the Shah’s regime, and especially the tragedy of Khordad 15 (June 5, 1963) all affected Imam greatly, both mentally and physically, and placed him under severe mental strain. Physical illness and the pains in his chest had bothered him for years. For further information on this subject refer to the book Barrasi va Tahlili az-Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 1, pp. 305- 6.

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CREATION OF DISCORD AS AN IMPERIALIST DESIGN The imperialist governments, those governments that seek to plunder the wealth of Muslims, deceive the Muslim countries, the heads of Islamic countries, through different means and numerous tricks. Sometimes they create differences in the name of Shia and Sunni. Even in the East those who are not Muslims have been deceived. It has been said that in India on the Festival of Sacrifices202 a large number of cows, which are sacred for the cow worshippers203, are brought to the Muslims and sold to them very cheaply. They make them slaughter these cows and then they tell them: “The Muslims have slaughtered your sacred cows.” Disturbances are created between Hindus and Muslims, between the Indian sects, resulting in disputes which attract a lot of attention. They use these disputes to devour the East. Acting in the name of Islam and religion, they spread ideas amongst the Muslim sects in the Islamic countries, they sow dissension so that the Muslim sects start fighting each other, so that they discover differences between the Shia and the Sunni. Thus, they find a way to get their hands on the wealth of the Muslims, and the Muslims cannot do anything about it.

THE MUSLIM CIVILIZATION AS ABOVE OTHER CIVILIZATIONS The Muslims are those whose greatness once conquered the world. Their civilization excelled all others; their spirituality was of the highest caliber; their officials were the best; the vastness of their lands was greater than all others; the power of their government dominated the world. They (the imperialists) saw that with this power, with this unity of the Islamic lands, they could not impose whatever they wanted on them; they could not seize their wealth, their black gold and their yellow gold, so they thought of a solution. The solution was to create divisiveness between the Muslim countries.

DIVISION OF THE OTTOMAN STATE Maybe some of you remember the international war, the First World War, and what they did with the Muslims and the great Ottoman State.204 The Ottoman State was that state which would sometimes prevail in its conflicts with Russia, while other governments could not stand up to her. The Ottoman State was a Muslim state, whose power spread almost from East to West. They realized that as long as this Muslim state with such power existed, they could not do anything, they could not rob the region of its wealth. So after their victory in the First World War, under those circumstances, they divided the Ottoman State into a number of petty states. At the head of each of these states they placed a king, an amir, a sultan or a president, and each of these was in the grip of the imperialists just as the helpless nation was in their grip. In this way, they destroyed the Ottoman State which had such greatness; and the Muslim governments did not stir from their slumber, or they pretended to be still asleep. This Ottoman State acquired such greatness 202 Eid al-Qurban. 203 It refers to the Hindus. Hinduism is one of the religions of India whose followers are greater in number than those of any of the other religions in that country. The cow in Hinduism is held as being holy and sacred; to kill a cow and eat its meat is considered unlawful and a sin. 204 After the assassination of the Prince of Austria and the declaration of war by the Austrian Empire on the government of Serbia in 1914, the First World War began between the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, joined later by Ottoman Turkey, and Bulgaria) and the Allies (France, Britain, Russia, and minor European nations, joined later by Italy and America). The war ended in 1918 with the defeat of the forces of the Central Powers. The victors then proceeded to dismember the Ottoman Empire. All that has remained of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, which had survived for five hundred and fifty years, is the present day state of Turkey.

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under the patronage of the Islamic leadership (khilafah) and by relying on the Holy Qur’an. After it was divided, in our time, at the time of the evil Ataturk205, they destroyed Islam there and now the Turkish government is not an Islamic government; it does not take Islam into account; there are no religious ceremonies. The government does not have religious laws, but the noble nation of Turkey is a Muslim nation, and it is they who circumambulate the Ka’bah in Mecca at the time of the pilgrimage in relatively larger numbers than pilgrims from other nations. Yet, their government is such a government. That former greatness was acquired by relying on Islam, and when the imperialists saw that reliance on Islam was a very important element, that with this reliance they could not destroy the Muslim governments, they separated religion from the state in Turkey with the result that now, when some of the Turks are killed in Cyprus, there is not one Muslim who expresses sorrow. It is distressing when a government acts in such a way and other Muslim governments are indifferent when it is defeated by the Christians or some of its people are killed by them.206 You may only find one person who expresses sorrow, someone like an old akhund like me. The governments of Muslim countries do not express sadness because they have lost the greatness of Islam.

ANNIHILATION OF ISLAM IN THE NAME OF ISLAM The leaders of the Muslim countries should bear in mind that the differences that are created in Iraq, Iran and other Islamic countries are differences which will destroy their existence. They should act wisely and prudently and realize that the imperialists want to destroy Islam in the name of religion and in the name of Islam. The wicked hands that create differences between the Shia and Sunnis in these countries, belong to neither Shia nor Sunni. They are the hands of the imperialist agents who want to seize the Islamic countries from them. They want to take their resources and create a black market for these so-called advanced countries. They want to create a market in the East for the things that they have an excess of, that they normally throw away, throw into the sea, and the East buys them at a good price, at a satisfactory price. It was in the Ittila’at newspaper a few days ago that the amount of food the Americans waste in three days, the amount which they throw away, is equivalent to the amount of food the whole of the Chinese nation, 650 million people, use in a day! Three days wastage of American food, just the leftovers that they normally throw away, 650 million people can use in one day. So why shouldn’t they bring the East under their own power, why shouldn’t they subjugate them so they can sell their refuse to the East at a suitable price and 205 In the First World War, Mustafa Kemal, later Kemal Pasha 1881- 1938 known as “Ataturk” (i. e. father of the Turkish nation) was the commander of forces of resistance at the Dardanelles. Incited by the British, Ataturk rebelled against the authority of the Ottoman government and eventually turned the constitutional Ottoman Sultanate into the Republic of Turkey with himself as President. During his years as President, a post he held from 1923 until his death in 1938, Ataturk wielded almost dictatorial powers in his quest to westernize the new republic and in his battle with Islam. Separating religion from politics, which in effect eradicated the influence of religion; the unveiling of women; prohibiting the clerics from wearing their traditional clerical dress; changing the national script into Latin; closing down religious schools and mosques were just a few of the steps taken by Ataturk in his campaign against Islam. 206 The conflict between the Muslim Turks and the Christian Greeks has its historical roots in Cyprus. From medieval times the island was ruled alternatively by the Christian Front and the Ottoman Empire (the Islamic Front). In 1878, according to the Treaty of Berlin, the Ottoman government, while preserving its rights and receiving an annual capitation in return, handed over administrative control of Cyprus to the British. In 1882, Britain established a governing council on the island made up of six English men, three Turks and nine Greeks. The greater number of Greeks on the council brought about the idea of union with Greece. In 1925, Cyprus was made a Crown Colony by the British. In 1960, it became an independent republic within the Commonwealth. The island’s recent history has been dominated by tension between the two major communities, the Christian Greek Cypriots and the Muslim Turkish Cypriots over the Greek Cypriots desire for union with Greece. The problem has still not been solved.

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turn it into gold and take the gold back? Why shouldn’t they do this? Our governments, the Muslim governments, do not pay attention to these matters, they do not understand what happens to them, they do not realize that by neglecting the Qur’an and no longer relying on Islamic laws these disadvantages come about. The imperialists weaken the Muslim governments with the creation of religious differences so they can take away their ideology and religion. I seek refuge with God.

WARNING TO THE HEADS OF MUSLIM COUNTRIES Shouldn’t the heads of the Muslim governments, the presidents, the Muslim kings, the ministers and members of parliament of the Muslim governments, be vigilant? Really don’t they know what is happening, or do they know but their desire for rank and office compels them to follow orders? You sirs, do you believe that those who are aware of the course of events, or claim to be, have not understood this simple matter that one Sayyid from Khomein has understood? Do you think that this is possible? If they have understood it, God forbid, they are either besotted by them or there is fear involved. Why should they be afraid? They are afraid because they have been divided into groups. The Ottoman state which covered such a vast area has been divided into how many states? Each one of them is smaller than the other. They have put the poor people- this multimillion nation- under the yoke of a few godless people and then they colonize them and these heads of state abase their own nation. Shouldn’t these Muslim governments wake up? What misfortune have they experienced because of Islam? The West has used one great deception to influence, tempt or intimidate the governments of Islamic countries. We can see it in our newspapers and magazines, in their propaganda and in their radio broadcasts.

THE RACE BUSINESS That great deceit which debases the Muslim governments and distances them from the Qur’an is this race business. This man is from the race of Turks, he has to do his ritual prayers in Turkish. This one is from the Iranian race; his alphabet should be as such. That one is from the Arab race, Arabism should govern not Islam. The Aryan race should govern not Islam. The Turkish race should govern not Islam. Let us see where this racism, which is being developed amongst these men and is increasing and is encouraged, leads us. This racism is a childish affair and it is as if they are making children play their games. They are making the heads of the governments play their games. You are Iranian, sir. You are Turkish, sir. You, sir, are Indonesian. Sir, what are you, where are you from? We should do such and such for our own country! They say all this and ignore that pivotal point which existed in the lives of all Muslims. Alas, alas, that pivotal point has been taken away from the Muslims and they are still distancing them from it, and I don’t know where it will lead to. Islam came and drew a red line across racism and allowed no differentiation between black and white, between Turk and Iranian, between Arab and non-Arab. The only distinction it made between men stemmed from piety, fearing God, true devoutness, political piety, material piety and spiritual piety. This is the difference that was established: “Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most pious.”207 There are no Turks and Iranians, Arabs and non-Arabs. Islam is the pivotal point for all

207 Qur’an 49: 13

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Muslims. The matter of racism is retrogressive, these men see us as reactionaries, but they are retrogressing to two thousand five hundred years ago. Are we the reactionaries?

NEGLIGENCE OF THE MUSLIM GOVERNMENTS Why should the Muslim governments be ignorant of these matters? Why should these kinds of revolutions be created in each of these countries? Why should fronts be created between Muslim governments? One lot forms a “Triple Alliance”208 against the other and the other creates another alliance against them, and each of them curses the other. Shouldn’t they wake up? The Muslim kings who think of themselves so highly, shouldn’t they pay attention to these matters? The Muslim presidents who have taken complete control of the Islamic countries, shouldn’t they wake up?

IMPERIALISM AS THE CAUSE OF WARS AMONG MUSLIMS Are these things of which I speak untrue? Don’t they accept this reality that I am telling them with deep sorrow? One of the realities is that they encourage animosity between the Muslim governments, arraying one group against the other, and how they equip their armies on the borders! Now, as I speak to you, I have been informed that the Turks have massed 200, 000 troops on one of their borders. Why? With whom do they have a quarrel? Why are the Muslims fighting one another? What has made the Muslims fight amongst themselves other than the hands of imperialism? If you remove the hands of imperialism from the Muslim governments then you will see what kind of government takes control, what kind of government comes into being. Protect your borders all of you. If it is supposed to be an Islamic government, if Islam is supposed to govern, then all the borders will be protected. There won’t be one government attacking another. They will all be Muslim; they will all be united under the banner of Islam. The reason why you see this government attacking the other, this one sending arms for that one’s army and that one sending arms for the other one’s army is because they are not united under the banner of Islam. It is misfortunate for the Muslim governments, for the Muslim countries and nations, that the imperialists began laying their plans many years ago. For a long time, the imperialist governments were busy trying to belittle the Prophet of Islam. Then they endeavored to propagate the idea that Islamic laws belong to a thousand years ago and now such and such has happened and the country has progressed and etc., etc. and now Islam cannot satisfy the needs of the nations. Sirs209, what have you seen of Islam? All your media, all your television programs, all your radio broadcasts, all your discourses, all your speeches in the Parliament are aimed at smashing the laws of Islam. If you do not do this purposely and have no evil intentions, then you have been made to do it, they have threatened, enticed, or deceived you. God willing, you have been deceived, and treason is not involved. You do not allow us to introduce Islam to the world.

208 Here “Triple Alliance” refers to the CENTO agreement. In 1964, at the time of Hasan Ali Mansur’s premiership, the Shah suggested the formation of a grouping within CENTO and America welcomed the idea. The agreement for the formation of the Regional Cooperation for Development organization (RCD) was concluded by the heads of Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. Led by Iran, the RCD was introduced as a non-military organization; Afghanistan and the Shaykhdoms in the Persian Gulf were also expected to join it. This organization split the Muslim countries at a sensitive time in Middle Eastern politics. 209 Addressed to the heads of the Muslim countries.

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ADVISE TO THOSE WHO ARE COMPLACENT Only three or four days ago I received a letter from one of the students in America. I am not acquainted with him personally, but apparently he is a religious person who is distressed at the existing situation. He wrote that unfortunately the students, the university students there (in America) say that all our misfortunes stem from Islam. O you misfortunate students! The Islam that is introduced to you from the radio is not Islam. The Islam that you get from the newspapers is not Islam. That Islam which has been introduced to you is defective, it’s something that none of the Muslims accept. I do not accept it, and the other clergymen do not accept it. This is not Islam. They do not let us introduce (true) Islam. In this country, the television is independent and is controlled by an Israeli.210 He says whatever he wants. The radio too, they produce its programs and its advertisements, and what good use they put it to! Not just in this country, in all Muslim countries; I am talking about all Muslim countries but I keep coming back to our own country.

THE ALLEGATION OF ISLAM AS “WORSHIPPING THE OLD” One of the ruses of the imperialists is to introduce Islam as an old defective truth in the Muslim countries. The heads of these countries say that Islam is “worshipping the old,” it’s “retrogressive”; this is how they introduce Islam to the people. Give us one radio transmitter so our preachers can introduce Islam to the world. Our voice does not reach the world. Our words do not leave this mosque. All this that I am saying now, and which is reasoned and rational, is illegal, it is smuggled out of this mosque. No one knows which of these men will be arrested when he leaves here and which one will be left alone. No one knows where these tape recorders (which the people bring with them to record the speech) will be seized. We are not speaking out against somebody here; we are speaking about the welfare of Islam and Muslims. This is not a tirade leveled at one person, it is a sermon meant to offer advice and it is directed at everyone. Its aim is to do good. God knows we want your wellbeing. So then give us a radio transmitter as well. Let the Muslims organize a radio transmitter themselves and I guarantee that it will not be entirely to your detriment. Yes, this idea conflicts with the interests of the big bosses and they do not and will not allow this to happen. Here, somebody “worse than a Jew”211 should control the television and propagate whatever he wishes, yet we are not free to propagate our ideas! “Oh no, these reactionaries should not speak,” is what they say, but where is the reaction?

UNITY OF THE NATION OF ISLAM All we are saying is that you should be united; all Muslims should be united; we do not have relations with that one, 212 with you213, nor with anybody else, and yet we have relations with everybody. We see you all as being the same. All Muslims, in our view, if they act upon Islamic laws, are dear to us. We hold dear the nation of Islam, whether it be Turkish, Arab, Iranian, or from any other country, Africa, America, or wherever. We are saying join hands together; do not make a triple front and join

210 It refers to Habib Sabet Habib Pasal, who for years was the owner and head of the Iranian television. He was one of the main figures in international Zionism. 211 “Worse than a Jew” meaning in his animosity toward Islam. 212 Asadullah Alam and the previous government. 213 Mansur, the Prime Minister at the time, and the new government.

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Israel against another alliance, and the other Muslim countries too should not make an alliance against you. You should all form one alliance, you are all Muslims, you should rely on the Qur’an. But you do not know what the Qur’an is. All you do is put the Qur’an into your pocket! I don’t have a Qur’an in my pocket, yet all the officials have a Qur’an in their pockets! They seem to show a greater interest in the Qur’an than we do! Do you really believe in the Qur’an? You just want to deceive us. Whenever you stand up to speak you take the Qur’an out and hold it up high for all to see. You put the Qur’an in your pocket and you want to destroy it.

THE IMPERIALISTS AS AIMING TO PLUNDER THE MUSLIMS’ RESOURCES Now, are we being reactionary when we say that all of you should form one alliance, that you should stop them from plundering your resources? More important than the underground resources are those which lie above the ground: our youth. They are taking our youth; God knows they are taking the youth from the Muslim countries. One group is in America, one somewhere else and another I don’t know where! And now our youth are going to Israel. I have in my house at present a journal; the journal of the Iranian Students Organization in Israel. It exists now. These youth are our resources. Our youth are being deceived. They are being injected with the idea that whatever misfortune befalls their people comes from Islam. What have you seen of Islam that you say Islam brings misfortune? You have seen the Muslims here who are a poor, unfortunate, beggared people- and the government proclaims loudly that, praise be to God, nobody goes to sleep hungry- praise be to God, I hope that this is so! But do these words change the reality? Does that which was reported about the southern ports of the country a short while ago in Ittila’at214 - and Ittila’at is the government’s official mouthpiece- change the reality? This will not change anything. These poor students of ours, they have seen that here the Muslims are hungry, helpless and misfortunate, their mosques are dilapidated, their places of worship are such and such. Then when they go to America and visit a church or a synagogue, they see that it is all neat and tidy, everything well-kept, everything just right, and they think that it is the laws of the Bible or the Torah that have brought these people to this stage, while the laws of Islam have kept the Muslims back.

THE REASON BEHIND THE MUSLIMS’ BACKWARDNESS No, it is the governments of the Islamic countries which have made us like this. These poor, deceived governments have brought us to this. They say that Islam is like this. There was a time when Islam held sovereignty over half of the world and was progressing farther and farther. Gustav Lebon215, in his book, The Civilization of Islam, looks at the Islamic civilization from a materialistic point of view; he doesn’t know what Islam is. He believes neither in Jesus nor in Islam. He understands civilization to consist of the pillars of ancient buildings, just as our children do. So when our youth go abroad, they see all the

214 In the Ittila’at newspaper of December 25, 1963/Dey 4, 1342 SH, it was reported that in the villages in the south of Iran there were no doctors or drinking water, and in one of the villages most of the people had lost their sight because of a lack of adequate sanitation. 215 Gustav Lebon (1841- 1931 AD), a French doctor, sociologist and historian who was also the author of a number of literary works. His most important work The Civilization of Islam and the Arabs was published in 1884 in French. He traveled widely in Arabia and other Islamic countries.

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ceremonies, all the magnificence, they see the Vatican216 in all its splendor, while all our mosques are dilapidated and impoverished, and they think this is because of Islam. This has not come about because of Islam; the heads of the Muslim states have brought this about. The heads of the Muslim states that are under the domination of the imperialists have done this to us. They have given our resources to others and we have become unfortunate, impoverished and hungry.

COMPARISON OF ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY It is said that there (in the West), the great heads of state attend religious ceremonies on Sundays. Do you ever see any of our Muslim leaders in the mosque? Can you find them there at all? Yes, sometimes you can when his father dies or his brother dies or something else happens and he struts through the mosque on a fleeting visit. But this is not what going to the mosque is all about. Do they ever come to attend the daily prayer services? Over there, their presidents and kings attend the prayer services, and these are the services of a religion which today is nothing compared to what it was. They think that the Christian religion is that which exists today. Of course, at its own time it was right. Look at that which exists today of the Christian religion and Christian laws, you students study Christianity, study what that is and what the Qur’an is. Study what the Christian laws are and what the Islamic laws are. The Islamic laws run into the millions; there are millions of Islamic laws which cover everything. There is not a single topic in human life for which Islam has not provided instruction and established a norm. In Islam a law exists for it even before it happens. Whatever happens, Islam has a law for it, even today. Is this a religion which is “worshipping the old” and “defective”? Are all our misfortunes created by Islam? It is the Muslim leaders who create our afflictionsthese helpless heads of state who pay no attention to the welfare of their own nations, or who simply do not want to pay attention. They are the cause of our wretchedness. They have created dark days for our people. And still they don’t leave us alone; they continue to make problems for us.

THE EAST’S RESISTANCE AGAINST THE WEST These things of which I speak refer to matters which are the concern of the governments of the Islamic countries, and this is as much as I, as a member of the clergy and a seminarian, can offer by way of advice to the Muslim governments. I hope this advice reaches them. These are important matters; it is imperative that the Muslim governments pay heed to them. I hope that they come to understand this and that they create a real Islamic union. They should set some of their desires aside and extend the hand of brotherhood to one another. One shouldn’t be superior to the other; they should be brothers, united against the West. They shouldn’t be xenomaniacs (westoxicated), smitten by the West.217 The governments of the East should stand up to the West; even the Buddhists218 should stand up to the West. They should push the West back and

216 The Vatican, the official residence of the pope, is an independent papal state in Rome, the seat of government of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the greatest Christian spiritual centers in the world. It has its own flag, anthem, postal service, stamps, radio station and police force which is formed by Swiss youths. St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Roman Catholic church, the Lateran Palace and the Castle Gandolfo villa all fall under papal authority. 217 Xenomaniacs: those infatuated with foreign and especially Western models of culture. This is a translation of the Persian term, gharbzadehha, popularized by Jalal Aali Ahmad in his book Gharbzadegi [Occidentosis, Westoxicosis]. 218 It refers to the followers of an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who founded the religion of Buddhism in north east India in the 5th century BC. The teachings of Buddha overshadowed “Hinduism” in India for a long period, but eventually its influence

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then create a stable government and a peaceful society amongst themselves. All the countries should retain their statehood, but none should act aggressively against the other. All should be as brothers. If they are attacked by others, they should all form a united front and go forward together. If all the Muslims unite, no government can defeat them. It is wrong to think that the West has this and that. No, this is not the case. You do not have the courage to stand up to the West, you have been deceived.

BOGUS PARTIES When it comes to our own country, however, we cannot talk about the problems which afflict it in one or two days. The governments come and go, and each government creates a party. One makes a Hizb-e Mardum (“People’s Party”), one such and such a party; one makes the Hizb-e Iran-e Novin (“Modern Iran Party”)219, and the other such and such a party. They are just creating parties all the time. Political parties have no meaning in Iran. A one-party state has no meaning anywhere in the world except in those countries which are like Iran. A party which is forced upon us has no meaning. They take the identity cards off the people of the villages. Go to these villages and see for yourselves, they take their identity cards off them and register them in the party. The poor person who has been registered doesn’t even know what “Modern Iran” means let alone understand its charter. This poor person doesn’t even know what a charter is. All that these irreligious people want from these poor souls is to gather them in a place and make them shout, “hurray” and “long live”. This is all they want from these poor people.220

THE TRUE PARTY IN TODAY’S WORLD In those countries which espouse a multi-party system, the governments are created from the parties. The government doesn’t come before the party is formed and then the latter finds itself dependent on the former! But here, well you can see for yourselves, first the government is formed, and there is no relationship between the government and the Parliament, or the government and you and I. First the government is formed and then they say- and these are their words, not mine- “We came upon orders and we’ll go upon orders, and nobody can do a damn thing about it!” No member of the Parliament can do a damn thing about it; not one of them dares to either. First the government is formed, and when it has gained control, then the party is formed. And then that party becomes the one from which the government was formed! Thus, our government is a party government! The government of these men represents a party system! Sir, who are you trying to fool? I as an akhund know what is really going on, don’t you think that the world governments waned in that country and it spread to other countries. Buddhism is one of the great religions of the world with over 500 million followers, who live mainly in the Far East. 219 The Iran-e Novin party was formed by Hasan-Ali Mansur and a group of Iranians educated in America and Europe under the directorship of “Rockwell”, the charge-d’affaires of the US Embassy in Iran, for the purpose of carrying out the policies of Kennedy in Iran. The role of this party was to guard the Shah-People Revolution and to implement its principles. Iran-e Novin had the most seats in the government and Parliament, and high officials with key posts were members. With the assassination of Hasan-Ali Mansur, Ataullah Khosravani took his place as Secretary General of the party. The Iran-e Novin party was dissolved after the formation of the “Rastakhiz” or National Resurgence Party when the Shah finished his charade of a party system and a one-party system was officially acknowledged in the country. Refer to Az Zuhur ta Suqut, p. 207 and The Spy Nest Documents, vol. 7, p. 103. 220 The Imam is referring to the comments made by Hasan-Ali Mansur (the then Prime Minister) who said in a meeting of the members of the central committee of the Iran-e Novin party on August 26, 1964 (Shahrivar 4, 1343 SH): “Fortunately, in this brief period of time, the advocates of the Iran-e Novin party have been able to establish their ideas in the most remote areas of the country and amongst people of all classes of society and bring them together under one banner Our party has been established in the hearts of the villages and has penetrated into the heart of the centers of the working class.” Khorasan newspaper, August 27, 1964.

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also know!? They actually want you to be like this; they want you to be backward. Cast off this backwardness. Protect your country’s greatness. If you want to form a party, form it before your government is formed, and then let your party propose representatives for the Parliament the way that they should be proposed, according to the Constitution and other laws. The ministers and Prime Minister should be selected from the representatives that have been proposed by the party and elected by the people. Then you have a party system, a system which depends on the choice of the people. But you form the government first. First you appoint your Prime Minister then you form the party; and this is supposed to be the party system!? The newspapers cannot write about these things, they might want to, but you do not let them. We, however, are theologians; we do not have the same concerns as the newspapers. If the government wants to bother us then we are ready once more. They put on such a show, a show of parties, just what we are witnessing now. Every day they set off somewhere at the expense of this misfortunate nation. This hungry nation God knows that sometimes when I think about our future, when I think about what next winter will bring, it saddens me, it saddens us all. Will the people have bread this year or won’t they? This year our food situation is not good. There isn’t even enough fodder for the animals. What will happen in this black winter for this misfortunate, poor nation? I don’t know what will happen. Is the government going to do something about it? Now that they have ruined the agriculture221 they should at least get the agricultural goods from the black market which has come into being and fill the stomachs of these poor souls. Or should they still sleep with an empty stomach, and should it still be said that there is not another person who goes to sleep hungry!? Every day a number of these people come to me, to me who is in no position to do anything about this problem.

REVEALING THE SHAH’S REGIME’S RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL This is the state of the party system in Iran; this is the state of the Iranian Parliament which we all know about; this is the state of their relations with Israel. When one of the country’s top-ranking officials met me he told me that the Israeli problem was finished with, it was over and done with, it didn’t exist anymore. How powerful they are in lying! They are so powerful that they even deceive me who is careful and vigilant. He told me that the Israeli problem is solved and now that Israel is finished with in Iran, now as I am sitting here speaking to you, many of the good farms of Iran are in the hands of Israel! People have written to me from 2lam and told me that the good farms of this place have been given to Israel for farming sugar beets, and at the side of the road, these people who say we have nothing to do with Israel have placed a sign which

221 Land Reform was one of the main principles of neo-colonialism, which was urged on all the countries under the dominance of colonialism, from Latin America to Asia and Africa, and was implemented by the governments of these countries in a very similar manner. In 1962 [1342 SH], the Shah launched the land reform program as the first tenet of his six-point ‘White Revolution’, later renamed the ‘ShahPeople Revolution.’ This ‘Revolution’ was not a revolution at all, rather it was put into effect on the one hand to win the confidence of American capitalism; to show his approval of and co-operation with the new strategy; and to open a new market for the Western economy, and on the other to curb internal discontent and actually prevent a revolution! The reform program, which was dependent on foreign, especially American investment, dragged the Iranian agrarian economy into bankruptcy, such that a few years after its implementation the country had been changed from a wheat exporter to a major wheat importer. In addition, as a result of the migration of villagers into the towns and cities and their attraction as a cheap work force to the industries and the service sector, over a period of eleven years from 1966- 1977 [1345- 56 SH], 20, 000 Iranian villages became uninhabited! Refer to Farhang-e Danestaniha, p. 239 and Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran [The Modern History of Iran], p. 219.

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reads: the Iran-Israel Joint Farming Project.222 In an Israeli newspaper which was given to me recently, it was written about the Israeli ambassador in Tehran! And they say that we have nothing to do with Israel! A couple of days ago on Shahrivar 16 SH (September 7) in the Darvaz-e Dawlat district of Tehran, the Jews created such a hullabaloo. Four or five hundred thieving Jews gathered together, and all that their speeches boiled down to was a eulogy to one and a tirade against another, and then they proclaimed that greatness belongs to the Jews, the Jews are chosen by God, we are a people who should govern, we are against dictatorship, we are against Hitlerism, and so on and so forth. This was the content of their speeches. These people come with the full knowledge of our government and openly say these things. Well, if dictatorship is prohibited and they are against it well, why don’t you stop them? Don’t let them say these things. They say all these things just for the sake of praising one person and abusing somebody else. It’s wrong for a country to rely on the Jews. Is this that we say now very bad? Of course it’s a bitter pill to swallow, it’s bitter for you. Nevertheless, it is disastrous for a Muslim country, for Muslims, to rely on, to have relations or make agreements with a government which is now the enemy of Islam, which opposes Islam and has usurped Palestine.

WARNING TO THE MUSLIM STATES CONCERNING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION I ask the Muslim governments, why do you fight over rivers?223 The land of Palestine has been usurped. O you hopeless ones, you should be throwing the Jews out of Palestine, instead you are fighting each other! Palestine has been usurped and you are squabbling over a river! While you dispute over a river, the Israelis have established a government in Palestine. They have driven those misfortunate Arabs out, and now a million or more of them are sleeping in deserts, hungry and bereft. They have become completely homeless and wretched. Shouldn’t the Muslim governments raise any objections? Shouldn’t they say something? Should you enter into an alliance with a government which has thrown one million Muslims out of their homeland and made them homeless? If you have not formed an alliance with them, well announce that you haven’t in your newspapers; allow that which I am saying now to be published. If you refuse to do so, then obviously you have aligned yourselves with them, you have aligned yourselves with the Jews, with Israel! You see what the agents of Israel do in this country. Recently, I heard that now, because the regime has asked me not to say anything, I won’t say anything. The government officials have said that they’ve corrected it.224 Well, last night on the radio they spoke about this matter and announced that it won’t be

222 Also the fertile, water-abundant lands of Qazvin were in the hands of the Israelis for creating modern farming corporations. All of the fertile lands of Khorasan province around the Bujnurd road to Mashhad were owned by Hujabre Yazdani who exploited those lands through his “Hujabre Yazdani Farming and Industry Company”. 223 At the conference of Arab heads of state, which was held on September 5, 1964 in Egypt, in addition to discussing the differences that Egypt had with Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and the aims which each of the Arab governments had in their relationship with the newly established Palestinian Liberation Organization (which formally announced its existence in 1964), the most important matter discussed was how to divert the sources of the river Jordan in order to forestall the Israelis’ irrigation scheme. The Israelis had at that time completed the work needed to enable them to divert some of the waters of the river Jordan, which runs through Syria, Occupied Palestine and Jordan, to irrigate the Negev Desert. The disagreement between the Arab countries was so intense that at the beginning of the conference the open session was closed and the heated discussions carried on behind closed doors. The conference eventually ended with no results. 224 The Imam here is referring to the change in the method of swearing in the army personnel. According to the formal pledge of allegiance in use at that time, all of the army personnel, after a few months of training and after receiving their ranks, had to take an oath on the Holy Qur’an that they would be the guardians and protectors of the integrity of the country and the independence of the state, etc. At the time of the Imam’s anti-Israeli struggle, the Shah, prompted by America, changed the words of the oath from “I swear on the Holy Qur’an” to

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changed. But I don’t believe a lot of what they say. It takes me a while to believe them. When they found out that I intended to preach today they said that this matter (the pledge of allegiance) has been corrected and shouldn’t be spoken about. This is what they said on the radio last night as well.225 But I don’t believe them; and if they don’t prove it to me I’ll return another day to speak about this matter again.

THE ISRAELI AGENTS OCCUPYING THE STRATEGIC CENTERS IN IRAN These people, these Israeli agents in Iran, wherever you look in the country they are there. They occupy all the key posts, the sensitive posts in the country, and this, by God, could prove to be dangerous for the throne of this man.226 They do not realize this. It was these people who plotted in Shemiran (a district in northern Tehran) to kill Nasiruddin Shah and take control of the country. Look at history; it relates how they plotted, how a few people tried to assassinate Nasiruddin Shah in Niyavaran, and how a group of people in Tehran tried to seize power.227 These people think that they should govern. They have written in their books, in their articles, that governance belongs to them, that they should create a new monarchy, a new government, a just government. 228These people who have such malicious ideas and evil intentions are found throughout the country from the court down.

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“I swear on the Holy Book”. With this change, he lays the way open for Zionism to enter the Iranian army and occupy the sensitive posts. Refer to the book Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 1, p. 695. After the Imam’s warning, the regime sent a representative to him. The representative claimed that the news that the words of the pledge of allegiance had been changed had no foundation. The Imam asked the government to formally announce that a change had not been made, consequently, in an interview on Radio Iran with one of the army heads on the evening of September 8, 1964 (Shahrivar 17, 1343 SH), it was categorically denied that the oath had been changed. The Shah. In 1852, three followers of Mirza Ali Muhammad of Shiraz (1819- 1850), the founder of the Babi religious eclectic sect in Iran, made another attempt on the life of Nasiruddin Shah. Declaring himself to be the expected 12th Imam (Mahdi) long awaited by the Shia Muslims as the herald of the manifestation of God’s will, Mirza Ali Muhammad, known as the Bab (gateway), commanded the Shah of Iran, his subjects and even the kings and princes of the earth to follow him. During the short ministry of the Bab (1844- 1850), Iran witnessed serious risings by his followers. In 1848, the Babis embarked on a series of revolts; the first in Mazandaran lasted from December 1848 to July 1849. It was followed by a second in Zanjan (May-December 1850) and a third in Neyriz. An attempt was also made on the life of the Friday Prayer leader in Tehran in a bid to seize the central positions of the country. The Babis, who were foiled in all their attempts, met with persecution and prejudice wherever they went in the country. In 1850, the Bab, who had been arrested in 1847, was executed in Tabriz on the orders of Amir Kabir, the Shah’s Prime Minister, and on the religious decree [fatwa] of the country’s religious authorities. One of his devoted disciples, Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri (1817- 1892), known as Baha’ullah, continued the Bab’s teachings and in April 1863, he announced himself to be the new leader foretold by the Bab, henceforth his followers became known as Bahais. The followers of Baha’ullah consider him to be the cofounder with the Bab of their faith and believe him to be a messenger of God, a “divine manifestation”. In 1880, Baha’ullah took up residence near Haifa in present day Israel which is today the location of the administrative centre of the Bahai community; he died there in 1892 following a short illness. The leadership of the Bahai community then passed to his eldest son Abbas Effendi (1844-1921) who adopted the name Abdul-Baha. In Iran, Abdul-Baha co-operated closely with both military and non-military British personnel, and in 1920 he was knighted by the British government. Upon his death, his body was buried on Mount Carmel the site of the shrine containing the remains of the Bab, overlooking the city of Haifa. In his will, Abdul-Baha named as his successor his eldest grandson Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (1899-1957). The third leader of the Bahais worked resolutely for the perpetuation of Baha’ism, overseeing the creation of its administrative and educational institutions and establishing an international organization known as the “Universal House of Justice” which is the seat of its governing body and is also situated in Haifa, Israel. A Bahai community was set up in the United States in 1912, and in 1953, a temple was completed in Wilmette, Illinois. Effendi chose as his successor an American, Charles Mason Rimi, who worked closely with him in his plans for the establishment of a Bahai government. In 1957, Effendi traveled to Britain and died, in mysterious circumstances, only one week after entering London. Charles Mason Rimi, the son of a bishop, took his place calling himself the “Shepherd” of the Bahais. An insurrection which was started in Shiraz ended up as an established religio-politico organization in Israel and the US!

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DANGER OF THE PENETRATION OF THE ZIONIST AND BAHAI INFLUENCE Sir, you should be afraid of these people, they are such animals. Some of them can be found in the ministries. I pointed one of them out to one of the ministers and he told me I was mistaken. Then I sent him documented evidence to prove my claim, but the man, I shall not mention his dirty name, is still there. They are in the ministries and they are in the army. O you respected army personnel, you are Muslim, hit these people in the mouth! A lot of the army leaders are good people and they sometimes contact me, they send messages to me. Most of them are good people, and so they should intervene and stop these people who are against their religion, who are against their throne and crown, their country, their independence, their economy. You have to stop them. Go and ask that they be thrown out of the army, ask your superiors to throw them out. I swear to God I want your well-being. I am worried that one day you will open your eyes and see that they have destroyed your wealth, your being. I’m worried about this. If you will not stop them, then let us destroy them. I shall destroy them one day. I do not want to create disturbances. If you do not want to have trouble you should destroy them yourself; if you do not, you’ll see that one day something else happens in some other way and at that time neither I can neither stop them nor you. This is the situation that we are faced with; you see it and we see it. I don’t know what we should do about it or how we should put it right.

SOUND COUNTRY WITH A SOUND CULTURE The way to ameliorate the country is to correct its culture. The correction must start with the culture. The hands of imperialism are very active in our culture. They do not let our youth grow up to be independent; they do not let our youth at the universities develop correctly. They do something to them from childhood so that when they grow up, Islam means nothing to them and they (the West) mean everything. If the culture is put right, the country is put right. For it’s the culture which creates the ministers for the ministries; it’s the culture which creates the representatives for the Parliament; it’s the culture which creates the office workers. Either create an independent culture or give it to us to create. You are afraid of America; you are afraid of others. Give it to us to correct. Give us control of the culture.

CREATION OF ENDOWMENT MINISTRY Now the gentlemen (i.e., the government) want to create an Endowment Ministry!229 It thinks it can copy the practices of other countries and bring the clergy under the authority of this ministry. You will take this dream to the grave with you, (God willing). Do you think that you can make the Muslim clergy become like the Christian clergy? It’s impossible. The Shia clergy are independent; they do not depend on any country. Let them come forward and tell (the world) whom they depend on. This is an independent clergy. We do not have to worry as to whether these respected religious students, who live with only thirty or forty tumans each month and work very hard, are supporters of another government or country. They are independent in their own ideas. It is amongst these people that human beings are found, that the Mudarrises230 of this world are found. They won’t let this happen. We won’t be brought under this and that minister. To hell with what that minister says. The government is mistaken, it is mistaken once again.

229 A ministry entrusted with government supervision of estates in mortmain. 230 Sayyid Hasan Mudarris (1859- 1938 AD) was one of the greatest religious and political figures in the recent history of Iran. He received his elementary education in Isfahan and then traveled to the cities of the holy shrines (the cities of Iraq where certain of the imams are

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There should be a Ministry of Culture, but a ministry of correct culture, a culture which should be in our hands. Shouldn’t we have a ministry in this country? All the ministers are from America, well, one should be from us. Put the culture in our hands. We’ll appoint somebody as the Minister of Culture and we’ll administer it ourselves. If we do not administer it better than you after ten or fifteen years, sack us. Give it to us to handle for a time. Appoint a Minister of Culture from amongst us and give us some time so we can do the job right. Then you’ll see whether we tell you not to study, not to study well, not to travel to the skies. By God, you are not able to do these things, and because you cannot do them you say it is the clergy who do not let you. You tell me who is stopping you. Build your foundry. Which clergyman told you not to? Whoever he is tell us, so we know him. Start building your airplanes and your cars. Sir, you are not able to do these things. You poor people. You are a hopeless administration. Why? It’s not because you are intrinsically hopeless, it’s because the hands of imperialism have made you like this. You are xenomaniacs (westoxicated). Is that which we say so outdated and time-worn that nobody will buy it anymore?! I promise you that even Germany will buy it. You don’t buy it. Give us a ministry. Give us a few hours on the radio; this radio which is driving our youth toward moral corruption with music and other things. Give us a few hours but leave us free to do it our way. Do not write the program yourself and then tell us to speak in such and such a way. We’ll prepare the program and I promise you that it won’t oppose your kingdom, your ministry or your leadership. It won’t oppose any of them. If only the Ministry of Culture and the radio transmitters were in our hands for a short while. We would introduce the people and the world to Islamic laws and Islam. We would make the culture an independent culture, an Islamic culture, a culture that when one of its Arabs stands in front of the emperor he takes out his sword and pushes aside the fine silk and says: “The Prophet has said that we should not wear silk clothes nor sit on silk.”231 We nurture such men. buried: Najaf, Karbala and Kazimayn, and to a certain extent some others) where he received further education from such scholars as Mulla Muhammad Kazim Khorasani and, after graduation to the level of ijtihad, he returned to Isfahan and began teaching Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] and principles [usul]. In 1909, at the time of the Second National Assembly, he entered Parliament having been chosen by the maraji’ at-taqlid and the ulama of Najaf as one of the five mujtahids who were to oversee the law-making procedures. At the time of the Third National Assembly, he was chosen as a Member of Parliament. When Reza Khan carried out his coup d’état, Mudarris was arrested and sent into exile, but after being freed he was again chosen by the people and again entered Parliament. In the Fourth National Assembly, he headed the opposition majority against Reza Khan. At the time of the Fifth and Sixth National Assemblies, he opposed the proposal for the establishment of a republic, which Reza Khan was in favor of, to replace the constitutional government, and he dissuaded the Parliament from approving it. He was resolute in his stand against the stubborn Reza Khan, such that the Shah hired an assassin to kill Mudarris and when he escaped the attempt, he sent him first into exile in the remote town of Khaf near the Afghan border, and later in Kashmar, where eleven years later in Ramazan 1938, the agents of the Shah poisoned him. In this way, one of the greatest political and religious personalities of Iran was martyred in the way of Allah. Mudarris possessed outstanding qualities, and even though he was a man of great political and religious influence, he lived very simply. Imam Khomeini always spoke of him with a great deal of respect. The Leader of the Revolution, on the occasion of the renovation of Mudarris’ grave, wrote: “At a time when pens were broken, voices silenced and throats gripped, he never ceased from revealing the truth and abolishing falsehood.... this feeble scholar, weak in body but strong in a spirit joyful from belief, sincerity and truth, and possessing a tongue like the sword of Haydar Karrar (Imam Ali), stood in front of them and shouted out the truth and disclosed the crimes, making life difficult for Reza Khan and blackening his days. Finally, he sacrificed his own pure life in the way of dear Islam and the noble nation, and was martyred in exile at the hands of the oppressive Shah’s executioner and joined his virtuous forefathers.” For further information on the Imam’s views on Mudarris see the Imam’s historic decree dated September 19, 1984 (Shahrivar 18, 1363 SH). 231 In his history book, Tabari describes the meeting of Rabi’ ibn Aamer, one of the three representatives of the Muslim armies, with Rustam, the commander of the Yazdagird army, before the al-Qadisiyyah battle: Rab’i set off to Rustam’s camp and those who were on the bridge stopped him while they sent somebody to Rustam to inform him of Rab’i’s arrival. Rustam discussed his arrival with the Persian leaders and asked what they thought they should do, give a display of wealth and refinement or simply disregard him. All of them were in favor of the latter, so they brought all kinds of ornaments, silk cloth and carpets to adorn the room, omitting nothing. They set a golden chair in place for Rustam and decorated it and laid down carpets and spread cushions woven with gold. Rab’i arrived, riding on his small horse.

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Then you’ll see when one such man is nurtured by our school of thought and by our culture whether or not he will fall under the influence of imperialism. But the imperialists won’t allow us to do this. The malicious hands of imperialism won’t let them give us the Ministry of Culture. Otherwise, it is our right, we should see to the culture. If you want to create an Endowment Ministry,232 then we should organize it, not you. We should appoint people for it, we do not accept your appointees. You are not eligible to appoint people for it, we have to do it. Let us select the head of cultural affairs. Let us select the Endowment Minister, then you’ll see what will happen: everything will be as it should be, it will not be as it is now with all these misappropriations. Then you’ll see how we eliminate this poverty with these very same endowments. Submit to a few Islamic laws, give us permission to take Islamic taxes off the people, just as Islam took it off them by the sword, then you’ll see if there remains one poor person (in this country). We’ll build roads for you; we’ll buy ships for you, just let us handle the religious endowments. But you won’t allow it. I know that this that I say now falls on deaf ears. Nothing will happen. You people will leave here and I will leave too and nothing will happen. They won’t do anything about this matter. This is a pain which we all have to suffer. What should we do?

PROPAGANDA AND THE CLERGY The country’s propaganda mechanisms should be controlled by us. Sir, we are the preachers, we are the ones with a message, not you. We should be given a program on the radio to convey our ideas, to propagate our message. Whatever you propagate is not Islamic propaganda, it is anti-Islamic. You have introduced Islam in such a way that an (Iranian) student in America writes to me saying that the other students over there believe that all misfortunes stem from Islam. O misfortunate students. All our miseries are caused by the heads of Islamic states, the Muslim governments. As God is my witness, Islam has not been put into practice in our country, even for one day. So what can I do now that the government has neither the time

He carried with him a sharp, shiny sword in a sheath made from a piece of material taken from old clothes. His spear was cracked and his shield was made of cow hide which had red leather on it which resembled bread. He carried his bow and arrows with him and when he got near Rustam, where the carpets were spread, they told them to dismount, but he rode his horse on the carpets and then he dismounted and he fastened his horse to two of the cushions, ripping them. They could not stop him so they pretended not to see him. He knew what they were trying to do and wanted to annoy them. He wore a chain-mail which seemed to be made of knitted hair. His kaftan was made from the cloth he used to cover his camel and which he had torn and put on himself. His belt was fastened with bark from a tree and he wore a head band which was part of his camel’s rope. They said to him: “Lay down your sword.” He said: “I did not come here upon your orders, so why should I lay down my sword? You invited me here and now if you do not accept me as I am, then I’ll go back.” They reported this to Rustam and he said: “Let him come to me; he’s alone isn’t he?” Rab’i went forward and as he did so he used his spear, which had a sharp point, as a kind of walking stick, taking small steps and making a hole in all the carpets as he went. There were no carpets or silk cloth which weren’t torn or ruined. When he got close to Rustam the guards forced him to sit on the floor; he pushed his spear into the carpet and when they asked him why he had done this, he said: “I do not wish to sit on your adornments.” Rustam asked him: “Why have you come here?” He answered: “God has created us and he has brought us here to take whomever He wants away from worshipping the servants of God to worshipping Him, from the poverty of this world to the wealth, and from the oppression of the religions to the justice of Islam. He has sent us to the people with his religion so that we can invite them to accept God’s religion; whoever accepts us, we will accept him, and we will return and leave him with his country to rule it, and whoever rejects us we will fight him all the time until we attain God’s promise.” He asked: “What is God’s promise?” Rab’i answered: “Heaven for those who get killed in the war with unbelievers and victory for those who remain.” Refer to Tarikh-e Tabari, vol. 5, pp. 1690- 92. 232 Khorasan newspaper reported on September 1, 1964 (Shahrivar 10, 1344 SH): “There is talk that the Endowment Organization is to be separated completely from the organization of the Ministry of Culture. It has been known for some time now that a new ministry with the name of the Endowment Ministry is to be established.” (The State Security and Intelligence Organization (SAVAK) of the Shah’s regime)

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nor the energy to discuss such things? As soon as it is known that I want to say a few words, suddenly we see that a few thousand people are sent with the National Bus Company to Qum.233 Do you have a quarrel with us, sir? Do you want to force a quarrel between us and the National Bus Company? Take away this knife which you hold at its throat and see how it comes out in support of us. Do you want to administer a country through force? By God, you cannot do it through force. Reform yourself a little. Put your house in order just a little. Now, when we call for reform, the gentlemen say they have already reformed! One of their great reforms was making Friday a public holiday. 234 Take heed of what I say, you are duty bound to let everybody in Iran know that Friday has been made a holiday by force without the poor hungry shopkeeper wanting it. If they do not close on that day, they are fined a penalty of eighty tumans or so, and yet the centers of corruption stay open. The cinemas have to stay open, the theatres also, they say the other centers of corruption have to remain open too- I’ll not mention their names but the newspapers have written about them. These places have to stay open from morning till night, while all kinds of shops, including the bazaar, have to close. Tomorrow the government will apply the law to Qum as well, and will say that Qum requested this also, just as Tehran did. Qum also wanted this misfortune. These people who “requested” this will wake up in the morning and ask “When did we request this?” The government quickly writes about this supposed request, the newspapers also write about it. Some of these newspapers betray the country. These centers of corruption remain open, Friday is made a holiday and they provide all kinds of bacchanalian pursuits for the young people at the threshold of their lives. May God curse the traitors [the audience replies with “Amen”]. Ten years from now there will not be one virtuous youth left for this country; all of them will have been dragged into these centers of corruption.

HOLDING RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS I advise you gentlemen to make the country realize what is happening, make all those living in this country realize what is happening, in order to confront what they are doing with your youth and in order to stop them from taking your youth off you in droves you should hold religious meetings. On those Fridays that they want to entice the people into the centers of corruption, you should hold meetings, in which you propagate religion, invite people to religion, invite them to do good and dissuade them from that which is evil. It is our duty to do this. You have to do this, if you do not, they will take your youth away from you. Organize some centers for these young people so they can receive guidance there, so they can be told about the state of affairs, so they can be told, as much as that organization (SAVAK) allows them to be told, about the corruption which is being established in this country. This holiday on Friday, observation of which is obligatory, is not to give the working class a day of rest,235 it has been made into a holiday for the reasons I gave above. Perhaps, God willing, this is not their aim, but the outcome will still be the same. When the centers of corruption are open and everywhere else is closed, 233 On the day that Imam was due to deliver this speech, a few thousand commandos and soldiers were sent to Qum on buses of the National Bus Company in an attempt to intimidate him. They surrounded the Azam Mosque (where the Imam was to deliver his speech), Fayziyyah Madrasah, Astaneh Square, the courtyard of the holy mausoleum of Hazrat Masumah (sa) and other sensitive centers of the city. 234 It was announced to all shops by the government that according to the law, working on Friday was prohibited. 235 As the Imam pointed out, the merchants were also against the obligatory holiday and this was reflected in some of the regime’s local media. Khorasan newspaper wrote on September 6, 1964/Shahrivar 15, 1343 SH: “As was predicted, the law obliging shops to close on Friday was not implemented as expected; especially last Friday when most of the shops in Tehran were open.”

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then naturally our youth will be enticed there. In these few weeks since they made Friday a holiday, the poor people, who need to go and earn some money for bread on this day and are not allowed to do so, have been made more impoverished, the youth, the fruit of the people, have been blighted. Go and see how the cinema has changed from one month ago. Perhaps there is some kind of collusion between those who propagate these things and the cinemas and centers of corruption. Perhaps they are getting something from these places to do this, otherwise, why wasn’t some healthy form of entertainment first provided for the people? A legitimate, healthy form of entertainment should have been arranged for these poor people before the shop doors were closed, to attract them towards that. But you haven’t done this, you’ve left the corruption centers open and you’ve closed the shop doors. You may not have had any bad intentions, but now I’ve told you what the outcome of your actions will be, and if after these words of mine reach the administrative centers in charge of this matter the situation remains the same, then it will be clear that there is malice involved, that yet another “order” has been given. O God, awaken these people [Shouts of “Amen” (so be it) from the audience]. O God, humble the enemies of Islam [“Amen”]. O God, make the heads of Muslim countries aware of their duties [Amen]. O God, sever the hands of the imperialists [“Amen”]. O God, sever the hands of those who want to appropriate the wealth of this country through imperialism [“Amen”]. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

13th Speech Date: October 26, 1964/Aban 4, 1343 SH/Jamadi al-Thani 20, 1384 AH Place: Imam Khomeini’s home in Qum Subject: Uprising against the approval of the Capitulation Bill and announcement of public mourning Audience: Clerics, seminary students, merchants of the bazaar, university students, and people of Qum and other towns In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.

THEY TURNED THE IRANIAN FESTIVAL INTO MOURNING I cannot express the sorrow I feel in my heart. My heart is heavy. Since the day I heard of the latest developments affecting Iran,236 I have barely slept. I am profoundly disturbed. With sorrowful heart, I count the days until death shall come and deliver me [the audience weeps]. Iran no longer has a

236 It refers to the Capitulation Bill approved by the Shah’s Parliament on October 13, 1964/Mehr 21, 1343 SH. Capitulation is the name of all agreements that give the consular judicial rights or the extraterritorial judicial rights of a country within that country to a foreign government. According to this agreement, the citizens of the foreign country have legal immunity from the criminal and civil laws of the host country and the special courts of their sovereign government in the host country hold the right to judge their lawsuits and trials when they stand accused. According to the Capitulation Law and the Vienna Convention, these political and judicial immunities not only cover the American political agents, diplomats, military advisers and personnel, but their families and relatives also.

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festival to celebrate; they have turned our festival into mourning.237 They have turned it into mourning and have lit up the city; they have turned it into mourning and are dancing together with joy. They have sold us, they have sold our independence, and still they light up the city and dance. If I were in their 238 place, I would forbid all these lights; I would tell the people to raise black flags over the bazaars and houses, to hang black awnings. Our honor has been trampled underfoot; the dignity of Iran has been destroyed. The dignity of the Iranian army has been trampled underfoot!

DESCRIPTION OF THE CAPITULATION BILL They have taken a law to the Parliament according to which first of all we are to accede to the Vienna Convention,239 and secondly we have to add a provision that all American military advisers, together with their families, technical and administrative officials, and servants- in short, anyone in any way connected to them- are to enjoy legal immunity with respect to any crime they may commit in Iran! If some American’s servant, some American’s cook, assassinates your marja’ at-taqlid in the middle of the bazaar, or runs over him, the Iranian police do not have the right to apprehend him! Iranian courts do not have the right to judge him! The dossier must be sent to America so that our masters there can decide what is to be done! The previous government240 approved this measure without telling anyone, and now the present government just recently introduced a bill in the Senate and settled the whole matter in a single session without breathing a word to anyone. A few days ago, the bill was taken to the lower house of the Parliament and there were discussions, with a few deputies voicing their opposition, but the bill was passed anyhow. They passed it without any shame, and the government shamelessly defended this scandalous measure. They have reduced the Iranian people to a level lower than that of an American dog. If someone runs over a dog belonging to an American, he will be prosecuted. Even if the Shah himself were to run over a dog belonging to an American, he would be prosecuted. But if an American cook runs over the Shah, or the marja’ of Iran, or the highest official, no one will have the right to object. Why? Because they wanted a loan from America and America demanded this in return! This is apparently the case. A few days after this measure was approved, they requested a 200 million loan from America and America agreed to the request. It was stipulated that the sum of 200 million would be paid to the Iranian government over a period of five years, and that 300 million would be paid back to America over a period of ten years. Do you realize what this means? In return for this loan,

237 The regime made sure that the news of the approval of the disgraceful Capitulation Bill was not divulged. On the day which coincided with the anniversary of the birth of Hazrat Fatimah (sa) and which under normal circumstances would have been an occasion for rejoicing, with the announcement that “our day of festivity has been turned into a day of mourning,” The Imam unveiled the shameful act of the regime. 238 The Shah and the government of Hasan Ali Mansur. 239 After the Second World War, the United Nations set its International Law Commission the task of preparing and codifying a general and international agreement on the political relations between the countries of the world. After years of discussion and study, the draft of this Commission, including one introduction, fifty-three articles and two protocols (on how the agreement was to be implemented) was approved by the General Assembly, at the Vienna Conference, and was designated the Vienna Convention. From March 5, 1965 its stipulations became compulsory in Iran. The shortcomings of the Vienna Convention were corrected in 1967, with the general plan being preserved, and it was proposed by the UN in seventy-nine articles and was approved by the members. Two articles of the seventy-nine, Articles 32 and 37 were those to which Imam Khomeini objected. 240 The government of Amir Asadullah Alam.

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America is to receive 100 million- or 800 million tumans- in interest! But in addition to this, Iran has sold itself to obtain these dollars! The government has sold our independence, reduced us to the level of a colony, and made the Muslim nation of Iran appear lowlier than savages in the eyes of the world! They have done this for the sake of a 200 million dollar loan for which they have to pay back 300 dollars! What are we to do in the face of this disaster? What are our clergymen to do? Where shall they turn to for help? To what country should they present their appeal. Other countries imagine that it is the Iranian nation that has abased itself in this way. They do not know that it is the Iranian government, the Iranian Parliament- this Parliament which has nothing to do with the Iranian people. This is a Parliament elected at bayonet point; what does such a Parliament has to do with the people? The Iranian nation did not elect these deputies. Many of the high-ranking ulama and maraji’ ordered a boycott of the elections, and the people obeyed them and did not vote.241 But then came the power of the bayonet, and these deputies were seated in the Parliament.

THE CONSPIRACY TO CURTAIL THE CLERGY’S INFLUENCE According to a history textbook printed this year and now taught to our schoolchildren, one containing all kinds of lies and inaccurate statements: “It has now become clear that it is to the benefit of the nation for the influence of the religious leaders to be rooted out.” They have come to understand well that: If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit this nation to be slaves of Britain one day, and America the next. If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit Israel to take over the Iranian economy; they will not permit Israeli goods to be sold in Iran- in fact, to be sold duty-free! If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit the government to impose arbitrarily such a heavy loan on the Iranian nation. If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit such misuse to be made of the public treasury. If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit any government to do whatever it wants, whatever is against the interests of the nation. If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit the Parliament to come to such a miserable state as this; they will not permit the Parliament to be formed at bayonet-point, with the ignominious results that we see. If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit girls and boys to wrestle together, as recently happened in Shiraz.242 If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit people’s innocent daughters to be under the tutelage of young men at school; they will not permit women to teach at boys’ schools and men to teach at girls’ schools, with the resulting corruption. If the religious leaders have influence, they will strike this government in the mouth; they will strike this Parliament in the mouth and chase these deputies out of both its houses! If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit a handful of individuals to be imposed on the nation as deputies and determine the destiny of the country. If the religious leaders have influence, they will not 241 The high-ranking ulama and the clergy called for a boycott of the twenty-first round of parliamentary elections in September 1963/Shahrivar 1342 SH and the people, without delay, started a general strike and did not participate in the referendum. For example, of the 300,000 people eligible to vote in Tabriz, the Member of Parliament with the highest vote in this city won only 2,283 votes. 242 The meaning here is the corruption which was created by allowing the establishment of mixed schools. The Shah, in his book Mission for My Country, said that in the fields of teaching and education he wanted to implement the Western method. He wrote: “In my country, the existence of women teachers for educating girls is not obligatory. In most schools and universities the classes are mixed and the lessons are given by both male and female teachers and lecturers without discrimination and sexual preference, the only concern being their expertise. I would also like to test the method which is customary in America (i. e. girls and boys live together without marrying while studying at the university) in establishing mixed universities where young girls and boys are educated together for the job of teaching.”

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permit some agent of America243 to carry out these scandalous deeds; they will throw him out of Iran. So, the influence of the religious leaders is harmful to the nation? No, it is harmful to you, harmful to you traitors, not to the nation! You have realized that as long as the influence of the religious leaders exists you cannot do everything you want to do, commit all the crimes you want, so you wish to destroy their influence. You thought you could cause dissension among the religious leaders with your intrigues, but you will be dead before your dream can come true. You will never be able to do it. The religious leaders are united! Once again I esteem all religious leaders; I kiss the hand of all the religious leaders. If, in the past, I kissed the hands of the maraji’, today I kiss the hands of the religious students. I kiss the hands of the simple grocer [the audience weeps intensely].

WARNING OF DANGER! Gentlemen, I warn you of danger! Iranian army, I warn you of danger! Iranian politicians, I warn you of danger! Iranian merchants, I warn you of danger! ulama of Iran, maraji’ of Islam, I warn you of danger! Scholars, religious students! Centers of religious learning, Najaf, Qum, Mashhad, Tehran, Shiraz! I warn you of danger! It is a dangerous situation. It is clear that there are things kept under cover that we know nothing about. In the Parliament they have said that they have to be kept secret!244 It is evident that they are dreaming up further plans for us. What else can they do that is worse than this? What are they planning? What will this loan inflict on this nation? Should this impoverished nation now pay 100 million in interest to America over the next ten years and at the same time should you sell us for this?

THE COUNTRY UNDER THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION What use to you are the American soldiers and military advisers? If this country is occupied by America, then what is all this noise you make about progress? If these advisers are to be your servants, then why do you treat them like something superior to masters, superior to a Shah? If they are servants, why not treat them as such? If they are your employees, then why not treat them as any other government treats its employees? If our country is now occupied by the US then tell us outright and throw us out of this country! What do they intend to do? What does this government have to say to us? What has this Parliament done to us? This illegal, unlawful Parliament; this Parliament that the maraji’ at-taqlid have declared illegitimate with their edicts and decrees; this Parliament which not one of its representatives has been chosen by the people; this Parliament which makes such empty claims about independence and revolution saying: “We have undergone a White Revolution!” Where is this ‘White Revolution’? They have made these people suffer! God knows that I am aware of what is happening (and my awareness causes me pain), I know what is happening in the remote villages and provincial towns, in this our own impoverished city of Qum [the audience weeps]. I am aware of the hunger of our people and the depressed state of our agrarian economy.

243 The Shah. 244 Nasir Behbudi, in a meeting of the National Assembly on October 13, 1964/Mehr 21, 1343 SH said of the Capitulation Bill: “Please agree to discuss this matter in the uncomplicated and private atmosphere of the commission. Do not let more than this be revealed in the Parliament.” Parliamentary Proceedings, 21st session, meeting 104.

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SILENCE AS A GRAVE SIN Do something for this country, for this nation, instead of piling up debts and enslaving yourself. Of course, taking the dollars means that someone has to become a slave; you want to use the dollars and we have to become the slaves! If an American runs over me with his car, no one will have the right to say anything to him! So you use the dollars; this is the issue. Should I not be saying this? Those gentlemen245 who say we must hold our tongues and not utter a sound- do they still say the same thing on this occasion? Are we to keep silent again and not say a word? They sell us and still we are to keep silent? They sell our Qur’an and still we should hold our tongues? By God, he who does not cry out in protest is a sinner! By God, he who does not express his outrage commits a major sin!

COME TO THE AID OF ISLAM! Leaders of Islam! come to the aid of Islam [the audience weeps]! ulama of Najaf, come to the aid of Islam! ulama of Qum, come to the aid of Islam! Islam is destroyed! O Muslim peoples! Leaders of the Muslim peoples! O presidents and kings of the Muslim peoples! O Shah of Iran! Look at yourselves; look at us. Are we to be trampled underfoot by the boots of the Americans simply because we are a weak nation? Because we have no dollars? America is worse than Britain, Britain is worse than America and the Soviet Union is worse than both of them. Each one is worse than the other; each one is more abominable than the other. But today we are concerned with this malicious entity which is America. Let the American President know that in the eyes of the Iranian nation, he is the most repulsive member of the human race today because of the injustice he has imposed on our Muslim nation. Today, the Qur’an has become his enemy; the Iranian nation has become his enemy. Let the American government know that its name has been ruined and disgraced in Iran.

IMMUNITIES FOR THE AMERICAN ADVISERS You get immunities for the advisers? Those helpless deputies in the Parliament who shouted out “ask our friends (the Americans) not to make such impositions on us,246 not to insist that we sell ourselves, not to turn Iran into a colony, “Did anyone listen to them? There is one article in the Vienna Convention they did not discuss at all- Article 32.247 I don’t know what article that is; in fact, the speaker of the Parliament himself doesn’t know. The deputies also don’t know what that article is; nonetheless, they went ahead and approved and signed the bill. They passed it, even though some people said, “We don’t know what is in

245 Referring to those maraji’ who believed in keeping silent. 246 Mr. Sartipur, in a speech given at a parliamentary meeting on October 13, 1964/Mehr 21, 1343 SH, in which the Capitulation Bill was discussed, said: “He, Mr. Mansur, the Prime Minister, has the opportunity to discuss this and ask our friends to keep us in a favorable position. One of the conditions of our friendship is that our friends should respect our loyalties to that which we regard as sacred.” Parliamentary Proceedings, 21st session, meeting 104. 247 It was pointed out earlier that one of the seventy-nine articles of the Vienna Convention, Article 37, stipulates that the diplomats of each country are granted certain immunities in other countries, and sometimes this implies legal immunity. If a diplomat, who enjoys this immunity, commits a crime in the host country, he is exempt from legal prosecution and punishment and his case will be handed over to the courts in his own sovereign state for them to deal with. However, in the first paragraph of Article 32 of the said convention, permission has been given to the sending state to waiver the immunity from jurisdiction of diplomatic agents and of persons enjoying immunity under Article 37. The omission of Article 32 prepared the grounds for Iran’s unconditional surrender.

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Article 32.” Perhaps those who objected did not sign the bill. They are not quite so bad as the others. Those who did sign are a group of illiterates. One after the other, our statesmen and leading politicians have been set aside. Our patriotic statesmen are given nothing to do. The army should know that it will also be treated the same way: its leaders will be set aside, one by one. What self-respect will remain for the army when an American errand boy or cook has priority over one of our generals? If I were in the army, I would resign. If I were a deputy in the Parliament, I would resign. I would not agree to be disgraced. The influence of the Iranians should be rooted out! American cooks, mechanics, technical and administrative officials, together with their families, should enjoy legal immunity, but Mr. Qazi248 should be imprisoned! Mr. Islami should be taken in shackles from this place to that! These servants of Islam, the ulama and preachers of Islam should be imprisoned. The supporters of Islam should be imprisoned in Bandar Abbas249 because they are religious leaders or the supporters of the religious leaders. These are the ones who gave the history of Iran to the people! The government clearly documents its crimes by putting out a history textbook that says: “It is to the benefit of the nation to root out the influence of the religious leaders.” This means that it is for the benefit of the nation that the Messenger of God should play no role in its affairs. For the religious leaders of themselves have nothing; whatever they have, they have from the Messenger of God. So the government wants the Messenger of God to play no role in our affairs, so that Israel can do whatever it likes and America likewise.

ALL OUR TROUBLES ARE CAUSED BY AMERICA All our troubles today are caused by this America. All our troubles today are caused by this Israel. Israel itself derives from America. These deputies and ministers derive from America. They have all been appointed by America. If they were not, then why don’t they stand up and protest?

A CLERIC VIS-A-VIS THE RUSSIAN ULTIMATUM I am now thoroughly agitated, and my memory is not working so well. I cannot remember precisely when, but in one of the earlier parliaments, where Sayyid Hasan Mudarris was a deputy, the government of Russia gave Iran an ultimatum- I can’t remember its exact content- to the effect that: “Unless you accept our demand, we will advance on Tehran by way of Qazvin and occupy it!” The government of the day put pressure on the Parliament to accept the Russian demand. According to an American historian,250 a religious 248 Qazi Tabatabai was one of the famous ulama and preachers of the province of Azerbaijan and the city of Tabriz, and was the leader of the Islamic movement in that district. This clergyman, along with many others who were arrested and imprisoned both before Imam’s arrest and after it in the bloody uprising of Khordad 15, 1342/June 5, 1963, was in prison at the time of this historic speech. Throughout the course of the Islamic movement and his short life after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatullah Qazi was in the front line of the Revolution. He was martyred by the Mujahidin-e Khalq (the Munafiqin) on Eid al-Qurban [Feast of Sacrifice], November 1, 1979/Aban 10, 1358 SH. 249 Bandar Abbas: A port on the northern shore of the Persian Gulf to which opponents of the regime were frequently banished because of its remoteness from all urban centers as well as its inhospitable climate. 250 The American historian Morgan Shuster, in his book, The Strangling of Persia, writes: “A venerable priest of Islam arose. Time was slipping away and at noon the question would be beyond their vote to decide. This servant of God spoke briefly and to the point: ‘It may be the will of Allah that our liberty and our sovereignty shall be taken from us by force, but let us not sign them away with our own hands! ‘One gesture of appeal with his trembling hands, and he resumed his seat.

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leader with trembling hands came up to the tribune and said: “Now that we are to be destroyed, why should we sign the warrant for our own destruction?” The Parliament took courage from his act of opposition, rejected the ultimatum, and Russia was unable to do anything! This is the conduct of a true cleric; one feeble, aged cleric in the Parliament, a mere heap of bones, rejected the ultimatum and demand of a powerful state like Russia.251 This is why they realize that they should destroy the influence of the clergy in order to attain their aims and desires!

THE NEED TO INFORM THE PEOPLE What should I say? There is so much to be said, there are so many instances of corruption in this country that I am unable in my state at the moment to present to you even what I know. It is your duty, however, to communicate these matters to your colleagues. It is your duty to inform the people; the ulama must enlighten the people, and they in turn must raise their voices in protest to the Parliament and the government and ask, “Why did you do this? Why have you sold us? Are we your slaves that you sell us? We did not elect you to be our representatives, and even had we done so, you would forfeit your posts now on account of this act of treachery.”

THIS IS HIGH TREASON! DISMISSAL OF THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT O God, they have committed treason against this country. O God, this government has committed treason against this country, against Islam, against the Qur’an. All the members of both houses who gave their agreement to this affair are traitors. Those old men in the Senate are traitors, and all those in the lower house who voted in favor of this affair are traitors. They are not our representatives. The whole world must know that they are not the representatives of Iran! Or, suppose they are, now I dismiss them. They are dismissed from their posts.

ILLEGALITY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY BILLS All the bills they have passed up until now are invalid! From the very beginning of the constitutional period in Iran according to the text of the law, according to Article 2 of the Supplementary Constitutional Law, no law is valid unless the mujtahids (Islamic jurisprudents) exercise a supervisory role in the Parliament. Which mujtahid is supervising the Parliament now? They have to destroy the influence of the clergymen! If there were five clerics in this Parliament, if there were only one clergyman in this Parliament, he would punch them in the mouth! He would not allow this bill to be enacted. ‘Simple words, these, yet winged ones. Easy to utter in academic discussions; hard, bitterly hard, to say under the eye of a cruel and overpowering tyrant whose emissaries watched the speaker from the galleries and mentally marked him down for future imprisonment, torture, exile or worse ‘And when the roll call was ended every man, priest or layman, youth or octogenarian, had cast his own die of fate, had staked the safety of himself and family, and hurled back into the teeth of the great Bear from the North the unanimous answer of a desperate and downtrodden people who preferred a future of unknown terror to the voluntary sacrifice of their national dignity and of their recently earned right to work out their own salvation.” The Strangling of Persia, p. l82. 251 On November 29, 1911, the Russian empire, which exerted great influence in Iran, sent troops into Iranian territory and delivered an ultimatum to the Iranian government which was supported by Britain. The ultimatum called for the dismissal of the American advisory group led by Morgan Shuster; a guarantee that no foreign adviser would be hired in future without the consent of Russia and Britain; and payment of an indemnity to the Russian troops in Iran. The ultimatum was discussed in a meeting of the Second National Assembly on December 1, 1911 and was met with strong opposition from Ayatullah Mudarris and other members of Parliament.

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As for those deputies who apparently opposed this affair, I have this to say to them: “Why did you not do something? Why did you not stand up and seize that despicable man252 by the collar?” Is this how you show your opposition; you simply sit there and say: “We are not in agreement,” and then continue your flattery as usual. Is this opposition?253 You must create an uproar, right there in the Parliament. You must not allow them to pass this bill when you are opposed to it. Is it enough to say simply I am opposed? Well, we see that when you do they pass it anyway! You must not permit there to be such a Parliament. Kick these people out of the Parliament. We do not recognize this bill they have passed- as they claimed- as a law. We do not recognize this Parliament as a true Parliament. We do not recognize this government as a true government. They are traitors, traitors to the people of Iran! O God, remedy the affairs of the Muslims [the audience replies with” Amen”]. O God, bestow majesty on this sacred religion of Islam! [“Amen”] O God, destroy those individuals who are traitors to this land, who are traitors to Islam and to the Qur’an. [“Amen”]

252 Mansur. 253 Details of the parliamentary proceedings of October 13, 1964/Mehr 21, 1343 SH, which resulted in the Capitulation Bill being approved show how the Pahlavi regime had for years allowed the Americans to exploit the Constitution, the sanctities and the Islamic and national affairs of the country in order to satisfy their avaricious desires. The manner in which the Capitulation Bill was presented to the Parliament went against normal legal procedures and the charter of the Parliament. The contents of the bill grossly contradicted the numerous articles of the (former) constitutional law. This bill was nothing other than a bill of sale of the judicial and hence the political independence of the country. Apart from those who approved the bill in the parliamentary discussions, who with closed lips or shouts of ‘bravo’ voted in favor of the bill, the method of opposition of a few representatives- even then this opposition was not to the bill itself rather to how it was presented to the Parliament- was the cause of great surprise and regret and served as another example of the injustice suffered by the Iranian nation throughout the fifty years of Pahlavi rule. On this day, October 13, 1964/Mehr 21, 1343 SH. Mr. Sartipur, as an opponent of the bill, said that the aforesaid bill conflicted with three articles of the Constitution. At the end of his speech he said: “I would like Mr. Mansur, who really wishes to adhere to the law and respect the Constitution, to find the opportunity to discuss this matter with our friends (meaning the American government) and ask them to keep us in a favourable position.” Mr. Sadiq Ahmadi, another opponent of the bill, after some initial adulatory remarks said: “I still cannot say whether I am for or against because my investigations are incomplete.” The third opponent, Mr. Fakhr Tabatabai, said: “The respectful advisers who have been given technical jobs are necessary for our country, we want to make use of these advisers and we employ these respectful advisers, they are our employees. I want to see whether it is wise to give them such immunities; this most certainly does not have an international aspect Mr. Mansur’s government does not think of anything but the good of the country and whatever service the government gives or whatever positive steps it takes, I approve of.” Mr. Nasir Behbudi said: “My request is this that you agree to discuss this bill in the uncomplicated and private atmosphere of the commission. Do not let more than this be revealed in the Parliament.” The most comprehensive speech in opposition to the bill was from Mr. Zahtabfard. Announcing that he was at one with Mr. Mansur and was not ready to oppose the matter, he presented some of the facts, intertwining them with flattering remarks and allusions. He said: “Mr. Mansur, everyone has the right to ask yesterday’s Dr. Musaddiq and today’s Mr. Mansur what is the reason for granting such privileges to the American technical advisers. I am speaking logically, and I am not afraid of anybody because I rely only on God, the king, the nation and the Constitution.” Mr. Zahtabfard ended his speech with this conclusion: “We must give this assurance to the public, who are our family, that if, God forbid, the Parliament takes steps towards approving this bill, it also acts for the benefit of this great nation of Iran.” See Parliamentary Proceedings, 21st session, meeting 104, pp. 16- 64.

SECTION 2

Imam’s Speeches in Najaf, Iraq Imam Khomeini (ra) was exiled to Najaf, Iraq on 5th September 1965. He stayed there until Saddam Hussein deported him on 6th October, 1978. These speeches started in October 1965 in Shaykh Ansari Mosque in Najaf, near the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (as). Total 13 speeches were recorded during this long period. Imam Khomeini also led congregational prayers in this mosque for about 13 years.

14th Speech Date: Circa October 1965 - September 1967/Circa Aban 1344 - Shahrivar 1346 SH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Self-purification and preservation of unity Addressees: The ulama, scholars and students of Najaf Religious Seminary I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

BASELESS DIFFERENCES AS CONSPIRACY OF THE ENEMY I had intended today to proceed with my scheduled seminar, however yesterday two of the gentlemen came to me and told me things which caused me distress and so I deemed it necessary to take the opportunity to remind you of a few matters. It has even been said, privately, that if the situation is not controlled, it could cause severe disagreements and in some cases even fighting. I don’t know what these disagreements are about.1 Are they about worldly things? If so, you have nothing in this world. What do we have in this world to disagree over? If they put all our possessions together, they would not be enough to provide a comfortable life. Was it necessary for the gentlemen to rise up and form factions over such a meaningless and insignificant matter and for it to be feared that three of these factions may start fighting each other over some matters? Is it not possible that there are other hands involved here- hands which seek to bring shame on the theological schools, to bring more shame than this? Do you not think that this is what your enemies are after and they are involved in this in a way that you cannot see? Your enemies work furtively, they are clever, cunning and deceitful. There is a hand behind all this, an impure hand which seeks first to besmirch you and then destroy you so the people will thank them for destroying the akhunds. Is it not possible that they penetrate your groups by pretending to be religious, holy and pious or that they deceive some of you and place some of these gullible people among you to spread ideas which lead to vitiation and aggravate the already demoralized state of the theological schools?

CONSPIRACY TO CREATE CHAOS IN THE RELIGIOUS SEMINARIES How many do we in fact number? Those of us presently at the Najaf center and the Shia theological schools of other cities and countries, how many are we? Does our number reach twenty thousand? Let us suppose there are two hundred thousand of us, including the village akhunds and others, if these two hundred thousand people had a consensus of opinion and followed that which Islam has demanded, then they could achieve much. But when among these two hundred thousand people- even if we say they don’t have two hundred thousand differing opinions- each person, each front, as you say, has an independent view and according to that the opinions of other fronts are attacked, we can achieve little. Is this how our community is to act? Are we to humiliate one another in this way, our old men humiliating old men, our young men humiliating young men, our young men humiliating the old men and our old men humiliating the young 1

For further information on the circumstances surrounding this speech, refer to Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini (Study and Analysis of Imam Khomeini’s Movement), the section “Imam Khomeini in exile in Iraq,” vol. 2, pp. 117- 148 and “The beginning of a mission in Najaf,” vol. 2, pp. 151- 227.

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men, while one group looks for an excuse to add to the already sullied state of the theological center and excite discord in the name of this and that front!? The outcome of this discord will be to the benefit of those who view the schools as being detrimental to their interests and who seek their annihilation. They will acquire a favorable outcome from this, and the nation will not express distress at your plight, the people will say this was the situation in the schools and it has not changed; this is still the situation that you see now.

BOGUS FACTIONALISM It saddens me when a young man2 comes here from Europe and stays with us for only a short time, only six to eight days, and comments on the situation here. He didn’t say anything to me personally, although he visited me once or twice during his stay, but he told one of the gentlemen here that: “It’s fortunate that it was I, the son of an akhund, who came to Najaf; if somebody else had have come and seen the situation here what would he have made of it?” I do not know what, in these few days, a person who is studying abroad and who is not of our occupation, even though his father is, has seen in this blessed school to make him comment so! Who was he in contact with and what have they told this student of modern sciences to dishearten him so about the situation in Najaf? If there are some hands involved here and these hands force you to say “I am from this faction, he is from that faction and so-and-so is from the other faction,” and God forbid this becomes so and factions are created even in one school, and one day a dispute erupts in one school which affects all the other schools and the impure hands fan the flames of this dispute, then this will besmirch us in the eyes of the world, it will bring disrepute not only on me and you, but on a one-thousandyear-old theological center3 and the pious religious scholars who, praise be to God, are many in society. In addition to this, how will we answer to God for allowing this to happen?

THE DEFECT OF KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT PRACTICE Our traditions tell us that the dwellers of Hell are vexed by the stench which emanates from an ‘alim who does not act according to his knowledge. Why do you think this is so? It is because there is a difference 2 3

It refers Mr. Sadiq Tabatabai, the son of Ayatullah Sultani, who at that time was studying in Germany. The establishment of the theological center at Najaf should, in truth, be attributed to Shaykh Tusi (1201- 1274 AD). In 1258, the Mongol invader Hulaku (Hulagu), grandson of Genghis Khan, invaded Baghdad giving the city over to plunder and flames. With the help of the opponents of the Shia, he wreaked destruction on the centers of Shia learning and religion in the city and burnt down the great library of Baghdad which housed thousands of volumes of precious and unique books. In the wake of the devastation, Shaykh Tusi found conditions unpropitious for the continuation of his social and scientific endeavors in Baghdad and thus moved to Najaf. Gradually, a large group of students joined him there and the foundations of the great theological center of Najaf were laid. Shaykh Tusi was an erudite, innovative religious scholar whose legacy includes many scientific works. He is one of the most outstanding and influential scientific figures of Shia history, such that even today the Shia religious schools are influenced by his work. He is known as the “Shaykh of the people”. After his death, his son Shaykh Abi Ali Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Hasan, who later became a famous authority on the science of the traditions, acquired the leadership of the school. Abi Ali was known as “Mufid al-Thani” because of his asceticism and immense knowledge. After Shaykh Abi Ali and his son, the theological center entered a more lustrous phase of its history through the presence of leading scholars of Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh], principles of jurisprudence [usul or usul al-fiqh], etc. Then for a while the center fell from the limelight, and this remained the situation until the migration of the students of the late Ayatullah Wahid Behbahani to Najaf, and consequently the beginning of the center’s period of scientific movement with the appearance of such distinguished scholars as Sayyid Bahr al-Ulum, Muhaqqiq-e Damad, Kashif al-Ghita, Muhammad Hasan Najafi (the writer of Jawahir al-Kalam) and Shaykh Murtaza Ansari. In a short period of time, the theological center became renowned as one of the highest possible caliber.

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between someone who is an ‘alim and someone who is not. There is a difference in some aspects. If, God forbid, an ‘alim deviates from the right path, he could lead an ummah astray. I have seen this for myself in some of the provincial towns which I used to visit in the summer time. In some of these towns, for example Mahallat4, I saw that the people were well-instructed in their duties; the community was well-trained in its religious duties. If one looked a little closer, one saw that these towns had a righteous ‘alim to instruct them. If there were just a few righteous, devout clergymen in a society, in a town, a few clergymen who were attentive to their religion, who were aware of what their knowledge meant and acted accordingly, then there wouldn’t be any need to preach at all, the very existence of such men would be like a sermon. We have seen people whose mere existence has had a beneficial effect on others. There were clergymen in Qum whose mere existence served as a lesson to others. Tehran, on the other hand, as far as I know, is quite different. The situation there differs according to the different areas of the city. In one area you see that a corrupt person wears a turban or has become the congregational prayer leader and he has led a group of people astray! And how strong is the stench that emanates from him! It’s a stench which affects us even here, a stench that we produce in this world, not that which someone else adds to that we already have. This is a stench of our own making. Whatever happens in the Hereafter is what we have prepared here and what we take with us to the Hereafter. We shall not be called to account for anything other than our deeds; these are our own deeds.

CORRUPTION OF THE SCHOLAR (‘ALIM) MEANS CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD (‘ALAM) When an ‘alim is corrupt and puts a theological center in danger, this stench which emanates from him pervades not only a theological center but an ummah too. It is this stench that now our sense of smell cannot properly perceive. If we go to Hell, God forbid, there we will perceive this stench. And it is this stench which will vex the people of Hell. In the same tradition it is related that the most distressed people on the Day of Judgment are those who spoke of justice and good conduct but acted to the contrary.5 These people invite others to do good, and those who heed their call and act accordingly; they are the ones who will go to Heaven. But the person who makes the call, the ‘alim who does not act according to his knowledge, he will go to Hell! So one may see, for example, that the grocer who listened to my guidance, my instructions and interdictions enters ‘eternal happiness,6 and it is I who, because I did not act according to my own knowledge, enters Hell. How distressing this is!

THE ETIQUETTES AND DUTIES OF THE PEOPLE OF KNOWLEDGE The responsibilities of an ‘alim are truly great. Just as the scholar is spoken very highly of in the traditions (Hadiths), so too is he spoken highly of in the Qur’an. Concerning the duties (of the ‘alim) which have

4 5 6

Mahallat: a town southwest of Qum. It is a saying of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as); al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 229. “Eternal happiness” is a reference to Qur’an, Surah al-Tawbah 9: 21. “Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and [His] pleasure, and for them there will be gardens with lasting bliss.”

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appeared in our holy traditions refer to the appropriate sections of the books al-Kafi7 and Wasa’il8. Refer especially to Usul al-Kafi concerning these matters, the duties of clergymen, the duties of an ‘alim, those rules pertaining to the instructors and the instructed. God knows that all these terms9 tie us down. However much we delve into the terminology of the religion it will be to the detriment of the Muslims in this world and the next if we don’t practice self-purification. Words alone have no effect. If the science of Tawhid10 is accompanied by a sinful soul, then this very science of Tawhid will be harmful to the human being! There were some people who were erudite in the science of Tawhid, and yet they misled people, causing some to stray from the right path. There were some people who knew more (about your subject) than you do, but because they themselves had deviated from the right path when they entered a society they caused that society to digress also.

DEVIATION OF THE ‘ALIM IS A BLEMISH TO ISLAM AND THE RELIGIOUS SEMINARIES One should be careful about these things. The point is that the position of the ‘alim is such that he has to be careful about these things. If a grocer does something wrong, the people say that such and such a grocer is a bad person. The same applies to an herbalist, an office worker, whoever. But the position of the clergyman among the people is such that if an akhund does something wrong the people say the akhunds are like this, they don’t say that one particular akhund is bad. They make no distinction between the akhunds. But the akhunds are humans too; there are good and, God forbid, bad among them also, however the people don’t make any distinction between them. If I do something wrong they say the akhunds are like this, and this is a blow to Islam, the theological schools and the Islamic laws. If we destroy our standing in society, if the centers of learning begin fighting one another and cause one another to be eliminated from the minds of the people, if we curse each other, accuse each other of being unrighteous, call each other unbelievers and 7

Al-Kafi: one of the most important collections of Shi’i Hadith compiled by Shaykh Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kulayni (864 - 941 AD). Al-Kafi includes 16,199 traditions that can be traced back to the Prophet and his family by an unbroken chain of transmission. The traditions in this book cover ideological, ethical and jurisprudential matters to name but a few. Kulayni lived relatively close in time to the period of the Prophet and the twelve Imams, this, along with the method of gathering, classifying and specifying the chain of transmission, has given al-Kafi a special importance among the collections of traditions and puts it alongside three other books as the most important collections of Shi’i traditions collectively famous as the Kutub al-Arba’ah [The Four Books]. It is not claimed, however, that all the traditions contained therein are authentic [sahih]. Al-Kafi is divided into three sections: Usul al-Kafi; Furu al-Kafi and Rawzah al-Kafi. Usul al-Kafi covers ideological and ethical matters and consists of the books of: Reason and Ignorance; the Excellence of Knowledge; Divine Unity; Divine Proof; Belief; Unbelief; Qur’an and supplementary Prayer. Furu’ al-Kafi, on the other hand, consists of books and sections on jurisprudence and is one of the authoritative reference books for deduction and independent reasoning [ijtihad] from Islamic law for the Shi’i jurisprudents. Rawzah al-Kafi comprises different traditions on numerous matters. The grand book al-Kafi has for centuries been used by the Shi’i ulama and jurisprudents as a reference book. Muslim scholars have written extensive expositions on al-Kafi, among them Mulla Sadra Shirazi and Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi.

8

The book Wasa’il al-Shia compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Hurr al-Amili (1624-1693 AD) is one of the best collections of traditions [hadiths] ever compiled in recent centuries. Wasa’il is of immense importance to the Shia ulama and numerous expositions have been written on it so far. Wasa’il includes traditions from the Prophet of Islam and the Imams which are quoted in the Four Books and in many other Hadith collections. The classification and sectioning of the traditions of this book are especially noteworthy. Wasa’il al-Shia comprises more than fifty-one books from Kitab at-Taharah to Kitab ad-Diyat and provides a comprehensive review of matters concerning jurisprudence, laws, ethics and practices of the Ja’fari school of thought. It refers to the preoccupation of the ulama in the theological schools with the study of the terminology and sciences covering the fields of jurisprudence [fiqh], principles of jurisprudence [usul], philosophy, the Qur’an and others. The science of Tawhid is that discipline of theology which seeks to establish the doctrine of divine unity and related doctrines by means of rational argument.

9 10

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create a great hullabaloo, if we disparage one another and destroy one another, then Islam will no longer be strengthened in society through our teachings, we can no longer disseminate Islam. Islam is a trust in our hands. God, the Blessed and Exalted, has entrusted His religion to us, to all of us here and others in other places. Do not betray this trust. This factionalism is tantamount to treason. Are you of two different religions? Does your religion have different denominations? Does each of your teachers invite you to join one of the denominations? What does all this front-making mean? This one supporting that teacher, that one supporting another teacher! This is wrong. This is unbelief. This is a great sin, of the mortal kind if this corruption results from it. Don’t act in this way.

RELIGION MEANS NO QUARREL! These are very petty disagreements over very insignificant and meaningless matters! If we look at them from a materialistic point of view, then you have nothing to disagree over. How much stipend do you get? The money is only enough for your cigarettes. I once read in a newspaper or a magazine, I can’t remember where, that the budget the Pope has for a priest in Washington- I can remember I worked it out- came to more than the entire budget received by the Shia theological centers! You have nothing to fight over. If you are fighting over religion, then religion gives you no cause to fight. Praise be to God, you have religion, but religion is no cause for argument. The underlying reason of all these disagreements goes back to this world. One deceives oneself by thinking: “Religious duty demands that I join such and such a faction!” Does religious duty demand that you abuse Muslims, affront your teachers, and insult another human being like yourself? Do these constitute your religious duty? Gentlemen, these are things of this world! These come from satisfying one’s carnal desires.11

IMPURE HANDS ARE BENT ON SILENCING THE RELIGIOUS SEMINARIES If, while studying, one takes a step towards self-purification... these theological centers are found wanting in this area. Very little attention is paid to self-purification; this matter is hardly discussed in the centers. Those people who hold classes dealing with self-purification, moral edification and spiritual counsel are very few. Some impure hands have caused these matters to be omitted from the schools’ curriculum, they have sullied the schools. Oh gentlemen, why do you say, in a derogatory tone, that so-and-so is a ‘devotee of the pulpit’?!12 Well, what of it; let him be a devotee of the pulpit, Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali) was a devotee of the pulpit also. This has all come about so the theological schools will be deprived of their spirituality. In material terms, the schools have nothing, they have (only) their standing in society, their reputation, and it is this that the governments are afraid of. The governments are not afraid of you or I; you and I have no power. If governments are afraid of an akhund or a marja’, it’s not because of his prayers or curses; since when have they believed in prayers or curses? They are afraid of the people. They are afraid of what the people will do if they offend a marja’. If we start fighting each other, if I accuse him of being an infidel and

11

Carnal desires: desires that degrade man down to the level of beasts if submitted to.

12

It refers to the usage at the Najaf theological center of the derogatory term, “ahl-e minbar” (translated as “devotee of the pulpit”) which was used to describe those not seen as being learned in jurisprudence [fiqh] and principles of jurisprudence [usul] but who preferred to preach and teach moral edification. At the center, the exposition of the Qur’an and Nahj al-Balaghah was not even considered as being a science but was described as “a matter of secondary importance”. Science was confined to the fields of jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence.

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he accuses me of the same, we will destroy one another, we will lose our reputation among the people, as has already happened. Our standing in society has diminished; now all we hear from the people is that the problem is that the akhunds are like this and the akhunds are like that.

CONDITION OF THE NAJAF SEMINARY (Take) Najaf in particular. There are things peculiar to Najaf that are not found anywhere else. The theological center at Najaf is one thousand years old, while the centers in other places are relatively new. The Najaf center is situated in the vicinity of Imam Ali’s shrine, the others are not. So we should study this great man’s life a little. We claim to be Shia. What kind of Shia are we? Imam Ali was ascetic; I’m not, am I still a Shia? He was pious, we’re not, are we still Shia? His life was such, ours isn’t, are we still Shia? You are a Shia but you should have followed his example in some things, you should have adhered to some of his teachings to call yourself a Shia.

HASTE IN REPENTANCE I’m afraid that when our time comes to die we will leave this world, God forbid, having departed from the Shia school of thought and Islam. If we continue to act in this way, continue to live our lives in this manner, then we should fear that, God forbid, at the end of our lives when there is a tradition which says that when the last breath of an alim reaches here, and the Imam pointed to his throat, he can no longer repent13! Because in the Holy Qur’an it is written that those who act through ignorance can repent. As long as he has time, the alim can repent; but have you been given an assurance that you have time? You may not even leave this gathering alive! You may be struck down by lightening. Have you been given a guarantee that you will be alive tomorrow? Perhaps you won’t be. Have we been given a guarantee that we will be alive in ten years’ time? We may not be. The young should begin to think about self-purification now. I have reached old age and I know how difficult it is to do this when one is old. That isn’t to say that now I am speaking to you as a perfect human being, to attain this state, as the late Mr. Haj Shaykh14 used to say, is impossible. As I said before, I am a little older than you and as you come here to listen to me so I will tell you that while you are still young you can accomplish something. The roots of corruption are weak in the hearts of the young, but as man’s age advances according to a certain tradition: “The heart of the human being is at first white (pure and unsullied). Then, whenever he commits a sin, a black spot appears on it and the more he sins, the more the black spots increase.”15 The heart of the young is subtle and pure, but then when a youth enters the community, when he becomes involved in the community, gradually, God forbid, his heart becomes sullied, he starts to sin, he commits sins continuously until neither a 13

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In one of the traditions it is related: I heard from Imam al-Sadiq (as) that: When the last breath reaches here- and he pointed at his throatthe alim can no longer repent. Then he read this verse from the Qur’an: “ God will accept repentance from those who did wrong through ignorance.” The late Mulla Muhsin Fayz al-Kashani (1598 -1680 AD), an outstanding authority on Shi’i Hadith, said on this tradition: “When the last breath reaches the throat, repentance by an alim who recognizes the signs of death and who loses hope of staying alive will not be accepted, but he who is ignorant of these signs and still hopes to live, his repentance will be accepted.” Al-Wafi, vol. 1, p. 21. The late Haj Shaykh Abdul-Karim Hairi, the teacher of Imam and the founder of the Qum theological center said: “It is very difficult to become a mullah, but to become a perfect human being is impossible!” A tradition from Imam al-Baqir (as) relates: “Each man’s heart is white. Whenever he commits a sin, a black spot appears on it, if he repents that black spot disappears, but if he continues to sin, the black spots increase until the whole of his heart is blackened, and when that happened he can no longer turn to good. And these are the words of God, the Glorious and Dignified, which state: “By no means! But on their hearts is the stain of the ill which they do!” (Surah al-Mutaffifin [Dealing in Fraud] 83: 14). Refer to Bihar al-Anwar compiled by Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, vol. 73, p. 332.

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day nor a night passes without his sinning against God. Well, this black spot appears on his heart, not on this (physical) heart, on that heart which is spiritual and purified, and gradually the more he sins, the more the black spots increase until when he reaches old age the whole of his heart is blackened. When this happens, it is difficult for man to restore his heart to its original state. But you young men can do this. You have the ability, the ability which accompanies youth. On the one hand, you have this ability, and on the other the corrupt impulses within your hearts are weak. However, the older one becomes and with each step that one takes towards the Hereafter, the obstacles to man’s happiness in the Hereafter increase and his strength to resist them decreases. One cannot repent when one reaches old age.

THE TRUE MEANING OF REPENTANCE Repentance is not accomplished simply by saying: “I turn to God in repentance!” It requires regret and such regret is impossible for persons who have engaged in backbiting and slander for fifty years, whose beards have grown grey in the commission of slander and backbiting! Such people cannot repent. They will be caught up in sin to the end of their lives. Sometimes the youth become involved in backbiting- they should not, they should not even allow someone else to backbite. It is related in a tradition that a member of the Prophet’s household said that if someone attends a gathering where backbiting takes place, that person should get up and leave that gathering. One of the people listening to this said that such an action could not be done, the reply given was: “If they were abusing your father wouldn’t you get up and stop them? You would!” There is another tradition which says that one should not allow backbiting to take place, that he who listens to backbiting is one of the backbiters.16 So we don’t need to backbite to be one of the backbiters, it is sufficient for us just to listen to the backbiters. Do not let this corruption come about; advise each other against doing such things.

TRUSTWORTHY AND TEMPORARY FAITH How many of you young people have spent your lives doing this? It has no great benefit for you. You are wasting your youth. If you give this youth to the cause of God, spend it in the way of God, then it will not be wasted, you will not lose anything. If, God forbid, you spend your youth like those attached to this world, you will have squandered your youth and you will have nothing of this world either. At least they will have enjoyed this world and its goods. The same cannot be said of you. You will be in a state of loss both in this world and the Hereafter.17 We are in a state of loss if the love of this world and the love of the self-gain dominance over us and prevent us from perceiving truths and realities and hinder us from the path of guidance. Gradually this love of the world and self-love will begin to increase in us to the point where Satan asks for our faith. It is said that all the efforts of Satan are devoted to this one goal: to snatch away men’s faith. He may succeed in taking it from us at the very end of our lives. No one has been given a guarantee that he will retain his faith permanently. Our faith may only have been given to us on trust.

16

17

The Holy Prophet (s) said: “The hearer of backbiting is one of the backbiters.” For further information, refer to Al-Mahajjat al-Bayza’, vol. 5, p. 260 and Imam Khomeini’s Sharh-e Chehel Hadith [Forty Hadith: An Exposition], p. 270. For full text visit: https://www.al-islam.org/fortyhadith-exposition-second-revised-edition-sayyid-ruhullah-musawi-khomeini “In a state of loss in this world and the Hereafter,” is from Qur’an, Surah al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) 22:11: “And among the people are

those who worship Allah on the [very] fringe: if good fortune befalls him, he is content with it; but if an ordeal visits him he makes a turnabout, to become a loser in the world and the Hereafter. That is manifest loss.”

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THE STENCH OF A CORRUPT ALIM IN THE HELL I should strive to purify myself just as you should strive to purify yourselves. You should purify your friends also. Your sins are not like the sins of others. It is related in a tradition that when an alim transgresses, it is not merely a case of him committing a sin, rather he corrupts a whole society because of his transgression. “The worst person is the corrupt alim.”18 It is a well-known fact that the extent of an alim’s corruption reaches as far as his influence. Today, in Tehran or in other places, you find corrupt alims whose stench has pervaded that place. This is the stench which will reach the dwellers of Hell and vex them.

HOLY QUR’AN AS A TRUST TO US Gentlemen, do we not have a duty to perform? This Holy Qur’an has been given to us as a trust. Is it not, therefore, our duty to preserve it? Is it not our duty to preserve the laws of Islam? Is it merely our duty to discuss matters of jurisprudential principles (usul) till the end of our lives and then in fifty years when many of these matters are settled we still find ourselves wanting in morals and religious behavior? You should take this matter into consideration from the very beginning. You are young and you can do it. From the beginning, for each step that you take in your quest for knowledge, take one in search of piety, selfpurification and lessening one’s carnal desires.

MAJOR SINS: DIFFERENCE OF THE ULAMA What are you quarrelling over? What is the matter with you? What animosity do you have towards each other? You are all from one community. You are all scholars and you are all, God willing, good people as well. Why then is it that they say if something is not said, if a word of warning is not given then an explosion could possibly occur, that the students may start fighting each other. Why? What are you fighting over? Do you think that your fight is between two heroes? Your fight before God is the greatest of all sins because you corrupt a society; you destroy Najaf in the people’s eyes. If Najaf is destroyed the religion of Islam will be destroyed. During your time at the center you must purify yourselves so that when you leave here for another town or city, the people there will benefit from your knowledge, your morals and your deeds; they must learn from you. Do not suppose that you can make everything alright for yourselves by being hypocritical for the rest of your lives. Do not think that now while you are here you can do whatever you want, but when you leave you can through hypocrisy deceive the people into thinking that you are a good clergyman. You cannot do this. The corruption will be discovered eventually. Even if we suppose that you can, how long do you expect to live your life of hypocrisy, deceit and slandering people? A hundred and twenty years? We do not have a person who is one hundred and twenty years old among us, and one is rarely found anywhere else either. But let us suppose that you could live your life for one hundred and twenty years deceiving people, and that your life is what- a student’s life; an ordinary kind of life? Let’s

18

Imam Ali (as) said: “The lapse of an ‘alim corrupts worlds.” Ghurar al-Hikam, compiled by Amidi, Section “Zallah”. It was asked of the Prophet (s) who the worst people in the world were, and he replied “The ulama (scholars) when they become corrupt.” Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 74, p. 138.

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suppose you live a life like that of Harun ar-Rashid19 for one hundred and twenty years. What is one hundred and twenty years when compared to infinity; when after that time you will be punished for an eternity? God, the Blessed and Exalted, has mercy upon his servants. He has given them intelligence, He has given them the ability to purify themselves, and He has not stopped there. He has sent prophets, books, awliya’,20 and purified people. If these have no effect he brings about pressures for them in the world. These are acts of mercy by God, the Exalted, which limit men’s actions, which restrain him. The clergy have their turbans removed, they are humiliated in a thousand ways, these are all acts of mercy by God and yet we do not see this. If these pressures do not make man a human being, then He creates pressures through illness. If again these illnesses do not make him a human being he is put under a lot of pressure at the time of his death. Again if that does not work, then he is pressured to purge himself in those stations that he must pass through (‘aqabat)21 after death, and if this does not prove to be successful then he is put under a lot of pressure to purify himself on the Day of Judgment. However, if none of these prove to be successful then the final remedy is the fire22, and God forbid that this should happen, for, as it is related in a tradition “they will dwell therein for ages”23. This fate of which I speak awaits many of us, even those who accept guidance and guard their religion. It awaits you and me. Each period of time there24 lasts for many thousands of years. Gentlemen, in this world you cannot bear to hold a warm stone in your hand, in the Hereafter it is fire that awaits you. Be afraid of that fire! Throw these fires out of the schools; throw these differences out of your hearts. Purify yourselves. You intend to enter a society, to purify the people, but you cannot do this (if you remain in your present state). How can he who is not able to set right his own affairs do this for anybody else!? This factionalism is wrong, it is sinful. These actions will destroy the schools. Stop this hooliganism.

THE DANGER OF THE ENEMY’S INFLUENCE IN THE SEMINARY I am very much afraid that some people are attending these gatherings who do not belong to the center. Perhaps the students of the center are themselves all purified, good people and it is these people who, by using others, create ‘religious duties’ so that the students believe that what they’re doing is in accordance with their religious duties. Thus, they manage to create corruption in the Najaf religious seminary. These people are afraid of true human beings. They want true human beings to be destroyed. These hands work

19

20

21

22 23

24

Harun ar-Rashid (763-809 AD), the fifth and most famous Abbasid caliph who reigned from 786- 809 AD and was the contemporary of the seventh and eighth Imams, Musa al-Kazim and Ali Ibn Musa al-Reza (as). This caliph is renowned for his wealth and for the opulence and magnificence of his court in Baghdad. He martyred Imam al-Reza (as) with poison. The word awliya’- like the cognate wilayah- has numerous different meanings. It is used here in the general sense that can be deduced from Qur’an 10: 62- 63: “Verily the friends [awliya’] of God- those who believe and guard against evil- shall suffer no fear nor shall they grieve.” ‘Aqabat is the plural of ‘aqabah meaning a difficult place on the mountain; a steep track or incline; a mountainous pass. In religious terminology these ‘aqabat’ refer to the stations or stages of the Day of Judgment where one is required to halt and then pass through, and because passing through these stages is very difficult, they have been called ‘aqabat’. “The final remedy is the fire.” Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 167. It is one of the famous sayings of Imam Ali (as). In Surah an-Naba’ (The Great News) 78: 23, it is said: “They will dwell therein for ages.” Imam al-Sadiq in his commentary on this verse has said: “Ages [ahqab] here means eighty long periods of time [huqb] and each huqb is eighty years, each year is three hundred and sixty days and each day is like one thousand years that you know of as a year.” Ma’ani al-Akhbar, p. 220, the section on the meaning of al-ahqab. It is the name given to a long stretch of time of unspecified length. In some traditions it has been described as being eighty years of the years of the Day of Judgment and each day of these years is one thousand of the years of this world. Mufradat ar-Raghib, p. 126.

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in the schools such that they destroy the standing in society of whoever is useful for the future of Islam so that he can no longer be beneficial to Islam and Muslims. You should be beneficial to Islam. What effect does a useless creature who neither studies here nor teaches, who does nothing, have on people? Those who have finished their studies, those who have nothing to do here, well they should go and begin their work, begin instructing and purifying the people.

MORAL PROGRAM FOR THE FUTURE OF SEMINARY STUDENTS You young people should prepare yourselves for the future. Your future will be much more difficult than ours. We no longer have a future. How much longer am I going to live? I’m seventy years old, I’m at the end of my life; perhaps I only have a few more days left to live. You should make yourselves beneficial for the future of Islam. Your future is a difficult future; you should be prepared for it. The hands of many enemies await you from all classes. Prepare yourselves, reform yourselves, and purify your morals. Throw the love of the world, this world that we don’t have, out of your hearts. Those attached to this world have (the pleasures of) this world too, but we only have the love of this world, we only have this corruption, we don’t have this world or its pleasures. The source of all sins is the love of the world25. It is related in a tradition that two fierce, bloodthirsty wolves who attack an untended flock of sheep from the front and back, take longer to destroy that flock than it does for love of wealth and position to destroy the faith of the believer.26 And apparently, according to some other traditions, it is from the love of the self and the love of the world that these transgressions occur. Even if the traditions do not actually say this, the truth is such. This love of the self, this love of position destroys Islam, destroys our religion. Think a little bit and throw this love out of your hearts. This world is nothing. It’s not right for you to bind yourself to this world in love, especially this world of yours. It was my duty today to speak to you gentlemen on this matter, to the extent that I am able, so that you will pay more attention to what is happening and what is likely to happen. These actions will not only cause loss of face for those perpetrating them, but to a society, a country and to Islam as well. You will be held gravely responsible in this matter if you do not stop this corruption. Stop these petty differences and the like, for they are very insignificant. We ourselves are insignificant; we don’t understand just how insignificant we are. We seem to have put this world of ours before everything. This love of the self that we harbor we have nothing! They have taken everything away from us. They have pushed us into the corner of a school, into the corner of a house. Are we now going to fight over this corner?! Is this worth fighting over? Gentlemen, what are these things that you are saying? You should show compassion and understanding towards others. Everyone has the right to do what he wants. What has it got to do with you if it’s against the shari’ah?27 Your duty is to enjoin the good and forbid that which is evil- so carry it out. Advise one another to do good; there is no cause for fighting or anything else.

25 26

Imam al-Sadiq (as) says: “The source of all sins is the love of the world.” Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, pp. 131, 315. It is a saying of Imam al-Baqir (as). Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 315.

27

In effect Imam here is warning the students against unwittingly joining those elements of questionable intent in the school who stipulate religious duties for the students and cause disruption and factionalism in the name of the shari’ah

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May God, the Blessed and Exalted, grant success to all of you. May He guide the Islamic schools towards reform and prepare us for the Hereafter. This world slips through our fingers and will continue to do so. It is nothing, nothing important; one shouldn’t give one’s heart to it. That which is important is the Hereafter. May God bless you in the next world. May God grant you success in serving Islam and the Muslims. May God guide you towards purification and towards another way of thinking. God willing, tomorrow we will continue with our discussions.

15th Speech Date: November 14, 1965/Aban 23, 1344 SH/Rajab 20, 1385 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Duty of the heads of Muslim countries and the responsibility of the ulama in introducing Islamic programs Occasion: Commencement of Imam Khomeini’s classes in Najaf Religious Seminary Audience: ulama, scholars and students of Najaf Religious Seminary In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful O God, preserve our tongues from vain discourse [the audience replies with Amen]. Turn our hearts towards You [Amen]. Keep us from depending on anyone other than You [Amen]. Cast the love of this world out of our hearts [Amen]. Endow us with a moral disposition [Amen]. Keep us from all evil in the care of the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali (as) [Amen]. Make us servants of Islam and Muslims [Amen]. Make us appreciative of the ulama of Islam [Amen]. Protect the ulama of Islam wherever they may be [Amen]. Let the religion of Islam, the word of Islam, take precedence over all others [Amen]. O God, render the word of Islam elevated and predominant.28

THE SUFFERING OF THE PROPHET (S) WHILE INVITING TO MONOTHEISM You gentlemen know that the Prophet of Islam (may God’s peace and salutations be upon him and his descendants) rose up for God alone in a hostile environment. He rose up and endured great hardships, troubles and suffering until he conveyed the message of Islam to the people. He invited the people to the right path, he invited them to monotheism, he withstood such great hardships that I think it is beyond the ability of anyone else to endure the same. After the death of the Most Noble Messenger (may God’s peace and salutations be upon him and his descendants) the Muslims carried out their duties to a certain extent. They strengthened Islam; they spread Islam such that a great Islamic state was established in the world which was superior to all others. The Prophet himself wrote a letter to Heraclius29 which is preserved in the 28

“Word” in the Qur’an has been used for various meanings, among them: the promise of truth; monotheism; Islamic call. Refer to the translation of the commentary of Al-Mizan, vol. 6, p. 91 and vol. 14, p. 188.

29

Heraclius the First (circa 575- 641 AD) defeated Phocas the Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) emperor in 610 AD and succeeded him as emperor. Initially, Heraclius was defeated in his war with the Persians and lost Syria, Palestine and Egypt. However, he mustered his army and once again attacked the Persians and retrieved his lost lands. The war between the Sasanian (Sassanid) and Byzantine empires

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book Sahih al-Bukhari;30 and in fact, as is recorded in history, he wrote four letters to four rulers, the rulers of Iran, Rome, Egypt and Abyssinia.31 These letters, if I am not mistaken, have been preserved, and I have seen his actual letter in a Turkish museum, if I remember rightly.32 In these four letters, the contents of which are the same, he invited the four rulers to Islam and monotheism. This was the first step; this was the basis from which to convey the truth of Islam to the entire world, to all the empires of the world, and to introduce true Islam to the people. Unfortunately, apart from the Abyssinian king, none of the rulers gave a positive reply and so the Noble Messenger’s invitation, his attempts to introduce Islam to them ceased. Still, through numerous hardships, the Noble Messenger himself, and those who were responsible for the leadership of Islam after him, strengthened Islam, and it was passed down through the generations until now when it has been entrusted to us. Islam is now entrusted to this generation which exists now. This generation is responsible for Islam and the Islamic laws, and this responsibility changes according to the different classes of people. The responsibility of some is very great and that of others not so great.

PROGRAM FOR LIFE AND GOVERNMENT IN ISLAM Those whose responsibility is very great are the Muslim governments, the Muslim heads of state and the Muslim kings. Their responsibility is great and perhaps greater than all other classes. Islam is now entrusted, ended with the death of Khosrow II, also known as Khosrow Parviz, who was considered to be the last great Sasanian king of Iran, ruling from 590 to 628 AD, with an interruption of one year. Khosrow II was the son of Hormizd IV, and the grandson of Khosrow I (Anushirvan), the Persian king. In the last years of his reign, Heraclius remained in his palace eventually dying in 641 AD. After the rise of Islam, in 628 and 629 AD, the Prophet began to disseminate the message of Islam outside of Arabia and to invite the kings and leaders of the neighboring countries to Islam. For example, the Most Noble Messenger in the letters that he wrote to the Byzantine emperor and the king of Persia asked them to free the servants of God and allow them to worship the one God who has no partner and is the True Monarch. The letter that the Prophet sent to the emperor Heraclius read thus: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Muhammad the Prophet of God to Heraclius the Great Emperor of Rome. Greetings to him who is the follower of righteous guidance. Verily, I bid you to hear the divine call of Islam. Turn to Islam so that you may be saved and God rewards you both in this world and the Hereafter.” Say: O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you that we worship none but God and ascribe no partner unto Him and that none of us shall take others for lords besides Him. And if they turn away then say: ‘Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered unto Him’.” [Italics are from Surah Aali ‘Imran (The Family of ‘Imran) 3: 64. Refer to Tarikh-e Yaqubi, p. 443]. 30

The third Muslim century saw the compilation of the various Sunni collections of Hadiths (sayings or traditions of the Prophet) into six books recognized as containing authentic or” sound” Hadiths and which have since become standard. Of these six collections, referred to as as-Sihah al-Sittah, the “Six Authentic Collections”, the most famous and most authoritative is that of Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (810- 870 AD), Sahih al-Bukhari. Bukhari, who was a Persian, selected out of the 600, 000 traditions he collected from 1, 000 shaykhs in the course of sixteen years of travel and labor in Persia, Iraq, Syria, the Hijaz and Egypt some 7397 traditions which he classified according to subject-matter such as prayer, pilgrimage and jihad. Bukhari’s tomb outside of Samarqand is still visited by pilgrims today.

31

After the conclusion of the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah which ensured a period of peace between the Muslims and their enemies, the Prophet of Islam sent letters to the kings and rulers inviting them to embrace Islam. The letters of the Prophet were divided into several categories. One category contains his letters to the kings and princes of different countries, amongst them the four letters of the Prophet of Islam to the rulers of the day: Khosrow Parviz, the Shah of Persia; Heraclius, the Roman Emperor; the Negus (Najashi) of Abyssinia; and Cyrus (al-Muqawqis), the Egyptian ruler.

32

In Turkey there are two museums called Istanbul Museum and Ankara Museum which were established in 1846 and 1923, respectively. They contain many historical artifacts and works of art. In 1964, Imam visited these two museums. When he first arrived in Turkey, Imam began to learn the Turkish language by the teach-yourself method and on the third day of his exile he visited the mosques, historical centers and other parts of Ankara. Imam’s visits were made under the watchful eye of the Iranian and Turkish security agents. Toward the end of his period of exile in Turkey and while visiting some parts of the city of Izmir, Imam Khomeini saw the graves of forty clergymen. When he asked his Turkish companion the reason for their deaths, he was told that these clergymen were executed on the orders of Ataturk because they opposed his policies and defended Islam. Imam refers to this subject in his later speeches.

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according to the will and ontological command of God33, the Blessed and Exalted, to the hands of these people. They are responsible for protecting Islam, for guarding its laws and preserving ideological unity under Islam. They are also responsible for introducing Islam to the civilized world so that it won’t be thought that Islam is like Christianity (nominal, not true Christianity): a spiritual relationship between the people and God, the Blessed and Exalted, and nothing more. Islam has a program for life, a program for governance. Islam ruled for five hundred years or more, it reigned even though the laws of Islam at that time were not put into practice as they should have been. Still, even with only half of them in implementation, Islam administered vast state with honor and dignity in all aspects, in all matters. One shouldn’t suppose that Islam is like the other religions which exist today. These religions, especially Christianity which has nothing except for a few moral codes, have no program pertaining to the politics and administration of countries. Perhaps at their own time they did, but no longer. Islam is not like these religions, it has a program for these things. Islam has laid the foundations of man’s life from before his birth. It has established the social foundations of the family and has laid down injunctions for man for the time that he lives in the family to the time that he enters into education, to the time that he enters society, to the time that he has relations with other countries, with other governments, with other nations; all of these have a program, the holy laws contain provisions for all of these things. Islam does not constitute just praying and making pilgrimage, the laws of Islam are not concerned merely with performing the mandatory ritual prayer (namaz), supplicatory prayer and pilgrimage; these form just one section of the laws of Islam. Praying and making pilgrimage are just one concern among a number covered by Islam. Islam deals with politics, with administering a country. Islamic laws can administer large countries. It is the responsibility of the presidents of Islamic countries, the kings of Islamic countries, the governments of Islamic countries to introduce Islam to the world.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHURCH AND MOSQUE Christians should not imagine that Islam is like Christianity or that the mosque is like the church. When namaz was held in the mosque, duties were assigned, the principles of war were decided there, and the administration of countries was planned there. The mosque is not like the church. The church, as they say, represents a personal relationship between the people and God, the Blessed and Exalted, however the mosque of the Muslims at the time of the Messenger of God (may God’s peace and salutations be upon him and his descendants) and at the time of the caliphs- however they were- was the center of the politics of Islam. On Fridays, the Friday prayer sermon was political, it was concerned with wars, with the administration of cities, these all came from the mosque, the foundations were laid in the mosque at the time of the Messenger of God and at the time of Hazrat Amir, (Imam Ali (as)) may God’s peace be upon him, and at other times.

33

Takwini: meaning “ontological command”. Philosophers and theologians distinguish this, which refers to the laws of creation and which all must obey by the very nature of things, from the “legislative [tashri’i] command,” which refers to the laws set down by God in revelation and which man can obey or disobey according to his own free will. The “ontological command” is referred to in such verses as: “All His command, when He wills something, is to say to it ‘Be,’ and it is.” Surah Ya-Sin 36: 82.

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THE NEED TO INTRODUCE ISLAM Islam should be introduced as it really is; the leaders are charged with a duty to perform. Those to whom God, the Blessed and Exalted, has given leadership have a responsibility to carry out. They have to introduce true Islam. They should organize a radio program for the introduction of Islam. They should consult the ulama so they can explain to them the truth of Islam and then they should propagate this truth by means of the radio and other methods of communication.

THE GOAL OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM (S)34 The Prophet of Islam wanted to create ideological unity in the world. He wanted to bring all the countries of the world, all the inhabited regions of the earth, together under the banner of monotheism. But the great desires of the kings of that time on the one hand and the prejudice of the Jewish and Christian clergy and others on the other were obstacles to his plans. Even today they form obstacles, they create problems for us. Even today the Jews prevent us from spreading Islam. Even now the Christians prevent us from introducing true Islam. Even today they form an obstacle.

THE DUTY OF THE HEADS OF ISLAMIC COUNTRIES IS TO BE UNITED Today it is the duty of the heads of Islamic countries, the kings and the presidents of Islamic countries to put aside these petty differences which occasionally arise between them. There are no Arabs and non-Arabs, Turks and Persians; there is only Islam and unity under Islam. They should adopt the same method of struggle that the Prophet of Islam used in his struggle; they should follow the way of Islam. If they guard their ideological unity, if they put aside these petty differences, if all the Muslims join together, then, according to estimations,35 there will be a community of seven hundred million. But seven hundred million people divided are not as great as one million united. Seven hundred million divided people are of no use, thousands of millions of divided people cannot do anything either. However, if these seven hundred million, if only four hundred million of them, two hundred million of them, were to unite together, join hands in brotherhood together, protect each other’s borders, protect their own boundaries, if they were to unite in the Islamic community which is common to us all, in the religion of monotheism which is common to us all, in the Islamic interests that we share, then the Jews would no longer covet Palestine and India would no longer have designs on Kashmir.36 That is why they don’t let you unite. The hands that want to take your 34 35

36

The abbreviation, “s”, stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam [may God’s salutation and peace be upon him and his progeny], which is used after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s). Seven hundred million is the estimated number of Muslims in the world at the time of the speech. The exact number of Muslims in the world is not known. Statistics on this are in no way accurate because in some countries the Muslim population has not yet been counted; in some other countries people cannot reveal their religious convictions; in a number of countries the enumerators try to present the number of Muslims as being less than it really is for political or ideological reasons. In Europe and America only the sex, age and occupation of the people in the census are often taken into consideration, no interest being shown in their religious convictions. Therefore, it cannot be said with certainty how many Muslims live in those countries. In countries like America and India, converts to Islam are also not considered in the census. Whatever, the number of Muslims in the world exceeds one billion and without a doubt over the past decade that figure has been on the rise. Kashmir is situated in north-west India and neighbors Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is a mountainous region of great natural beauty and fertile land covering an area of 242 square kilometers and with a population of about five million people. The majority of Kashmiris are Muslim and because they converse mostly in the Persian language Kashmir is also known as “Iran Minor”. Before colonization by the British, Kashmir had an independent government, but at the time of the British assault on India, this country was also occupied and until 1947 was controlled by the British. After the division of the Indian subcontinent into two independent states of Pakistan (Muslim) and

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resources away from you, that want to take your wealth free of charge, that want to plunder both your underground resources and those that lie above the ground, they won’t let Iraq and Iran, Iran and Egypt, Turkey and Iran unite together. They won’t let them join forces. It is the duty of the leaders to sit down together and reach a mutual understanding. They should protect their own borders; each one should preserve their boundaries and territorial integrity then join forces against that foreign enemy who causes you so much harm. There is a group of thieving Jews in Palestine who have kept more than a million Muslims dispersed for ten years, more than ten years, and have occupied Islamic lands. All the Muslim leaders do is mourn over their plight, but if they unite, how can this bunch of thieving Jews take Palestine from you and drive the Muslims out of Palestine while you look on helplessly? If they unite, how can the poor, wretched Hindus take our dear Kashmir from us while the Muslims look on helplessly? These matters are all too clear, but sometimes one needs reminding of them. The leaders themselves know these things, but they should give them more thought. They should sit down together in meetings; they should come together, reflect on these matters and put aside these petty differences. Islam is now in your hands. The heads of Islam, the kings of Islam, the presidents and the shaykhs of Islam, those who have leadership in Islam should realize that God, the Blessed and Exalted, has given them this leadership and now they have a responsibility. Becoming the head of a nation, the leader of a people carries with it a responsibility for those people, for the life of the people, for what happens to those people.

PROTECTING THE WEALTH OF MUSLIMS Wealth lies in the hands of the East. Oil, this important resource, is in the hands of the East, in the hands of the Muslims- that which lies in Islamic lands. The world has progressed because of these important reserves of oil. Others need this oil. Every country which has progressed has done so through these reserves, every country which has won a war has done so because of oil. These oil reserves are in your hands. Praise be to God, Iraq has oil. Praise be to God, Iran has oil; Kuwait has oil; Hijaz has oil. This is one of the astounding things, the oil is in the hands of the Muslims so others should come and bow down before you, they should kiss your hands, kiss your feet and buy these reserves at the highest price; you shouldn’t bow to them. God willing you don’t. The wealth lies in your hands, they should be the ones who flatter you, but unfortunately we see that this is not the case. The imperialists have dealt with this matter, they have deceived some countries into thinking that they should flatter them, that they should pay them compliments and offer them something so that they come and take their wealth away (as they have done in other areas of the world). This is distressing.

SUPREMACY LIES IN THE UNITY OF EXPRESSION As long as there is no unity, as long as the heads of Islam don’t create unity, as long as they don’t think about the misfortunes of the Muslim nations, about the problems that Islam and the laws of Islam have to India (Hindu), the state of Kashmir with over 77% Muslim population was supposed to be incorporated into Pakistan, however, India would not relinquish it and this annexation did not take place. Consequently, in 1949 Kashmir was partitioned, the north-west area becoming Azad Kashmir [Free Kashmir] controlled by Pakistan, and the remainder being incorporated into India as the State of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the dispute over Kashmir did not end with partition and both Pakistan and India continued to lay claim to the other’s portion. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, against his moral inclinations, opposed the vote of the United Nations Security Council which recommended that the future of Kashmir be determined by a plebiscite. Nehru approved the laws that the Parliament of Kashmir, which was an artificial Parliament, had ratified calling for union with India (1957).

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contend with, about the alienation of Islam and the Holy Qur’an, they cannot have sovereignty. They should think, they should act so they find supremacy. If they consider this matter, if they act on it, then they will become masters of the world. If they introduce Islam to the world as it truly is, and if they put it into practice as it should be, then leadership will be yours, greatness will be yours. “Greatness belongs to God, His Messenger and to the believers”.37

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ULAMA OF ISLAM So far I have spoken about that group, which constitutes our political leaders. The other group which also bears a responsibility is the ulama of Islam and the great maraji’. Their responsibility is very great, extremely great, perhaps in one way the responsibility of the ulama of Islam is greater than that of anyone else. It is up to them to introduce the Islam that they know to the world. Of course we don’t have the means to do this, and this too is due to our incompetence. We don’t have the means, all the means are in the hands of others. The Muslims and the ulama, the true Muslims and true ulama that is, don’t have the means to propagate Islam and tell the world what Islam really is. You have such a good commodity and you cannot tell the world about it. The Christians, on the other hand, have spread the word of their Gospel, and you are aware of its contents, it is not an original account of the life and sayings of Jesus. They have spread the word of a false gospel38 the whole world and their missionaries have traveled all over the world preaching its message. It is said that as the Islamic countries, those countries which were under the yoke of imperialism, one by one in recent years broke free from the imperialist's grasp,39 so the Pope’s missionaries entered these countries and began to convert the people there to Christianity. Yet we, even in our own communities cannot do this, we cannot present the laws of Islam as they truly are even to our own society.

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Qur’an 63: 8 After the divine ascension of Jesus, many of his followers began to record accounts of his life and teachings and these were called Gospels. However, the only known surviving Gospel written by a disciple of Jesus, that is, by a man who spent most of his time in the actual company of Jesus during the three years in which he was delivering his message, is the Gospel of Barnabas. This Gospel was accepted as a canonical Gospel in the churches of Alexandria until 523 AD when the famous Council of Nicea was held and the doctrine of the Trinity was declared to be the official doctrine of the Pauline Church. One of the consequences of this decision was that out of the three hundred or so Gospels extant at that time, four were chosen as the official Gospels of the Church; these were the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which the Christians of today follow. The remaining Gospels, including the Gospel of Barnabas, were ordered to be destroyed completely. An edict was issued stating that anyone found in possession of an unauthorized Gospel would be put to death. This was the first well-organized attempt to remove all the records of Jesus' original teachings, whether in human or book form, which contradicted the doctrine of the Trinity. In the case of the Gospel of Barnabas, these attempts were not entirely successful and mention of its continued existence has been made up to the present day. It has been banned by the Popes over the centuries and is included in the list of Apocryphal] hidden from the people [and forbidden books. Those who have studied the Evangelium Barnabe remark on the fullness of its account of Jesus' life and teachings and how different this account is from that given in the four accepted Gospels. The Gospel of Barnabas declares the unity of God, foretells the coming of the Prophet of Islam and states that Christ was not crucified by the Romans but that Judas, the betrayer of Christ, was transformed by the Creator to resemble Jesus and was crucified in his stead. In the Gospels accepted today, many of the laws and injunctions are ignored, except for a few cases, and the main message contained in them is to obey God and His commandments, refrain from sin, to be kind and humble, not to be proud, to boast or be unjust. For more information on this subject, refer to Jesus - A Prophet of Islam by Muhammad `Ata ur-Rahim; The Gospel of Barnabas translated by Lonsdale and Laura Ragg (2017). Both books are available at amazon.com

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Some of the Islamic countries which have freed themselves from the direct domination of foreigners and have apparently regained their independence in the last half a century are listed: Algeria, Tunisia, Chad, Djibouti, Sudan, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, from French colonialism; Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Gambia, Maldives, Sierra Leone, Oman, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Yemen, from British colonialism; Libya from Italian colonialism; and Somalia from British and Italian colonialism.

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We do not take our debates beyond the bounds of the book on ritual purity or the book on khums40 or whatever. We don’t talk about the politics of Islam. We don’t talk about the divine ordinances of Islam. Not being able to implement the divine ordinances does not mean that we shouldn’t present them to the world. We should propagate them. The world should know that Islam has a program. Islam has a program for everything, for all kinds of life. Who should introduce this other than the ulama? The ulama of Islam (may God increase their number) go through much trouble (for Islam) and endure many hardships, nevertheless their responsibility demands more from them than this. God, the Blessed and Exalted, has given might to the ulama; He has given them greatness; men listen to them; nations obey them. Their position brings with it responsibility; just as the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his descendants) had responsibility and rose up for his responsibility, so too they must rise up for their responsibility. They should introduce Islam and Islamic laws as they truly are, not that Islam which is in the hands of a few pseudo-saints and consists of just a book of prayers.41 We should tell the world about this great commodity and about the progressive laws that we have. We don’t need to refer to anybody else’s laws. We’ve got laws for everything. Islam has prescribed man’s duties; it has laid down the laws. The Muslims do not need to follow anybody else’s laws. Now our youth, these young people in the universities, whether here, in Iran or in other countries, they don’t know what true Islam is, or they don’t even know what Islam is at all. They don’t perceive Islam as being anything other than namaz and a few laws for ritual purity and so on. They think that if they want to become practicing Muslims and act according to Islamic precepts, there is nothing for them to act on. They believe this because Islam has not been presented properly. They ask: “What program does Islam have for us to act on? Such and such a group has a program, such and such a creed has a program, it has a program for life and we want a program for life, but Islam is just something individual between man and God, the Blessed and Exalted, and nothing more than this. Islam has no program for us to act on.” They think this because they don’t know Islam. They have no knowledge of the laws of Islam; they think Islam has no program for life. It is up to the ulama of Islam to rectify this. Of course they can’t do it by themselves because of the problems they have, but it is their responsibility to set this matter right. They must explain Islam, all aspects of Islam, all doctrines of Islam, all ordinances of Islam, to the world. They should write and publish books concerning the laws of Islam. If they are successful in securing a radio program for themselves to convey their message, then they should use it to present Islam accurately to the world, so the world will understand what we have (in Islam), and even though we have this, still we live as we do. This is a great responsibility on the shoulders of the

40

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Khums: literally means one-fifth. According to the Shia school of jurisprudence [fiqh], this one-fifth tax is obligatorily levied on every adult Muslim who is financially secure and has surplus in his income out of annual savings, net commercial profits, and all movable and immovable properties which are not commensurable with the needs and social standing of the person. Khums is divided into two equal parts: the Share of the Imam [sahm al-Imam] and the Share of the Sayyids/Sadat (descendants of the Prophet) [sahm as-Sadat]. Accordingly, the Share of the Imam is to be paid to the living Imam, and in the period of Occultation, to the most learned living mujtahid who is the giver’s marja’ at-taqlid [Source of Emulation]. The other half of the khums, the Share of the Sayyids/ Sadat, is to be given to needy pious Sayyids who lack the resources for one’s year respectable living in consonance with their various statuses. For more information, see Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, Khums- An Islamic Tax, https://www.al-islam.org/khums-islamic-tax-sayyid-muhammad-rizvi. Mafatih al-Jinan [Keys to the Gardens of Paradise]: the standard manual of Shia devotion containing the supplicatory prayers of the Imams, as well as formulae for recitation at particular times or during visitation of the tombs of the Imams. Its compiler, Shaykh Abbas Qummi (1877 -1941 AD) was a scholar of vast learning from Qum who died in Najaf. He was also teacher of Imam Khomeini and gave him permission to cite and authenticate hadithes.

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distinguished ulama (may God elevate their word). And you, the distinguished religious scholars and young ulama, also have responsibility. The responsibility of the future of Islam is on your shoulders, and it is a very heavy responsibility.

SELF-PURIFICATION You should begin from now to meet this responsibility; these young sixteen-year-old men, these twentyyear-old men who are studying in the religious schools, in all schools, should begin from now, in accordance with the will of God, in accordance with the divine commands. They should be such that for each step they take for the acquisition of knowledge, they take one for self-reform and moral purification. If, God forbid, there is an alim who has not reformed himself, not purified himself; if, God forbid, there is an alim who is not as Islam requires him to be, then this is more of a loss than a benefit. All the false religions which have been invented or created were founded by educated people, people who were educated in the religious schools but who had not purified themselves. If you take note, you will see that all the heads of false religions are from amongst those who have studied, who are clergymen, but those who have not purified themselves.42

A GLANCE AT IMAM ALI’S CONDUCT This place is in the sanctuary of Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), may God’s peace be upon him. Being here in the holy land of Najaf, in the sanctuary of Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him, also carries with it many responsibilities. Just being here in Najaf is different than, for example, being in Kuwait, Tehran or Baghdad. Being in Najaf is itself something else, it carries with it responsibility. One should look at what conditions Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him, lived under; how he conducted himself in private and in public. One should think about the life of Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him. One should take note of all the troubles he went through for Islam, how many times he was wounded, how much he suffered, how many times he fought in battle, how thirsty he went. One should consider these things. One such Islam has been entrusted to us, has been entrusted to you gentlemen. You have a responsibility. God forbid that in your quest for knowledge you think to comprehend the subtleties of the religious sciences but overlook spiritual refinement. Reform yourselves; purify yourselves through the teachings of Allah, through the laws of Allah. If you do not do this, then knowledge is of no use. If there is no purification, then that light which God, the Blessed and Exalted, places in the hearts of those He pleases will not be placed.43

PURIFICATION FOR UNDERSTANDING THE DIVINE LIGHT That knowledge which brings illumination, that light which God, the Blessed and Exalted, grants, calls for expertise. It will not be granted to just any heart. Not every heart is worthy of it. If one does not purify himself, if one does not empty his heart of ugly morals, does not correct his vile deeds, if one does not turn to God and does not surrender his whole heart to Him, God the Blessed and Exalted will not place this light in his heart. This is not vain talk. You cannot turn around and say: “No, I know the intricacies of the religious

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Refer to the biographies of people such as Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, the founder of Wahhabism; Shaykh Zaynuddin Ahmad Ihsaei, the leader of the Shaykhi sect and Sayyid Kazim Rashti, his successor. It refers to the Hadith: “Knowledge is a light which God places in the heart of those He wishes.” Al-Mahajjat al-Bay-a’, vol. 5, p. 45.

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sciences so I’m all right.” No, many knew the intricacies of religious sciences. Ghazzali44 knew them very well. Abu Hanifah also knew them well.45 There are many people who know the intricacies of the religious sciences better than any, yet God the Blessed and Exalted has not placed that light in their hearts. This light calls for purification, for suffering and self-discipline. Gentlemen, you have come here and joined this group, now you have to discipline yourselves, you have to take pains, you have to observe your duties, and you have to call your soul to account.46 In the evening, when you have finished your studies, late at night, consider how many wrong deeds, God forbid, you carried out that day; God willing there won’t be any. Consider how many times, God forbid, you spoke ill of someone that day; how many times you were impudent to the religious scholars. Do you realize what it means before God if one word of insolence is spoken to the maraji’ of Islam? One has openly waged war with God! They are the friends (awliya)47 of God. For every step taken in the quest for knowledge, there should be at least one step taken towards moral purification, towards strengthening one’s faith, towards establishing faith in one’s heart. These matters need thinking about; they call for self-examination and guarding against evil. You gentlemen should be on your guard; you should guard yourselves against evil from morning till night. Man’s soul is rebellious, if it is neglected for one moment, God forbid, it will draw the human being towards unbelief not just sinfulness. If the human being is neglectful, Satan won’t be satisfied with his moral depravity, he wants man’s unbelief. His ultimate goal is to create unbelief. It begins with small sins which gradually grow into bigger sins until 44

Hujjat al-Islam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Ghazzali at-Tusi was born in Iran in 1058 in Tus, Khorasan, where he died in 1111 AD. AlGhazzali is recognized by many as a great theologian of Islam and the final authority for Sunni orthodoxy. Starting his religious life as orthodox, al- Ghazzali soon turned to Sufism. He spent many years roaming from place to place before eventually going to Baghdad to preach and teach. It was there that he composed what many see as his masterpiece, Ihya’ Ulum ad-Din [The Revivification of the Sciences of Religion]. His other well-known works include: Fatihat al-Ulum; Tahafut al-Falasifah; Al-Iqtisad fil-Itiqad and Kimiya-ye Sa’adat [Alchemy of Happiness] which is Ihya’ Ulum ad-Din re-presented on a smaller scale for Persian readers. Al-Ghazzali was, however, among a number of classical Sunni authorities who attempted to legitimize both the hereditary caliphate and the usurpation of power by military dynasties, by means of their political theories. The influence of these theories has far outlived the circumstances that produced them and it continues to affect the political attitudes of Sunni Muslims, although it is now diminishing.

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Al-Nu’man ibn Sabet Habib (669- 767 AD), also known as Abu Hanifah the founder of the Hanafi school of thought, was of Iranian origin and was born in Kufah. Although a merchant by profession, Abu Hanifah learnt Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] in his youth and became an influential jurist. However, he regarded the Qur’an as being created and he did not attach special importance to the Hadiths [sayings and traditions] of the Prophet rejecting many (about four hundred) and only accepting a few as being” sound” or correct and thus applicable. He insisted on the right of qiyas or analogical deduction in his teachings, leading to what we call legal fiction. In all fields, he exaggerated some points and ignored others. Abu Hanifah was a student of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as) for two years. One day Imam alSadiq found Abu Hanifah’s answer to a question on Islamic jurisprudence to be incorrect. He reproached him and said: “Woe unto you. What is your reference? Fear God and do not apply analogical deduction based on your own reasoning.” Calling one’s soul to account is examining one’s deeds, one’s thoughts and one’s heart in order to purify one’s soul. Imam Khomeini, in his ethical and mystical work, Sharh-e Chehel Hadith [An Exposition of Forty Hadiths], cites the examination of one’s soul as well as binding oneself with the resolve not to do anything against God’s commands [musharatah] and guarding against evil [muraqabah] as necessary acts of a seeker of truth who is battling with his self [mujahid]. The word awliya’ has been retained here because of the depth of its meaning. Normally translated as helpers, friends, guardians, administrators, Hamid Algar in his book Islam and Revolution p. 361, n. 2, informs us that the word awliya’ also refers to those who possess the quality of intrinsic wilayah i.e. governance. In Shi’i belief, they are the foremost among the prophets and the Twelve Imams who succeeded Prophet Muhammad (s). The word awliya’ indicates primarily their spiritual rank, whereas the word Imam designates their function of leadership. According to some theologians, the awliya’ are those whose belief is sound, who perform their religious duties and who as a result have attained proximity to God. In the general sense that can be deduced from the Qur’an, 10: 62- 63: “Verily the friends [awliya’] of God- those who believe and guard against evil- shall suffer no fear nor shall they grieve,” it means “friends.”

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eventually it reaches the stage when, God forbid, it turns the human being away from Islam. You should be on your guard. From the minute you wake up in the morning, from when the call to prayer (adhan) is made, or, God willing, even before that, you should be on your guard against evil. In these gatherings you have, whether with two people, four people, ten or a hundred people, you should guard yourselves against committing evil acts. Respect you elders, respect your friends, and respect the believers. You should not have an evil tongue, God forbid. You should not create problems and arguments. If you think that someone is doing something that in your opinion he shouldn’t be doing or he does not do something that you believe he should do, take him as being correct in his course of action or lack of action as the case may be. One should not, without giving the matter due attention, be insolent, God forbid, to a believer, a Muslim, a religious student, a seeker of knowledge, let alone a religious scholar or a marja’. One should guard oneself against doing such things. One should be careful and observe all these points if one is to be favored by God.

PURIFICATION WHILE STILL YOUNG Later on you will have a weighty responsibility. If you become the ‘alim of a city, you have responsibility for that city. God willing, if you become the ‘alim of a country, you have responsibility for that country. If you become the marja’ of an Islamic community, you have responsibility for that community. You should begin now laying the foundations for the time that you will carry out this responsibility and fulfill your obligation. From now you should think about this. Don’t say: “Well no, we’ll study our lessons now and later on, God willing, when we are older, we will turn to moral purification.” This is not possible. You can reform yourselves while you are young, but if, God forbid, you do not begin to purify yourselves now, then you will find it very difficult to do so when you are old, when your will power is weak and the enemy strong. As man’s age advances, his will power weakens and the army of Satan in his heart becomes strong. Then it will be impossible to purify oneself, and even if it were possible, it would be very difficult. You should begin now, begin while you are young. Every step you take now is towards the grave. There is no time to waste; there is no reason to hold back. Every minute which passes of your honorable lives takes you a little bit closer to the grave, to the place where you will be asked questions, where you will be called to account. You should not neglect this task for you are getting closer to death. No one has given you a guarantee that you will live for a hundred and twenty years. We don’t have a hundred and twenty years, maybe one dies at twenty-five, maybe at fifty, maybe sixty, perhaps, God forbid, just now. There is no guarantee. You should think about this. You should guard yourself against evil. You should purify your morals, God willing purify them even more than they now are. Act according to the teachings of Islam, according to the laws of Islam, so that, God willing, you will be favored by God and, under the pure dome of the shrine of Imam Ali (as), you will be granted the light of that knowledge which has the approval of God, that knowledge which is light, that knowledge which brings you close to God, the Blessed and Exalted. This knowledge calls for self-discipline and sacrifice. You are already making sacrifices, so add this one to the others. I pray to Almighty God that He grant you success [the audience replies with “Amen”]. I pray to Almighty God that He grant glory and greatness to Islam and the Muslims [“Amen”]. I pray to Almighty God that He grant glory and greatness to the maraji’ of Islam [“Amen”]. I pray to Almighty God for the

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long life of the maraji’ of Islam [“Amen”]. I pray to Almighty God for the moral purification of the students [“Amen”].

16th Speech Date: September 8, 1967/Shahrivar 17, 1346 SH/Jamadi al-Thani, 1387 AH Subject: Plot by the regime to annihilate Islam and make the country dependent (on others) Occasion: SAVAK’s assault on the religious schools in Qum Audience: Clergies and seminary students of Najaf In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

AWAKENING OF THE CLERGY AND THE NATION The scheme of the government in Tehran is more serious than first imagined. Their design in closing the Fayziyyah Madrasah and imprisoning the ulama and religious students is to cause disruption in the Madrasah and to destroy Islam and the clergy. They want neither Islam to exist nor the clergy, for they realize that as long as Islam and the clergy exist in the country they cannot implement the orders of their masters and make Iran completely dependent on foreigners. By the festivals48 that they create every day and the weaponry that they are constantly buying from this place and that,49 by their wasteful spending and extravagance, they are trying to drive the Iranian nation towards calamity and bankruptcy and, God forbid, to make us the beggars of America and Israel. But be assured, they will not succeed. Praise be to God, the nation is awake and the Iranian clergy know what their duties are. The imperialists have not been able to deceive the clergy of Iran and put them to sleep, and, God willing, with this awareness they will sever the hands of the traitors to Islam and the country. You have a duty to help your brothers in Iran in whatever way possible. Persevere in the face of difficulties and be steadfast; even this expression of sympathy

48

Holding ceremonies and festivals was one of the ploys used by the Shah for both amusing and deceiving the people and covering up his weaknesses, defeats and disappointments and those of his regime. Included among these festivals are: The Shah’s birthday on October 26 [Aban 4, SH]; the anniversary of the White Revolution on January 26 [Bahman 6, SH]; Women’s Emancipation Day on January 7 [Dey 17, SH]; the Shah’s escape from danger on February 4 [Bahman 15, SH]; the anniversary of the coup d’état of June 18 [Khordad 28, SH]; the liberation of Azerbaijan on December 12 [Azar 21, SH] and the costly and extravagant international festivals like the 25th anniversary of the Shah’s rule; the anniversary of the crowning ceremony; the festival marking two-and-a-half millennia of monarchy; and dozens more like these. More than thirty different festivals and anniversaries were held during the 60’s and 70’s, all of them very costly and all of which were related to the Shah’s family and the monarchical system. On different occasions, Imam issued proclamations and delivered speeches severely condemning these festivals, which were paid for from the earnings of the deprived masses.

49

The Shah purchased arms from all Eastern and Western arms-manufacturing companies. In 1966, the Pentagon agreed to sell Iran the latest models of F-4 D Mac Donald Phantom jet fighters. After this purchase, which also included the purchase of other numerous and diversified military equipment, the Shah placed a big order with Britain and France. In 1967, on a trip to Moscow, the Shah announced that he had signed an agreement with the Russian government for the purchase of 110 million dollars’ worth of Soviet military equipment including personnel carriers, trucks and anti-aircraft weapons. The Shah’s moves toward closer relations with the Russians prompted America to bolster its military relations with Iran, such that the sale of American arms to Iran in 1970 was more than 113.2 million, rising to more than 1.3 billion in 1975 and reaching 4 billion in 1976.

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and support for the oppressed people of Iran will itself be effective. May God awaken everyone from the slumber of ignorance50

17th Speech Date: June 22, 1971/Tir 1, 1350 SH/Rabi’ al-Thani 28, 1391 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Economic problems of the people; the holding of festivities to mark the 2,500 years of monarchy; the incumbency of the ulama’s uprising Occasion: Holding of festivities to mark the 2,500 years of monarchy Addressees: Clergy and seminary students of Najaf I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I feel it is my duty on certain occasions to draw the gentlemen’s51 attention to some aspects of the problems facing the people of Islam and it may be that you will consider it your duty also to attempt to aid your Muslim brothers, even if only by way of propagation, telegrams and letters.

USURPATION OF RULE FROM HAZRAT AMIR (AS) AS THE GREATEST DISASTER THAT BEFELL ISLAM From the beginning, the Muslims and Islam were plagued by the carnal desires of some people which, after the death of the Prophet (s), prevented the true Islamic government from being set up and which are the cause of our problems today. If they had allowed the government that Islam calls for to be set up, the ruler that God, the Blessed and Exalted, had designated, that the Most Noble Messenger had appointed52 to rule, if they had allowed that system to come into being, the government to be an Islamic government, the governor to be he who was designated by God, then the people would understand what Islam really is and know the true meaning of an Islamic government. Unfortunately, after the death of the Prophet the people were led away from that which he had ordered, and this deviation was not only confined to that time, rather it prepared the grounds for a permanent deviation such that throughout subsequent Muslim history, apart from the short time that Imam Ali (as) ruled,53 a true Islamic government could not be established.

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Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-e Imam Khomeini, vol. 2, p. 257. It refers to the great ulama and maraji’ of the theological centers in Najaf (Iraq) and Iran. It refers to the event of Ghadir Khumm where the Prophet appointed Imam Ali as his successor based on a divine instruction. For detailed information on sources and narrators, as well as maps of Ghadir Khumm, visit: “Ghadir Khumm in the Qur’an, Hadith and History,” https://www.al-islam.org/ghadir/ On June 24, 656 AD, Imam Ali was proclaimed caliph at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Practically the whole Muslim world acknowledged his succession and he was the first and only caliph in whose selection a great majority of the community took an active part. He was martyred on January 25, 661 AD, after governing for only four years and nine months.

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What Mu’awiyah54 did, with the help of those personalities and elders from before the time of Islam, brought about these troubles for the Muslims and Islam. This internal conflict, which was worse than any other conflict, embroiled Imam Ali, and after his rule, the system of government lost its Islamic character entirely and was replaced by a monarchical regime. However, the short time that Imam Ali ruled and determined his own governmental policies even with all the problems he faced: the Battle of the Camel55; the Battle of Siffin56; the battle with the Kharijites57 - served as a lesson for the Muslims and they came to understand what Islam really is, to a certain extent at least. 54

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the first of the four ‘rightly-guided’ caliphs, Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyun was the head of a battalion in the caliph’s army, and Abu Bakr never gave him a position higher than that. However, under the rule of the second caliph, ‘Umar ibn alKhattab, he was appointed governor of Jordan and Damascus. Mu’awiyah gradually strengthened his position until at the time of the third caliph, Uthman ibn al-Affan, he became governor of all of Syria. As governor of Syria, Mu’awiyah began to act more and more like a monarch, such that Imam Ali (as) upon assuming his position as fourth caliph, issued orders for his dismissal.

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In the aftermath of the murder of the third caliph, Uthman, Imam Ali was forced to accept caliphate, but from the moment of his accession he had to face opposition within the Muslim community from many different areas and shades of opinion. The first challenge to his authority came from within the Quraysh itself. Imam Ali’s close identification with the Ansar (the helpers: those who had given the Prophet and his followers shelter and home at the most critical moment of his mission) and his reluctance to accept the nomination of Abu Bakr as first caliph, had alienated him from many of the Quraysh who now felt they had to challenge him to preserve the position their tribe had won. The rebellion centered on Zubayr ibn al-’Awwam, Talha ibn Ubaydullah and the Prophet’s wife, A’ishah. Zubayr and Talha were both early converts to Islam and supporters of the caliph Uthman during whose caliphate they had acquired position and great wealth. They were ambitious for the caliphate and did not wish to see power pass from the Quraysh tribe, to which they belonged. ‘A’ishah who was the daughter of Abu Bakr, refused to return to Medina from the ‘Umrah [lesser pilgrimage] when informed of the nomination of Imam Ali. Sometime later, Talha and Zubayr, with the excuse of going to perform the ‘Umrah, joined ‘A’ishah in the holy city of Mecca and planned for battle. Their aim was to capture Basra- which they achieved massacring many people and unceremoniously throwing out the governor in the process- divide Iraq and bring an end to Imam Ali’s rule. After much hesitation, Imam Ali finally marched to Kufah, accompanied by his three sons Hasan, Husayn and Muhammad, Abdullah ibn Abbas, ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, and Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr (the brother of ‘A’ishah) and there he succeeded in gathering a strong force. On December 9, 656 AD outside of Basra at a place called Kharaba, Imam Ali met and defeated the coalition in a battle styled, ‘The Battle of the Camel’, after the camel on which ‘A’ishah rode which was the rallying-point for the rebels. Both Talha and Zubayr fell, and Imam Ali magnanimously mourned the fallen and had them honorably buried. ‘A’ishah was captured and sent back to Medina accompanied by her brother. This victory strengthened Imam Ali’s position in Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Mecca and Medina and consolidated his authority in Egypt and Africa.

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Upon assuming his position as new caliph, Imam Ali inaugurated his rule by dismissing most of the provincial governors appointed by his predecessor and exacting the oath of fealty from the others. However, Mu’awiyah, the governor of Syria, refused to be dismissed and, withholding his homage from Imam Ali, he tried to implicate him in the murder of the third caliph, ‘Uthman, and on the pretext of avenging his death, he rallied his forces and set off toward Kufah to do battle with him. On the plain of Siffin south of ar-Raqqah, on the west bank of the Euphrates, the two armies stood face to face. Skirmishes, said to be about ninety in all, dragged on for weeks as neither side seemed anxious to fight. The final encounter took place on July 28, 657 AD. Under the leadership of Malik al-Ashtar, Imam Ali’s forces were on the point of victory when the shrewd, wily ‘Amr ibn al-Aas, Mu’awiyah’s leader, resorted to a ruse. Copies of the Qur’an fastened to lances were suddenly seen thrust in the air- a gesture interpreted to mean an appeal from the decision of arms to the decision of the Qur’an. Urged by his followers, Imam Ali accepted Mu’awiyah’s proposal to arbitrate the case. Hostilities ceased after a confrontation which had lasted one hundred and ten days and left 70, 000 dead, 45,000 being from Mu’awiyah’s army. The acceptance of the principle of arbitration was to prove disastrous for Imam Ali and it alienated the sympathy of a large body of his own followers. For more information refer to Philip K Hitti’s History of the Arabs, pp. 178-186.

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The Kharijites or al-Mariqin (a name given them by Imam Ali and meaning “those who missed the truth of religion”) were a group of quasi-holy, narrow-minded Muslims who were originally followers of Imam Ali and fought with him at the Battle of Siffin. Initially they supported arbitration, pushing Imam Ali to accept it; however, later they revolted against it arguing that because God was the only true arbitrator, Imam Ali and those who agreed with him in the arbitration were not just wrong they were unbelievers, hence they could have no dealings with them. On Imam Ali’s return to Iraq from Siffin, this group split off from his army and set up camp on the banks of the Nahrawan canal. The Kharijites (or seceders) became a fierce group who believed that they were the only true Muslims, and as such they began terrorizing the people whom they regarded as unbelievers. Imam Ali was at first able to talk to them and persuade some of them to

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A MANIFESTATION OF ALI’S (AS) ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT If they had allowed the government to retain its Islamic form and the people to live in the shelter of an Islamic government, perhaps all these misfortunes which afflict us in the present day would not have come about. The governor who was chosen by God, the Blessed and Exalted, to exercise rule over that ummah was a person who, when he became ruler, when everyone gathered around him and swore allegiance to him, lived more frugally than the most impoverished of our religious students or grocers. His food was stale oaten bread, and it is said that at the end of his life the bread that he ate was so hard and dry that he had to break it with his knee and eat it with water.58 It is related that Imam Ali used to say: “I am afraid that in some corner of my realm there is a hungry person and how can I sleep with a full stomach when one of my subjects goes hungry.” This was what an Islamic system of government meant. The greatest disaster that befell Islam was the usurpation of rule by Mu’awiyah from Imam Ali. This disaster was even worse than the tragedy of Karbala, and the misfortunes that descended upon Imam Ali and Islam at that time were worse than those which befell the Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Husayn (as)). The greatest disaster of all at that time was that they did not allow the people to perceive the true meaning of Islam. Even today the people are unsure of what Islam really is, what an Islamic government is, what Islam requires and what programs Islam has for governance. Even today, Islam remains obscure. The people of Islam should mourn the usurpation of rule from Imam Ali and commemorate those five or six years when he governed, when even with all the problems he faced and all the troubles that were created for him he maintained a true Islamic system. They should commemorate his justice, the fact that he was at one with his people, that his standard of living was lower than that of others while his spirit rose ever higher above the horizons. They should commemorate God. They should commemorate a ruler who, when he hears that an anklet has been stolen from a non-Muslim woman living under the protection of Islam,59 wishes to die of shame.60

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FAITHFUL AND THE LAW “As for those who disbelieve, they engage in pleasure and in eating as the beasts eat, and the fire shall be their abode.”61 This is the distinguishing feature. One who eats and takes his pleasure with no concern for what is permitted or forbidden (haram), who pays no attention to the condition of the people or to the ordinances of the Islamic laws, such a person is like an animal, he eats as the beasts eat and the “fire shall be his abode.” According

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cease in their hostilities, but eventually he was forced to take up arms against them. In 659 AD he attacked their army under the leadership of Abdullah ibn Wahab al-Rasibi at Nahrawan almost annihilating them. Nahrawan was the third and last battle Imam Ali had to partake in with his internal enemies. ‘Utba ibn ‘Alqama said: “I entered Imam Ali’s house and saw that he was eating dry bread with stale milk. I asked: ‘Oh Commander of the Faithful, how do you live off such food?’ He answered: ‘The Prophet of God ate bread which was drier than this and wore clothes which were coarser than these that I wear. I am afraid if I do anything other than this I will not be reunited with the Messenger of God’.” The word used is dhimmi meaning a non-Muslim citizen of a Muslim state whose rights and obligations are contractually determined. They have to pay the jizyah tax in exchange for the protection they receive and in lieu of the taxes, such as zakat, that only Muslims pay. It refers to the attack of Sufyan ibn ‘Awf on the city of Anbar that took place at the time of Imam Ali’s rule. One of the soldiers stopped two women, one a Muslim and the other a dhimmi and robbed them of their anklets, bracelets and earrings. Qur’an 47:12

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to a tradition, the unbeliever eats with seven stomachs, whereas the believer eats with only one.62 The believer has just one stomach which accepts only that which is lawful. He adapts his appetite, his other desires to the laws of Islam so that he does not violate those laws. But the unbeliever eats with seven stomachs. Satiating one’s lusts without concern for the laws of Islam, this constitutes one stomach. Satiating one’s anger without concern for the law, this is another stomach. Satisfying one’s carnal desires, this is another. Another three are created from a mixture of any two of the above three, and another one comes from all these three together. That makes seven. The unbelievers have seven stomachs but the believer has no more than one, and his stomach is satisfied in the way of the law. Islam has commanded just one way. It’s not the case that the believer follows his anger or his lusts, these are controlled by him. All these forces within him are subordinate to the power of wisdom, and this itself is subject to the law of Islam. The Muslims should mourn the passing of that government of wisdom, that government of justice, belief and God; they should commemorate those few years of Imam Ali’s rule. Gentlemen, these matters of which I am to speak are not imaginary. Unfortunately, I have received letters and complaints from Iran about the situation there which do not cease to trouble me. One of the respected ulama of Shiraz has written saying that famine has afflicted some families in the south of the country to the extent that hunger has forced them to sell their children.63 One of the ulama from Fasa64 has also written to me about the situation in the country saying that he wanted to arrange some food and clothes for the impoverished people, and I agreed that he could use money from the charitable contributions65 for this purpose. Letters have also arrived from Tehran telling me that there is famine in Baluchistan and Sistan and in the outlying regions of Khorasan such that the people have swarmed into the major cities and because of hunger they can no longer keep their livestock. While these tragic circumstances and conditions prevail around the country, millions of tumans are to be spent celebrating in honor of the monarchy.66 According 62 63

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The word used is mi’a meaning stomach. The Prophet (s) said: “Soon after I leave you, there will be food that the believer will eat with one stomach and the unbeliever with seven.” Wasa’il al-Shia, vol. 16, p. 406. Some of the disasters that Imam refers to here were reported in the newspapers of the day. Kayhan newspaper dated May 31, 1971/Khordad 10, 1351 SH reported: “Many deprived people are so poor that with heavy hearts and tearful eyes they are abandoning their beloved children on the wayside and street corners so that they do not have to witness their gradual death. Their pictures and particulars continually appear in the newspapers.” Small city near Shiraz. Share of the Imam: Sahm-i Imam, moneys paid to the Imam, or, in the period of his occultation, to the ulama, for charitable disbursement. After the arrest and exile of Imam Khomeini in 1963 [1342 SH], the opponents of the Shah’s regime embarked on an underground struggle. From 1966 onwards, the Shah, in a bid to demonstrate his power and position, and also to distract the people and keep them amused and occupied, began to hold many festivals. The most important of these was the celebration marking 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran. For the holding of this festival, which is remembered as the greatest show on earth, a city comprising portable palaces and tents furnished with the most expensive decorations was erected beside the ancient site of Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis). Nine kings, five queens, twenty-one princesses and numerous presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers from different countries of the world attended the ceremonies. The food at Persepolis was prepared by the expensive, international restaurant “Maxim’s” of France aided by other leading French and Swiss chefs and caterers. The only food on the menu that was Iranian was caviar (which the Shah would not touch); almost everything else came from France. The dishes, cutlery, wine glasses and tea cups used were the best of their kind and the most expensive in the world. All this was taking place at a time when the majority of Iranian people did not enjoy such basic amenities as water, electricity and medical care. Time magazine, in its August 4, 1980 edition wrote: “Even the story-teller Shahrzad, in her one-thousand-and-one tales, could not bring alive the magnificent scenes of the celebrations for 2,500 years of Iranian monarchy at the ruins of Takht-e Jamshid. When the Shah held this great show at Takht-e Jamshid, he saw himself as the inheritor of one of the oldest monarchical regimes in the world which would endure for centuries and even till the end of history. Which one of his distinguished guests could have imagined that the history of 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran would end with Muhammad Reza Shah himself?”

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to reports, 80 million tumans are to be spent on Tehran alone preparing the city for the festivities. Experts have been invited from Israel to take care of the arrangements for the celebrations; from Israel, that country which is the enemy of Islam, which is at present at war with Islam, which destroyed the al-Aqsa Mosquea crime which some people sought to cover up.67 In addition, according to the world’s major radio stations, Iranian oil tankers are on their way to Israel filled with Iranian oil for a country which is at war with the Muslims!68 These are the actions of the kings that we have to hold festivals for!

DISGRACED MONARCHY Since its inception to the present time, the Iranian monarchy has befouled history. The crimes of the kings of Iran have blackened the pages of history. It is the kings of Iran who massacred their own people, who beheaded them and built towers with their skulls.69 Should the Islamic nation now honor the rule of such monarchs with a celebration?! Should the merchants of the bazaar in Tehran now be forced to contribute to such festivities?! One should commemorate the ruler in whose shelter the Muslims lived comfortably. One should commemorate a ruler who, when he hears that an anklet has been stolen from a non-Muslim woman living under the protection of Islam, wishes to die of shame, not he who, because a slogan is uttered in the university which runs counter to his carnal desires, sends his men to the university to beat the students. Gentlemen, according to reports that have reached here, some female students needed surgery as a result of 67

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The al-Aqsa Mosque: the site in Jerusalem where the Prophet ascended to heaven in the eleventh year of his mission (Qur’an 17: 1); also the complex of mosques and buildings erected on the site. The chief of these was set aflame by the occupiers of Palestine on August 21, 1969. The day after this disaster, the Iranian newspapers led their readers to believe that the fire had not been started intentionally and that the Zionist regime was also shocked and saddened by the event. It was also announced through an official declaration that: “The Shah and the people of Iran, like other Muslims, will be among the first to compensate for the damage done by this fire and will proudly pay their share for rebuilding the al-Aqsa Mosque- the qiblah of the Muslims” A bank account was subsequently opened and the people were asked to donate money to pay for the damage. At that time, Imam was opposed to the mosque’s repair for he wanted this crime of the Quds usurpers to remain for all the Muslims of the world to see and for it to act as a further provocation for the Palestinian combatants. After the defeat of the Arab governments in the Six Day War with Israel in 1967, the Arab world witnessed an increase in anti-Western, especially anti-American, sentiment among its people. America had always shown itself to be Israel’s patron and main supplier of arms, thus, the Arab countries decided that in the event of another war with Israel, they would cut the production and export of oil to the West. Later, in October 1973, the Arab oil weapon was unsheathed on behalf of the Egyptians and Syrians who had once again embarked on a war with Israel in an attempt to free their territories from Israeli occupation. The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, meeting in Kuwait on October 17, 1973 decided to cut production and bring about a total embargo on all oil for the US and the Netherlands until Israel withdrew from all occupied Arab territories. The rich industrialized countries were at first appalled by this action which threatened to place their economies in jeopardy. However, the US and its allies were only marginally affected by the embargo because the Shah announced his opposition to it and agreed to increase production of Iranian oil to meet the needs of the Western market. One of the fundamental aims behind this increase was to meet the requirements of Israel and South Africa. The history of monarchy in Iran has been marked by atrocities. To cite just a few: In 1356, Teymur, among the most celebrated practitioners of the custom of building skull-pyramids, slaughtered 70,000 people in Isfahan and built a pyramid with their skulls. The eighteenthcentury monarch Nadir Shah Afshar in 1744 set off to crush a rebellion against him led by the Governor-General of Fars Province, Qia Quli Aqa. As he approached the rebel’s base in Shiraz, the people of that town, afraid for their lives, seized the Governor-General and handed him over to Nadir Shah’s troops. The monarch then decided not to carry on to Shiraz, but went to Kerman instead to where he summoned all the aristocrats, officials and leaders of Fars province and, along with the leaders of Kerman, had most of them killed and built two towers from their heads. Shiraz was sacked by his soldiery anyway and they pillaged every house and slaughtered many citizens. In 1794, Aqa Muhammad Khan Qajar attacked the city of Kerman in a bid to capture his adversary, Lutf Ali Khan Zand, who had sought refuge there. He proved successful in entering the city and Lutf Ali Khan fled to Bam where he was later captured, blinded and put to death. Aqa Muhammad Khan then killed or gouged the eyes out of numerous people in vengeance for their giving shelter to Lutf Ali Khan. He then transferred the bodies of the dead to the city of Bam where he had a number of skull-pyramids erected. Refer to Sharh-e Hal-e Rijal-e Siyasi-ye Iran, vol. 3, pp. 246- 377 and Shaytan-e Sabz, p. 190.

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the blows and wounds they received. This crime happened just recently but here in Najaf no one is aware of it [the audience weeps]. I am not able to mention the other shameful deeds that they perpetrated. Why did this happen? Their only crime was opposing the twenty-five hundredth anniversary celebrations and saying: “We have no need of this festival; we are hungry; put an end to the hunger of the Muslim people; do not celebrate over the corpses of the people.” Gentlemen, let the world know about these things. Why is Najaf so sound asleep? Do we not have a responsibility? Is our only duty to study? Should we pay no attention to the problems of the Muslims? Are we not to protest that the oil belonging to Iran and Islam is sent to a country which is at war with Muslims? Is there no cause for protest here? Should we not speak about this?70 Which kings are we to commemorate? What happiness have kings ever brought the people? Should we commemorate Aqa Muhammad Khan Qajar?!71 Even in my time the Qajars were still committing atrocities. Should we commemorate the monarch who massacred the Muslims in the mosque of Goharshad in such numbers that the walls were stained with blood and the gates of the mosque had to be closed so that none see the spectacle?72 Should we celebrate the rule of that monarch who was responsible for the events of Khordad 15, who killed, according to one of the ulama, four hundred people in Qum alone, who had fifteen thousand people massacred throughout Iran? Should we commemorate the rule of these people?! Even those that were reputed to be ‘good’ were vile and cruel. It is related that one such ‘good’ monarch, for whose soul prayers are said, once on the way to ‘Abd al-’Azim ordered a group of poor hungry soldiers, who had dared to assemble about his coach to ask for bread and because a stone thrown by one of them had struck his carriage, to be strangled with a rope.73 The order was carried out in part before one of 70 71

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Here Imam is alluding to the quietism of the maraji’ and ulama of Najaf and their opposition to his policies and his involvement in such matters. Muhammad Khan Qajar (1741-1797 AD) was the founder of the Qajar dynasty. After the merciless killing of Lutfullah Khan Zand in 1794, he made Tehran his capital and crowned himself king. Aqa Muhammad Khan was a fearless, bloodthirsty and cruel man. When in his battle with Lutfullah Khan Zand he captured the city of Kerman and failed to find Lutfullah Khan, the latter having fled to the city of Bam, he ordered the massacre of the people of Kerman. Some inhabitants escaped with their lives only to be blinded under the personal supervision of the Shah. His soldiers gouged 35,000 eyes out of their sockets and took 30,000 women and children prisoner. Aqa Muhammad Khan went mad at the end of his life and met his death at the hands of three of his servants. Refer to Sharh-e hal-e Rijal-e Siyasiye Iran, vol. 3, pp. 246-257. In late 1935, Reza Khan gave orders for strict enforcement of his decree requiring men to wear Western headgear and the Islamic veils of women to be removed. This move angered the people and prompted opposition from the clergy. Ayatullah Haj Aqa Husayn Qummi, a religious leader of Mashhad, traveled to Tehran in protest. He set up residence in the vicinity of the shrine of Abdul-Azim (a descendant of Imam Hasan) and when the people heard of his arrival, they rushed from all areas of Tehran to the shrine to see him. The gathering of people there worried Reza Khan, and he gave orders that the residence of Ayatullah Qummi and the shrine be surrounded and no one be allowed to enter. When news of this occurrence reached Mashhad, the people held a large gathering in the new courtyard of the shrine of Imam Reza (as) and immediately orders were given to shoot those gathered there. After this event, Bahlul, a famous preacher of Khorasan province, called the mourners of those murdered in the incident to come together at the mosque of Goharshad, part of the shrine complex in that city. Upon hearing of this second large gathering, Reza Khan ordered that machine-gun fire be used to disperse the crowd and that mercy be shown to no one. Police in Mashhad, along with the infantry, entered the mosque and massacred several hundred people. The bodies of the martyrs and even the wounded were then mercilessly loaded onto trucks and taken out of the city where they were buried in a mass grave. The site of this grave is known as the ‘seat of carnage’.

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It is written that Nasiruddin Shah had set off to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Abdul-Azim. Along the way, his entourage was stopped by a group of soldiers who had gathered on the road to complain to the Shah about their commander ‘Ala ad-Dawlah, who had stolen from their rations and wages. Their commander, who was accompanying the Shah, came forward and began to shout at the soldiers, but they abused him and threw stones at him. One of the stones struck the royal carriage, angering the Shah. On his return to the city, he ordered that the soldiers be summoned into his presence. In a bid to prevent the killing of the poor soldiers, the courtiers brought a number of those who were young, tall and handsome before the Shah so that he might spare them because of their youth. But the Shah

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the great ministers, one of the noblemen of Iran,74 objected saying that they were only poor servants of God and shouldn’t be treated so. His intervention caused the rest to be spared. This was one of the ‘good’ monarchs; the deeds of the evil monarchs are much worse, as we are witnessing now.

WE SHOULD MOURN FOR THESE GOVERNMENTS They eat with seven stomachs! They pay no attention to the nation, to the elementary needs of the nation. People address themselves to us constantly from all over Iran asking permission to use the charitable taxes for the building of bathhouses. So what is all this talk about the Iranian people being prosperous and content? Are they prosperous when they sell their children because of hunger?! Is Iran now prospering? They are now extorting money by pressure and force from the merchants of the bazaars of the country so they can spend some of it on these shameful festivities and use the rest for themselves or their agents. They spend the wealth of the poor people and Muslims for these celebrations, and from the country’s budget they spend millions, tens of millions on such an amusement, such an idiotic spectacle. For what? To satisfy their carnal desires. So that it can be said that we are the people who have celebrated; we are proud that we had Aqa Muhammad Qajar, we are proud that we had Nadir Quli. God knows what a ruthless butcher he was.75 Should we commemorate these people? The Muslims must mourn the existence of such rulers. They should commemorate a ruler who, when he thinks that someone may be going hungry in a far corner of his realm, suffers hunger voluntarily himself. His seat of government was the mosque in Kufah, his bench of judgment was situated in one corner of the mosque and he “ate food as a slave eats and sat as a slave sits.”76 According to tradition, he once bought two tunics, and finding one of them better than the other, he gave the better one

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ordered that they all had to be strangled. News of this event was reported in the European newspapers of the time, and the Shah, in an attempt to cover up his crime, dismissed the commander of the soldiers. Refer to Ahzab-e Siyasi-ye Iran, p. 226. The person referred to is Mirza Yusuf Ashtiyani (1812- 1886 AD) known by the title Mustawfi al-Mamalik and nicknamed ‘Aqa’. Nadir Quli Afshar Qarakhlu (1687- 1747), one of the kings of Iran and the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, was a prisoner of the Uzbeks in his youth and after escaping from them, he entered the service of the governor of Abivard. While in his service, Nadir Quli showed great expertise, and for this reason as well as his success in crushing the governor’s enemies, he was promoted to a position close to the governor and married his daughter, Gauhar Shad. A short while after, Nadir led a successful uprising against his master and ordered that he be skinned alive in front of him. Following these events, Nadir Quli entered the service of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp and, as head of his army, he won back all the Safavid territories which had fallen into the hands of the Russians, Ottomans and Afghans and crushed all his internal and external enemies. In 1732, Nadir Quli deposed Tahmasp in favor of his infant son Abbas and in 1736 he formally assumed power himself and became known as Nadir Shah. His constant campaigns were paid for by enormous taxes and heavy contributions and were, on numerous occasions, the direct cause of famine in many areas of the country. Indeed, his bloody assault on India in 1738-39 was prompted by the promise of an immense booty to replenish his depleted treasury. Nadir Shah’s rule, like that of most of the Persian kings, was marked by atrocities, bloodshed and oppression. Eighteen years of war during his reign wreaked destruction and famine on the country and brought much suffering to the people. His lust for blood led him to murder on a mass scale; the slaughter of the people of Shiraz in 1744 and the erection of two grim towers made from their heads serves as just one example of the atrocities he committed against the people. Intrigues against him were rife, and when in 1741/2 an attempt was made on his life, he had his own son, Reza Quli Mirza, blinded because he suspected him of complicity in the plot. At the end of his life he went insane and killed a great number of his tribal chiefs and courtiers. However, his intention to kill some of his army heads and relatives was not realized as in 1747 he met his death at the hands of a group of chiefs from his own tribe of the Afshar who conspired together with some of the Qajar chiefs. Refer to Sharh-e hal-e Rijal-e Siyasi-ye Iran, vol. 4, p. 193. A tradition related by Imam al-Baqir (as) on the personality and behavior of the Messenger of God says: “The Messenger of God ate food as a slave eats and sat as a slave sits.” Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 16, p. 225.

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to his servants Qanbar.77 The other he kept for himself, and since its sleeves were too long for him, he tore off the extra portion and in this torn garment the ruler of a country ten times the size of Iran went out to deliver his sermon. This gives cause for celebration.

AWAKEN NAJAF Gentlemen, come to your senses; awaken Najaf. Protest against these crimes. If one hundred telegrams were sent from Najaf in a polite form and showing full respect, even using the title ‘His Most Exalted Highness’,78 requesting that these hungry people be fed, that all this expense that the government wants to pay out on these affairs be spent on this misfortunate hungry nation, on this poor, bankrupt people some of whom have run away from Iran and some of whom are here; if one hundred telegrams were sent to Iran by the religious scholars and students here, it may have some effect. But unfortunately, such an idea occurs to no one and I should be only too grateful that no one complains to me about my criticisms of the Iranian government! Really, don’t we have a duty to perform here? Should we just sit back and pay no attention to the circumstances of the people or to what tragedies befall them? Is it enough for us to simply go to Imam Ali’s shrine, pray for them and come back? We who depend on Islam for our living- even though our budget may only be little, still we are living off that- are we not to lift a finger for the sake of Islam? Is tarattub79 Islam? Well fair enough, in its place it is; but is that enough? Is it enough that we gather in such and such a mosque and study Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and dogmatic theology (usul) but remain unaware of the concerns of Muslims? Are we to ignore this Jew who wants to seize all the lands of Islam up to Iraq and destroy these shrines? Is then that person80 who gives him oil a Muslim? Do we not have cause to object, to ask why sir are you giving the oil of Muslims to the unbelievers? Why are you giving the oil of Muslims to a people who are at war with the Muslims? Of course he will answer: “I’m a servant, I’ve been given orders and I have to carry them out.” Naturally, a servant has no other choice but to obey his masters. He said himself in one of his speeches81 that the Allies had installed him on the throne: “The Allies, after occupying Iran, thought it fitting that I should be in control of affairs, and they agreed to my accession to the throne.” May God curse them for thinking it fitting. Someone who is a puppet has to serve his masters; he cannot do otherwise. All this stems from following carnal desires. Attacking the universities comes from 77

The true name of Qanbar was Abi ash-Sha’ta Mawli ibn Mu’ammar. He was an African slave who was freed by Imam Ali. Qanbar was the name that Imam Ali gave him. Qanbar was very devoted to Imam Ali and was dedicated in his service to him. For his part, Imam Ali trusted Qanbar greatly. After Imam Ali’s martyrdom, Qanbar entered the service of Imam Hasan and just before the uprising of Imam Hussayn, he was imprisoned by the Umayyads and was eventually martyred during the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan at the age of sixty-five by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi. For more details please visit: https://en.wikishia.net/view/Qanbar

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It refers to the title the Shah used for himself.

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Tarattub is one of the subjects discussed in the study of the principles and ordinances of Islamic law that the Usuls have referred to in their investigations into commands (to prevent the contradiction of two commands). Refer to the book by Akhund Khorasani (1839 – 1911 AD), Kifayat al-Usul.

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The Shah. On January 26, 1965/Bahman 6, 1343 SH, the Shah, in a message delivered to the people of Iran on the occasion of the anniversary of the announcement of the White Revolution (January 26, 1963), said: “He (Reza Khan) had to go. They felt that his son and successor was of the same sentiment as he, and of course this was so. So what was to be done? For two or three days the Allies of that time and the occupiers of Iran were hesitant about recognizing the new Iranian regime, that is my rule.... but then they said well, the king must remain but the role of the king must be that of a powerless overseer.” This confession was later concealed from the public and all copies of it were collected. Refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Memoirs of General Fardoust, vol. 1, p. 100.

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nothing other than carnal desires. Attacking the Fayziyyah Madrasah and the perpetration of such unthinkable, opprobrious deeds there stem from carnal desires. They insulted the Qur’an and Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq82 in this attack, they set fire to the students’ turbans and threw some of them off the roof of the building. One young sayyid was brought to our house with a broken back after they had thrown him off the roof. Should we now celebrate the rule of such a person? There is nothing for us to celebrate. What is there for the Iranian nation to celebrate? It’s the duty of the Iranian nation to engage in passive struggle against this festival, acts of violence are not necessary. They should refrain from participation in these festivities and remain indoors during the days of the festival. They should avoid participating as far as possible. If all the ulama of Iran were to protest collectively against these celebrations would the authorities arrest them all, banish them or execute them all?! If all the ulama of Iran, who number at least 150,000, all the mullahs, maraji’, Hujjat al-Islams and Ayatullahs were to protest and break this seal of silence, this silence which in fact endorses these atrocities, would the authorities destroy them all? If they were able to do this, they would first destroy me, but their interests do not permit them to do so. If it would be only in their interest to destroy me! What life is this that I lead? Death to this life of mine. They imagine that I am very happy and content with my life and so they think that they can threaten me. Let them come, the sooner the better.83 Death as soon as possible would be better than this life; then I might join the presence of the Most Noble One in the Hereafter, where nobleness and kindness reign supreme, and be delivered from this life of misfortune. What life is this that I lead, constantly hearing the cries and moans of our oppressed and tyrannized people? Every day news arrives of the atrocities they have committed against the young women. How they have killed some of them, how bandits and ruffians attacked the university at lunch time and poured boiling liquid from the pans over the students’ heads. For what? Because they said down with so-and-so and long live so-and-so. Should they kill people because of this? They said why do we need a 2,500 years of monarchy celebration? Those people should celebrate who have some kind of life, who have a government under whose protection they are happy and comfortable. One should celebrate the rule of 82

83

The assault on the Fayziyyah Madrasah took place on March 22, 1963/Farvardin 2, 1342 SH and coincided with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as). The Shia theological centers have been recognized for many years as being the centers for the teachings of Imam al-Sadiq, and because of this, Imam saw this shameful act on the part of the regime, in which copies of the Qur’an were also set alight, as an affront to Imam al-Sadiq. Here Imam is giving his reply to the threats made against him by the regime and which Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini has written about in his memoirs: “Following the killing of America’s pawn, Teymur Bakhtiyar- who was made the Military Governor of Tehran after the coup d’état of August 19, 1952/Mordad 28, 1332 SH and later became the first head of SAVAK- by SAVAK agents in a completely secret operation (refer to the Memoirs of General Fardoust, vol. 1, p. 415) while he was out hunting in Iraq and as he was being closely guarded by the Iraqi Ba’ath party, the deputy head of SAVAK in Qum came to the house of Mr. Ishraqi, Imam’s sonin-law, to deliver, as he put it, a very important message from SAVAK headquarters to myself and Mr. Ishraqi. He spoke for more than an hour, but the gist of his message can be summed up in a few sentences: “After killing Mr. Bakhtiyar, the Iraqi government now intends to assassinate Mr. Khomeini in Najaf and lay the blame for it on us- the Iranian government! Tell Mr. Khomeini about this.” As he was leaving, he said: “If you wish, you can also divulge this matter to the public, it will be alright!” After his departure I told Mr. Ishraqi: “SAVAK has a particular aim and wants everyone to know about this.” I told Imam about the matter, but I did not tell anyone else. Our silence compelled SAVAK to go to Mr. Falsafi, the famous preacher, and tell him what they had told me. Mr. Falsafi, who was not aware of the truth of the matter, made it public in one of his sermons. Imam Khomeini’s understanding of this message was that the regime had threatened him and in effect what they were saying was: “We killed Bakhtiyar even though he was closely guarded by Iraq; you have no one to guard you!”

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Imam Ali whose people were protected within the shadow of his sword, whose people were secure; no one was afraid of his rule. No one was afraid of the government because it was a government of justice and a government of justice excites no fear. But is this the case with the Iranian government? In our country circumstances are such that everyone lives in fear waiting for the government agents to burst into their homes. They may be innocent, but the authorities attack, arrest and torture now on the strength of mere suspicion. It is just like the time of Ibn Ziyad and Hajjaj when if it was even suspected that someone might be a follower of Imam Ali he was seized and destroyed.84 If someone offers them a word of advice or publishes a few copies of an admonitive pamphlet, they arrest him and take him off to some unknown destination. If someone utters a word from the pulpit, if he says something which does not even have much impact on the people, still he is arrested and carried off to prison. Don’t we have a duty to at least expose these crimes?

THE NECESSITY OF THE CLERGY’S COLLECTIVE PROTEST AGAINST THE HOLDING OF CELEBRATION MARKING THE 2,500- YEARS OF MONARCHY. What do I consider as my duty? I consider it my duty to remind you that such things are taking place, to cry out with all the strength at my command and to write and publish with whatever power my pen may have. If my colleagues too consider it proper, if they regard the nation of Islam as their own nation, if they consider that nation to comprise of their followers then let them do the same. And if they do not consider it proper, they must decide for themselves, and may God watch over them. What are we to do in the face of all these problems? Even though we have still not purified ourselves, for if we had we would be thinking about these problems, should I now sit and speak to you about ethics and self-purification while the Muslims and the foundations of Islam are being destroyed!? You have a path of action open to you. Each of you writes a letter of protest to the government of Iran. A stamp doesn’t cost much, even though your income is very little; write a letter for God’s sake. Tell them to abandon this festival, to feed the hungry. Ask the learned scholars and authorities of Najaf to give some advice to the Iranian government. I do not even say they must protest, rather, by way of exhortation and counsel let them ask very politely that they cease behaving towards our people in this way.85 They are making the people suffer, and if they are allowed to continue unrestrained still worse misfortunes will descend upon us. Every day new events are created. They even have special experts for dreaming up these

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After the martyrdom of Imam Ali (as) in 40 AH, the Shia suffered persecution at the hands of subsequent rulers on numerous occasions. ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (died 686 AD), one of Yazid’s henchmen, from the beginning of his governorship over Kufah when he martyred Muslim ibn Aqeel to the end of his life, killed, tortured or imprisoned twelve thousand Shia for the crime of devotion to Imam Ali. It was on his orders that many followers of Imam Ali had their hands and feet severed and their tongues cut out. Maytham Tammar (d. 680 AD)was one who suffered this cruel fate at the hands of Ziyad because he refused to curse Imam Ali and continued in his unswerving loyalty to him and his house even after Imam Ali’s death. Ziyad participated in the battle against Imam Husayn at Karbala. Another ruthless, bloodthirsty governor at the time of the Umayyad caliphate was Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi (661- 714 AD) who considered the non-believers and fire-worshippers to be superior to the followers of Imam Ali. He was infamous for the cruelty he displayed on behalf of his masters in both Iraq and the Hijaz, and killed thousands of people simply because they were Shia. Refer to Tarikh al-Shia, p. 40.

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Here Imam’ words show quite clearly his isolation in the struggle and his alienation in Najaf. The prevailing atmosphere of quietism and indifference in the school is also made quite obvious.

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events. Every day they create a new festival, a new idiotic spectacle. If matters continue on their present course, we will be faced with events in the near future that none of us can even imagine. It may be effective if we make our protests known to the Islamic countries which plan to take part in these vile festivals, if we ask them not to partake in these sordid celebrations, not to participate in the murder of the Iranian nation. Tell the Islamic countries to shun all participation in this festival that is being arranged by Israeli experts and engineers on the outskirts of Shiraz.86

ISRAEL’S CONSPIRACY AGAINST ISLAM Experts from Israel are taking care of the arrangements- from Israel, that enemy of Islam and the Qur’an which a few years ago attempted to corrupt the text of the Qur’an87 and now imputes to the Qur’an unworthy statements. Just recently the Israelis claimed that Surah Five Verse Six of the Qur’an says that after easing nature, the Muslim does not have the right to wash his hands with soap only with water, and that this has been the cause of some of the diseases in Germany. This matter created such a hullabaloo in that country. What is Verse Six of Surah Five? It is a verse which talks about ritual cleanliness.88 This is what the Israelis are like. They bear so much animosity towards Islam. Our students abroad vigorously protested against this and refuted these statements, may God strengthen and assist them. They wrote to the newspapers, but some of the government-controlled press did not accept their arguments and those which did, did not really give enough publicity to their counter-arguments. They met with the authorities and told them that this was a lie; they proved its falsehood in articles in their newspapers and magazines. They performed such a great service for Islam. Can the same be said about us? They are the students of the modern sciences, but they are Muslim, they are awake while you and I as students of the traditional sciences are asleep or involved with other things. One should not speak out about the situation here! Speaking out is incompatible with the position of a marja’ or an akhund! Shouldn’t the akhunds speak out?!89

INTERFERENCE IN POLITICS AS DUTY OF THE CLERGY Were not the Prophet and Imam Ali, religious scholars? and did they not preach long sermons? How is it that now, when it is the turn of the present generation of religious scholars to speak out, we make excuses so we can shirk our responsibility. Gentlemen, do not let allow yourselves to be taught to think like this. It 86 87 88

It refers to the celebrations of 2,500 years of Iranian monarchy which were held at Takht-e Jamshid, fifty-six kilometers north-east of Shiraz on the Marv Dasht plateau. Soon after the Six Day War, it was reported that copies of the Qur’an were circulating in the territories seized by the Zionists, as well as in African countries, from which all verses critical of the Jews had been excised. Surah al-Ma’idah 4: 6: “O you who have faith! When you stand up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows,

and wipe a part of your heads and your feet, up to the ankles. If you are junub, purify yourselves. But if you are sick, or on a journey, or any of you has come from the toilet, or you have touched women, and you cannot find water, then make tayammum with clean ground and wipe a part of your faces and your hands with it. Allah does not desire to put you to hardship, but He desires to purify you, and to complete His blessing upon you so that you may give thanks.” In 1971, a West German newspaper claimed that the spread of a contagious disease among Muslims was due to their lack of personal hygiene and that this had been brought about because the Qur’an had prohibited Muslims from washing themselves with soap. The article cited Verse Six, Surah Five in support of its claim and stated that because Muslims wash themselves without the use of soap or any other cleansing agent, bacteria was not killed and disease followed. This article was not left without answer and the Muslim students in Europe wrote articles refuting the claim and held a seminar on hygiene from an Islamic point of view. 89

It points to the quietism of the Najaf theological center.

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is your duty to serve Islam, and service to Islam does not just mean studying, this is only one aspect of it. You have a duty to concern yourselves with the problems of the Muslims. You have a duty to interfere. How often we have been told we must not interfere in affairs of state. It seems that we have in fact come to believe that we should not interfere in the affairs of government, we should not object. Yet since the very beginning of history the prophets and scholars of religion have stood up to tyrannical governments. Did they not realize that they were not supposed to do this? When God the Blessed and Exalted sent Moses to destroy Pharaoh, didn’t He know that one must not struggle against kings? It is related in a tradition and quoted in either the work of Tabari90 or Ibn Athir91, that the Prophet said that the title of ‘King of kings’ is the most repugnant of all titles in his eyes.92 It is one of the most hated titles given to a human being. This title is for God. From the very beginning, the prophets and after them the Imams (as) all rose up against kings and tyrannical governments, not relinquishing the struggle even under conditions of extreme difficulty or imprisonment. Musa ibn Ja’far continued his struggle even in prison.93 Abi ‘Abdillah94 practiced dissimulation (taqiyyah) and related the maqbulah tradition95 and at the same time he confronted them; he confronted them with words and propaganda and by this means he urged the people on in their struggles against the king. Imam

90 91 92 93

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Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838- 923 AD) who was born in Tabaristan in Iran is one of the great Muslim historians and the writer of Tarikh-e Tabari. ‘Izzuddin ibn al-Athir (1160- 1234 AD) is one of the great Muslim historians and transmitters of Prophetic traditions. His history entitled Kamil at-Tawarikh and famous as Tarikh-e ibn Athir is one of the famous history books. It is related in a tradition accounted to the Prophet of Islam, thus: “The most hated of all titles in the sight of God is ‘King of kings’. Refer to Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1688 Imam Abul-Hasan Musa al-Kazim (as), son of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as), was the seventh of the Twelve Imams, and generally known as Imam Musa al-Kazim. He was born in Medina in 744 AD and martyred in prison in Baghdad in 799 AD. In the book Durr at-Tanzim, an example of Imam Musa ibn Ja’far’s opposition to Harun ar-Rashid is cited. Harun ar-Rashid sent Fazl ibn Rabi’ to Imam Musa (as) in prison to give him a message. Fazl said: “I saw Imam at prayer. I stood waiting a while for him to finish. After finishing one prayer, he immediately began another, and repeated this act several times until I began to speak. I said: “The Commander of the Faithful sent me to you and ordered that I tell his brother to command anything he wants and bring it for him.” Upon hearing this Imam said: “Neither have I money that will be of benefit, nor has God created me as one who pleads.” Then he said: “Allahu Akbar” [“God is Great”] and began to pray again.” The fourth Imam, Ali, known as Zayn al-’Abidin and Imam al-Sajjad (658- 712 AD) even from his prison cell kept in contact with the combatants of his time and led the struggle against the repressive regime. For more details on the life of Imam al-Kazim (as), please see: The Life of Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far al-Kazim by Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/life-imam-musa-bin-jafar-alkazim-baqir-shareef-al-qurashi In the language of the traditions and Islamic jurisprudence, “Abi ‘Abdillah” is the title by which the sixth Imam, Ja’far ibn Muhammad alSadiq (as) is known. The maqbulah tradition is the tradition of ‘Umar ibn Hanzalah who asked Imam al-Sadiq (as), the sixth Imam, whether it was permissible in the event of a disagreement between two Shia concerning a debt or a legacy to seek the verdict of the ruler or judge. He replied: “Anyone who has recourse to the ruler or judge, whether his case be just or unjust, has in reality had recourse to the taghut (i.e. the illegitimate ruling power). Whatever he obtains as a result of their verdict, he will have obtained by forbidden means, even if he has a proven right to it, for he will have obtained it through the verdict and judgment of the taghut, that power which God Almighty has commanded him to disbelieve in: “They wish to seek justice from illegitimate powers, even though they have been commanded to disbelieve therein.” [Qur’an 4: 60]. Imam al-Sadiq then advised the Shia to refer to one of the fuqaha i.e. one learned in the principles and ordinances of Islamic law, or, more generally in all aspects of the faith. Those learned in the study of traditions have called this tradition the maqbulah tradition, and even though its chain of authorities [isnad] is weak, still it is accepted and referred to by the fuqaha. Refer to Wasa’il al-Shia, vol. 18, the section on the attributes of judges, pp. 98- 99; Imam Khomeini, Kitab al-Bay’, vol. 2, p.

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Hasan rose up against the king of his day, Mu’awiyah, as far as he was able,96 even though at that time most people had sworn allegiance to Mu’awiyah and recognized him as their king. And when he was betrayed by a group of self-seeking, opportunistic followers and left without support, the very conditions of the peace treaty that he signed with Mu’awiyah disgraced that monarch97, just as later, the bloody revolt of the Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Husayn) disgraced Yazid. The confrontation has always continued. Later on the great scholars of Islam fought against the tyrants who spent the wealth of their country on debauchery and trivial

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During the last year of Imam Ali’s caliphate, Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, the governor of Syria and the main challenger of Imam Ali, managed to bring a large part of the Muslim lands under his control. Nevertheless, he could not claim for himself the title of “Commander of the Faithful” while Imam Ali was still alive. Immediately after Imam Ali’s death, the office of caliph was passed on to his eldest son Imam Hasan (as). His acclamation as caliph by the people was a great cause of alarm to Mu’awiyah who had been working for the office for many years and who with the death of Imam Ali at last saw a clear path to undisputed authority. He lost no time in taking action, he denounced the appointment, sent many of his agents and spies to arouse the people against Imam Hasan, gathered an army of 60,000 men and marched against the new caliph. When Mu’awiyah’s warlike intentions became clear, Imam Hasan had to prepare for battle. In a sermon delivered in the Friday Mosque, he invited the people to take part in a jihad against Mu’awiyah. Initially the people showed fickleness and lack of enthusiasm to do battle with Mu’awiyah. It was only when people such as ‘Adi ibn Hatam, an old and devoted follower of Imam Ali and chief of the tribe of Tayyi, and Qays ibn Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada al-Ansari, a trusted commander of Imam Ali’s army, addressed the people urging them to respond to the call of Imam Hasan, did they come out to participate in the war. When the people announced their readiness to fight, Imam Hasan sent a vanguard of between 12,000 to 14,000 men under the command of Ubaydullah ibn al-Abbas. Soon after, Imam Hasan left Kufah with his main army. However, before he reached his vanguard, some of the troops accompanying him began to show signs that they lacked the necessary ardor and were not ready to make sacrifices in a jihad for their faith. Mu’awiyah’s machinations brought about mutiny in Imam Hasan’s army, his army heads received bribes and one after the other left the battlefield, leaving Imam Hasan to stand alone. Under such circumstances, Imam Hasan was forced to come to terms with Mu’awiyah. For a more detailed account of this event see The Origins and Early Development of Shi’a Islam. S. H. M. Jafri, pp. 130-148.

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The terms of the peace agreement which was signed by Imam Hasan and Mu’awiyah are as follows: 1) Governance lies with Mu’awiyah on condition that he rules according to the Book of God, the Sunnah (i.e. the practice) of the Prophet and the conduct of the righteous caliphs. 2) The caliphate will be restored to Imam Hasan after the death of Mu’awiyah and if anything were to happen to him, it would pass to Imam Husayn. Mu’awiyah does not have the right to select a successor after him. 3) Mu’awiyah will stop reviling and cursing Imam Ali and he will not mention him in any other than good terms. 4) The treasury of Kufah which contains five million dirhams will not be handed over to Mu’awiyah. Mu’awiyah will send two million dirhams annually for Imam Husayn. Preference will be given to the Bani Hashim over the Bani Umayyah in the granting of gifts and awards. One million dirhams will be divided among the relatives of those martyred while fighting for Imam Ali in the battles of the Camel and Siffin. All this will be paid from the revenues of the district of Darabjird. 5) The people from all over the land- Syria, Iraq, Yemen or the Hijaz- will be secure and this includes every race, black or red. Mu’awiyah will overlook any offences pending against them and no one will be called to account for past offences. The people of Iraq will not be punished in revenge for their past. The companions and followers of Imam Ali, wherever they are, their lives, properties, women and children will be guaranteed and they will be kept safe and secure. They will not be persecuted, injured or deprived of their rights or privileges nor dispossessed of anything which they possess. No dangerous plot will be made for killing Imam Hasan ibn Ali (as) and his brother Imam Husayn, or anyone from the family of the Prophet and nowhere in the regions of the Islamic land will they be intimidated or threatened. In his first speech in the mosque at Kufah, Mu’awiyah dismissed the agreement. However, at the same gathering, Imam Hasan delivered a speech in which he spoke of Mu’awiyah’s treason. His speech was so effective that some of the people gathered there stood up and began to curse Mu’awiyah. Refer to Sulh-e Imam Hasan [The Peace Treaty of Imam Hasan], pp. 353- 358; 385- 392; Shaykh Radi Al-Yasin, Sulh al-Hasan: The Peace Treaty of Al-Hasan, translated by Jasim al-Rasheed (Qum: Ansariyan Publications, 1998). Full text available at: https://www.al-islam.org/sulh-al-hasan-shaykh-radi-aal-yasin.

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enjoyment abroad. One person in particular borrowed great sums of money and went to Europe twice, three times- but are human desires ever satisfied? The ulama opposed his actions.98 At that time they were strong. The nation was vital and alert, the people supported them and they were successful in their struggle. If we too are vital and alert, we will be successful. But unfortunately each one of us persists in his own individual opinion, and naturally, if one hundred million people have one hundred million different opinions, they will be unable to accomplish anything, for “the hand of God is with the group.”99 Solidarity and unity are essential, and isolated individuals can achieve nothing. If the ulama of Qum, Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan and the other cities in Iran were to protest collectively today against this scandalous festival and this debauchery that they are about to bring about, if they were to condemn these crimes and extravagances which are destroying the people and the nation, all for the sake of satisfying their own carnal desires, be assured that results would be forthcoming. But as long as each one of us persists in his own individual opinion, persists in thinking that his religious duty is one thing while another believes it to be something else, this is disastrous for Islam. It is disastrous for Islam to have such clergymen. Such clergymen like me are disastrous for Islam. I say these things because an even darker future, God forbid, lies ahead of you.

THE DOYEN OF THE MARTYR’S UPRISING WAS ALSO MEANT FOR SETTING UP A GOVERNMENT You should give these matters some consideration. Do not spend your time creating religious duties for yourselves. It is the apathetic person who says it is not his religious duty to rise up against tyranny. You have more forces at your disposal than the Doyen of the Martyrs did, and he rose up and opposed the king of his time until he was killed. Had he been apathetic, God forbid, he could have said it was not his religious duty to rise up. His enemies would have been only too happy for him to remain silent so that they could attain their vile goals; they were afraid of his rebelling. But he dispatched Muslim100 to procure the people’s allegiance to him so that he might overthrow that corrupt government and set up an Islamic government. If he had stayed in some corner in Medina and had nothing to do with anyone, and when that wretch101 told him to pledge allegiance he had done so, God forbid, they would have shown him a great deal of respect, they would have come to kiss his hand and carry him on their shoulders for he was the grandson of the Prophet. And if you sit silently by, you too will be respected, but it will be the kind of respect that is given to a dead saint. A dead saint is respected by everyone, but a living saint or Imam who speaks out has his 98

During the reign of Muzaffaruddin Shah (1896- 1907 AD), unrestrained spending, the plunderings of corrupt courtiers and the costs of the Shah’s extravagant European tours, emptied the country’s treasury. Circumstances were ripe for exploitation by the imperialist governments of Russia and Britain who, in attempts to increase their influence in the country, stepped in with offers of heavy loans to the bankrupt monarch. In return, they took control of the customs revenues, income from the northern fisheries and the telegraph office as well as some other privileges as insurances against the loans. Money received in loans amounted to more than two million English pounds and thirty-eight million Russian rubles. Active elements among the clergy of the time such as Ayatullah Tabatabai and Ayatullah Behbahani, brave preachers and even the newspapers of the day, objected to these measures and called on the people to stand up for their rights. Refer to Ikhtinaq dar Iran, pp. 13,19.

99 “The hand of God is with the group”: a statement attributed to the Prophet, Sahih Tirmidhi, vol. 9, p. 10. 100 Muslim Ibn Aqil: a cousin and votary of Imam Husayn and was martyred by the Umayyad forces in Muharrum, 61 AH. . 101 Walid ibn Utba (d. 684 AD): The governor of Medina at the time who was told by Yazid, the new Umayyad ruler, to forcibly get pledge of allegiance for Yazid from Imam Husayn (as). Walid belonged to the Umayyad clan and was a son of Utba ibn Abi Sufyan and thus was a paternal nephew of Caliph Mu'awiyah.

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head cut off. God knows were Imam Ali to stand up to them today, they would do the same to him. This all stems from following their desires, “they eat as the beasts eat”: they care not where their nourishment comes from or how it is obtained. As long as their needs and requirements are met, the world may drown in blood and entire peoples may be destroyed. They are animals. Let them know that the fire shall be their abode, that they are despised by the Islamic community and by all alert peoples throughout the world, and that the Muslims are repelled by the very notion of monarchy. May God strengthen and assist you all. May He awaken you all. May He strengthen and aid Islam, the theological schools and the great ulama and make them aware of these evils. It is your duty to pray for Islam and your fellow Muslims- those poor, hungry, wretched people in Iran- for those who suffer imprisonment, torture and banishment, for those who are in hospital and for those innocent girls who had such severe wounds inflicted on them. Pray for them, they are Muslims and they are oppressed. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

18th Speech Date: October 19, 1971/Mehr 27, 1350 SH/Sha’ban 28, 1391 AH Place: Najaf, Iraq Subject: Self-purification Occasion: Arrival of the Holy Month of Ramazan Addressees: A group of clergymen and students of the religious sciences In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

RAMAZAN THE MONTH OF PURIFICATION AND REPENTANCE God willing, you will meet the month of Ramazan with a healthy spirit. During the blessed month you will see yourselves in the banquet of God, the Blessed and Exalted, and you will see Him as your Host and to be really present. If, God forbid, once you wanted to insult an individual; you have to understand that you are insulting the servant of God in His Presence. If you backbit a believer, you have to know that in God’s Presence you backbit a believer. Your deeds- according to the Prophetic traditions- are to be presented before the Messenger of God (s). If your deeds are presented and the Messenger of God sees that you are a wrong doer, how upset would he be? You do not want the Messenger of God to be upset; so do not offend his blessed heart. If one day your and my records of deeds are taken and the Messenger of God sees them full of backbiting, slander, abusive language, and the like; in respect to the heart, as he is aware of, it is giving all attention to the world, and in respect to behavior, it is full of corrupt morals, malice, jealousy, and vengeance, and I say, pessimism toward the people, then perhaps seeing such things in the presence of God’s angels and in the presence of God, the Blessed and Exalted, he will be ashamed that this person is his follower, his Shia and a member of his ummah. If a person is related to another person, he is connected to him. Take for example, the brother of a person, son of a person, relatives of a person, and servant of a person; if the other person related to him commits something bad, the person would be ashamed of the

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people. You are all related to the Messenger of God. By your coming to these theological schools, you have connected yourselves to the jurisprudence of Islam. You have connected yourselves to the Messenger of God and the Qur’an. It is possible for the Messenger of God to be offended by a bad deed. It is possible, God forbid, for him to curse us. God willing, compensate during the month of Ramazan. If you have committed something, compensate for it. If, God forbid, you have committed a sin, repent before the arrival of the month of Ramazan; turn away from it. You have to know that there is a lot of dangers; you have to know that there are a lot of places that we must enter; there are a lot of dangers for us. By the will of God, you will enter the month of Ramazan with a wholesome and clean soul, and will act upon its duties during the month of Ramazan. By His will, God will grant you all with success; place you all among the knowledgeable scholars; purify you all; purify the society through you; and remove the calamities from you.

19th Speech Date: December 23, 1971/Dey 2, 1350 SH/Dhul-Qadah 4, 1391 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Possible migration of Imam Khomeini to Lebanon Occasion: The deportation of Iranians from Iraq Addressees: Clergy, seminary students and Iranians residing in Iraq In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

LEAVING IRAQ When I sent the Iraqi officials a telegram stating my views concerning their behavior, not only did they ignore my counsel; they reacted by taking the harsh measures that we all saw.102 After this I decided I need no longer remain. Tomorrow I shall request to leave, but wherever I may be, my affections will remain with you my brothers, just as if I were here. As for those of you remaining here, be you clergymen of Afghanistan, India Iraq or wherever, our relationship will remain the same once I have gone as it was when I was here I hope that the Iranian clergymen will safely achieve their goals and, God willing, will find a position in one of the religious centers, either in Qum, or, if this is not possible, then in Mashhad, in order to protect the religious centers of learning. I also hope that just as the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants, left Mecca one day, thinking that he would never return, so you too who are being forced to leave this place, you whose ultimate desire is to be near Imam Ali and the religious center of learning in 102 Relations between Iran and Iraq following the Ba’athist coup were reaching a critical state and the Ba’athist regime was deporting groups of Iranians from Iraq in the middle of winter to areas near the border. Imam Khomeini, in spite of all the limitations confining him as an exile, sent a telegram to the Iraqi President sketching the unpleasant political outcome of this action, and detailing the role played by Iranians in helping Iraq to achieve liberation. He then voiced his opinions with regard to the Ba’athist officers’ actions towards Iranian residents in Iraq. In his telegram Imam wrote: “It is my opinion that the harsh behavior of the officers has placed women and children in danger of the deadly cold, while it has also damaged the country’s political reputation and the nation’s economy. In closing, keeping this point and others in view, I advise you to reconsider your options and to maintain the Islamic brotherhood which God, the Exalted, and the Holy Prophet (s) have specifically ordained.” However, in spite of this, the anti-Islamic Ba’athist regime ignored Imam’s advice and continued exiling Iranians as before.

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Najaf, will also one day be able to return. I hope that God, the Blessed and Exalted, will protect this place, for there still remains a group of clergymen here... and this is where Islamic teachings have been compiled.

THE BA’ATHIST REGIME OF IRAQ’S BEHAVIOR TOWARD THE VICINITY OF THE IMAMS’ (AS) GRAVES This theological center shall not be broken up; it cannot be broken up. All that can happen is that people can be changed around. Perhaps I am not worthy to be in the vicinity of the shrine of Imam Ali (as), but God willing, He shall choose from those who deserve to be near the Hazrat (Imam Ali) and can defend Islam and the Shia school of thought. In any case, no matter how much I think about it, it is not right for me to stay at a time when my friends are leaving, when our religious brothers are being sent away in such a manner. By comparison, I was told that when it was decided to throw the Jews out of Baghdad some time ago, they were given six months prior notice and an official body was set up to ensure that the property of the Jews would be bought from them at a fair price. Yet this is the manner in which they behave with you and with the Iranian Shia here. It is deplorable that this country should act in this way with those living in the vicinity of the holy shrines of the Twelve (Immaculate) Imams, peace be upon them, and it is no longer right for me to remain here. Tomorrow therefore, I shall request permission to go to Lebanon where, just as the two martyrs103 (may God bless them) attained martyrdom, so too, God willing, [the audience weeps heavily for a considerable length of time]

ENDURING UNPLEASANTNESS AND SERVICE TO ISLAM Wherever you gentlemen may be, wherever we may be, our hearts must be brave and we must be ready to endure whatever unpleasantness may come our way, be it in Iran or here in Iraq, and we must serve Islam. Do not imagine that this kind of hardship is detrimental to you, for this is not so. It is to your benefit, for not only will you be favored by God, the Exalted, but your deeds will achieve favorable results here in this world. Look how we are treated in Iran, and in what manner we are treated in Iraq. For a certain group of Shia the situation is like that in Iran and like this in Iraq. These people, these merchants, businessmen, women and children, are now being sent to the borders in the bitter cold of winter, and there they meet with people who treat them more severely still. These poor, unfortunate people are worse off than you, and I truly feel sorry for them.

103 The two martyrs: the first martyr, Shamsuddin Muhammad ibn Makki al-’Amili and the second martyr, Zaynuddin ibn Ali al-Amili. The first martyr was born in 1333 AD (734 AH) in Jezzine, one of the Jabal Amil villages in Lebanon. He was an eminent Shia religious scholar who was an exceptional master of religious jurisprudence, Qur’anic commentary, hadiths and doctrinal theology. Some of his most famous writings include Al-Lum’at al-Dameshqiyyah; Ad-Durus al-Shar’iyyah fi Fiqh al-Imamiyyah; Kitab adh-Dhikri; and Al-Ulfiya fi-Fiqh as-Salat alYawmiyyah. He died on Thursday, Jamadi al-Awwal 9, 786 AH (1384 AD), after having been imprisoned for one year in Syria, during Sultan Barquq’s term of office as governor of Damascus. In accordance with a judicial decree issued by Judge Burhanuddin Maliki and ‘Ibad ibn Jama’ah Shafi’i, he was imprisoned for one year, then beheaded by sword. His corpse was then crucified and stoned in Damascus whereby it was burned and the ashes were discarded into the air. The second martyr was born in the year 1505 (911 AH) in Jabal Amil, Lebanon. He was a senior Shia canonist and was proficient in most of the popular sciences such as religious jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, Qur’anic commentary, philosophy, discourse, gnosticism, astronomy, and medicine. His most important works include Ar- Rawzat al-Bahiya fi Sharh al-Lum’at al-Dameshqiyyah and Masalik al-Afham. He was arrested at the age of fifty-four in 1559 (965 AH), by order of Judge ‘Uthman and while being transferred from Istanbul was killed by one of the enemies of the Shia who had been sent by King ‘Uthman.

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BE STRONG In any event, you must be strong. Prepare yourselves and remember God the Blessed, the Most High, for He is your benefactor [the audience weeps bitterly] You have God on your side and He will help you; and God willing, this theological school will remain secure. The day that Haj Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karim passed away (may he rest in peace), it was said that there were more than one hundred religious students in the theological center but they were redundant religious students soon afterwards however, once the oppressor was gone the theological school came to have fivethousand members, and now, praise be to God, it is still going strong and hopefully always will. God willing, the Blessed and Supreme Lord shall give you strength and will protect this theological school. I hope He will allow you to return to your homes and that you will strengthen your souls in order to endure hardships for the sake of God. In return, God the Blessed and Exalted will reward you. God willing, tomorrow I shall determine my future course. Tomorrow I shall hand in my passport and if they accept it so be it, but if they do not accept it then I shall remain here. May God keep and protect you all. It will be difficult for me to leave you gentlemen [the audience weeps] but it is my destiny, it is something which has occurred and I submit to God’s will...104

20th Speech Date: December 31, 1971/Dey 10, 1350 SH/Dhul-Qadah 12, 1391 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: The necessity of preserving the religious seminaries Addressees: Clergy, seminary students and Iranians residing in Iraq In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE PROPHET’S (S) PROGRAM IN MECCA During his time in Mecca before his migration to Medina, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his descendants) was concerned only with propagating the word of God and acquainting the people with God the Exalted and with Islam. He had no assistant to help him combat the polytheists and spread Islam. Just as one sees in the Holy Qur’an, the Surahs which were revealed to him in Mecca concern the aspects of introducing Islam, preaching and guidance alone, there is no mention of disagreements or war and even the laws are spoken of less.

THE EXPANSION OF ISLAM IN MEDINA AND THE CONQUEST AND FALL OF MECCA The ordinary man who looks only at the surface of things could not have predicted what benefits his migration from Mecca, under such unpleasant circumstances and having suffered a defeat, would hold for him. However, when he went to Medina, then the results of his migration became clear and he was able to 104 At the end of this speech several sentences were spoken between Imam and a member of the audience which were not intelligible on the tape recording possessed by the Institute.

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spread the word of Islam and find followers there, eventually returning victoriously and successfully to Mecca in such a way that the elders of the Quraysh tribe were humbled before him, and even though this was so, the Prophet set them free.105 Now, even though a great many Iranians have become the scapegoats in the dispute between the governments106 and have been turned out of this country under such tragic circumstances107, there may well be some great benefits to come from this action of which we are, as yet, unaware. May God, the Blessed and Exalted, return you all to this theological center just as the Holy Prophet (s) returned victoriously and triumphantly to Mecca, and may the day arrive when this theological center becomes even stronger than it is now. I am sure that, sooner or later, the theological center will return to its former state, and, God willing, if you act upon your religious and scientific duties, you too will return to Najaf.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SEMINARY STUDENTS The burden of knowledge is a heavy burden which is upon your shoulders. Not only is it your responsibility to learn a handful of terms and their meanings, but you have also been given the responsibility for preserving Islam and its precepts. You are the trustees of a divine revelation, and you must purify your souls while at the same time acquiring knowledge. And as you propagate your knowledge to others, you must also ameliorate your soul. Never fail to remember your obligations, be amicable and pleasant to one another, put aside your differences, be to one another as brothers, and with a spirit of unity and purity work for Islam. You are all scholars, you are all the leaves of one tree and all from one root, and if you are faithful to your vow, God, the Exalted, shall be loyal to His vow and shall return you to the theological center. God 105 During the eighth year after hijrah (630 AD) the Prophet set out for Mecca. The Prophet’s uncle Abbas left the camp to find someone from Mecca to send a message to the Quraysh telling them to present themselves to the Prophet or be destroyed. That night Abbas met Abu Sufyan, gave him shelter and took him to the Prophet. Abu Sufyan became a Muslim that night. Abbas said: “Abu Sufyan is a man who would like to benefit.” The Prophet said: “Whoever goes to his own home and closes the door shall be safe; whoever seeks shelter in the home of Abu Sufyan shall be safe; and whoever goes to the Masjid al-Haram shall be safe.” The way that the Prophet dealt with the people of Mecca revealed the beneficence of Islam and the generosity of this religion’s Prophet to those who once opposed him. The Quraysh had tormented Prophet Muhammad and his followers for twenty years and they feared the consequences, but when they had been conquered by him when they heard him say: “I free all of you.” See Tarikh-e Tahlili-e Islam, pp. 79- 80; Ja’far Subhani, The Message, available at: https://www.alislam.org/message-jafar-subhani; Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, The Life of Muhammad the Prophet, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/lifemuhammad-prophet-sayyid-saeed-akhtar-rizvi. 106 Historical records of the dispute between Iran and Iraq date back to the Safavid era, a period in which Iraq had still not reached independence and was part of the Ottoman Empire. However, the dispute between the two countries to which Imam is referring concerns the superpower conflict over the Ba’athist coup d’état in Iraq. On July 17, 1968/Tir 26, 1347 SH, the British coup d’état in Iraq brought the Ba’ath Party to power. After a series of political changes and transformations, the American wing of the Iraqi government was cast aside and in reality the covert disagreements between Britain and America regarding their interests in the Persian Gulf became the basis of future disagreements and struggles between Iran and Iraq. These differences, which grew with every passing day with the unilateral abrogation of the Iran-Iraq border agreement by the Shah’s regime, reached a climax and resulted in worsening political relations between these two countries. Meanwhile, the Iraqi people and Iranian residents of that country became the scapegoats of these disagreements. The differences continued as long as the superpowers had disagreements concerning their interests in the Persian Gulf and after that peace prevailed. 107 The Iranians were banished from Iraq during the freezing cold of winter. They were not even given permission to take with them food, clothing and the other necessities required for a winter trip. They were taken in groups from their homes and picked up off the streets and packed into military trucks and then abandoned in the wilderness and mountainous areas. These Iranians had lived and worked long years in Iraq to become homeowners, then in a very brief space of time, all their possessions were confiscated and they were banished from their homes.

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willing, we shall meet again here. If I reach the end of my days and am not here with you, you all shall be here and gather together once again.

IMPOSSIBILITY OF THE THEOLOGICAL CENTER’S DECLINE In any event, this theological center will not sink into decline; it will remain in its place. Irrespective of the spiritual and divine aspects, even according to the laws of nature the theological centers will not vanish because they are held in esteem by all Muslims, especially the Shia, and they have the support of the nation, and that which the nations support the government cannot oppose. Governments are transient, their lives short. The support for Najaf comes from great nations and because of this it will be preserved. Now in our theological center there are students from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq and other Arab nations all acquiring knowledge, and this government,108 which certainly cannot be called a government, does not have the power to stand up to these nations, even though it may oppose you and I it cannot oppose the nation. If the Iranian gentlemen are sent away, the others must remain and uphold their obligations to their religion. For you are like regiments of soldiers, if one regiment is attacked and defeated by the enemy, then another steps in to take its place and resolutely stands up to the enemy. It is the enemy’s wish that when one regiment is defeated the rest retreat leaving the battlefield deserted.

VICTORY IS WITH THE OPPRESSED The gentlemen who are here from other countries must stand firm and continue with their studies and with the purification of their souls. And if I, a student of religion, and the maraji’ leave, you must remain and continue with your duties. Of course, my leaving has reasons that maybe many of you are not aware of, but others must remain and not desert the fortress, for we have seen what can happen. The theological center in Qum was destroyed- such destruction! A few who were always under pressure and harassed put up resistance and soon there came a turnabout: the previous oppressor109 was removed and the defeated center of that era110 became the six-thousand-strong theological center of today. You have not been defeated. If you look at the history of the oppressors and those oppressed around the world, you will see that the oppressed are always victorious. Mu’awiyah with all the power, wealth and greatness which he possessed was obliterated and today in Syria, the center of his realm, there is not even a trace of his grave111 108 The Ba’athist regime of Iraq. 109 Reza Khan. 110 In one of Imam Khomeini’s writings he described the destruction of the theological center in this way: “Everyone has seen that the antireligious propaganda was so widespread that most of the national newspapers occupied their own time and that of their readers with this matter and in whatever way possible they instilled irreligious ideas into the people. Propagation by the clergy was impossible during those twenty years. Holding gatherings for the propagation of religion was viewed (by the authorities) as being as bad as if not worse than, drug smuggling. Theological centers throughout the country which were the fountainhead of this propagation were taken over and either shut down or turned into centers of corruption for the youth. The Marvy Religious School, from which thousands of clergy had graduated, was converted into a place for a few Armenians. The Sepahsalar Religious School was given over to a few young people and renamed the Mawqufa School for their reform training and remains so even now.” See Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 2, p. 337. 111 Mu’awiyah is quoted as saying: “I am immersed in worldly riches!” And so he was. He was the first to create an empire of Arab aristocracy. The Green Palace, where he lived, was luxurious. It was a wonder to the eye. The walls, columns and floor of the palace hall were inlaid with expensive stones of yellow, black and white. His throne was carved out of white marble. In the year 680 AD when Mu’awiyah wanted to celebrate the twentieth year of his rule, half his body was paralyzed and he spoke with difficulty. When he died he was buried in a small grave.

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The situation of these poor merchants who have stayed long years in Iraq and who have no friends, family, acquaintances, not even a single relation in Iran, is extremely sorrowful and it is my hope that the people of Iran will treat them well. They are guests and I expect the noble Muslim people of Iran to be kind to their guests and their brothers. Give them shelter, food and clothing. Help them to solve their problems and more importantly, familiarize them with the Iranian situation with which they are unfamiliar. You gentlemen, who leave for Iran, send my regards to our Iranian brothers, tell them that I personally request that they help these brothers who number approximately a hundred thousand and have been expelled from Iraq and scattered throughout Iran and that they show them kindness.

21st Speech Date: September 28, 1977/Mehr 6, 1356 SH/Shawwal 14, 1397 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Warning on misconceptions on Islam Addressees: Clergymen and students of Najaf theological center I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

TIME MANAGEMENT, OBLIGATION ON NOT WASTING THE AFFLUENCE OF YOUTH Yesterday, I discussed the issue of usurpation (ghasb). After the discussion, one of the gentlemen pointed out that I had previously spoken on this issue and was repeating myself. This is not unusual for people such as myself, for as man ages all his faculties become weak, and just as physically, he becomes frail, so too his mental and spiritual powers, his ability to worship, become impaired. All of these are strong in youth, and that is why I have told you gentlemen many times that now that you enjoy this blessing of youth make use of it and do not waste it. I am not saying that the young people should not have any kind of recreation, or that they should study all the time, what I mean is that they should divide their time between recreation and study and that most of their time should be spent on the latter. You, gentlemen, who are devoting your life to study, now that you enjoy the blessing of youth, divide your time and spend the better part of it on debate, discussion, study, lessons and teaching. Do not suppose that you can squander your youth and put off worship and study until the end of your lives, for when one reaches that stage in one’s life, one can neither worship nor study, nor is one’s cogitative faculty strong or clear enough for one to be able to understand scientific matters. It is now in youth that you should strengthen your understanding of the fundamentals of science and religious jurisprudence so that when you reach old age and you have mastery over these, your knowledge will bear fruit and you will be able to utilize it. But if you squander your youth and waste this blessing, you will not be able to compensate for this later. So, you, gentlemen, should bear this point in mind that the period of old age is a period of forgetfulness, thus you see that I begin to discuss a matter which I have already discussed. This is due to the weakness that comes to man in old age.

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DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF THE HUMAN BEING Another matter which I think is very important and which I feel should be given due attention is that manthis creature which is the essence of all creation- is himself a multi-dimensional creature possessing as he does different qualities. From one aspect, he is similar to vegetables; just as vegetables need water and the nutrients they get from the earth to grow, so too man depends on the earth and the blessings of God, the Blessed and Exalted, for his growth. In addition, he has an animalistic aspect just like other animals; he has eyes, ears and so on, and other senses which he shares with other animals. That which is more predominant in him- although it can be found to a lesser degree in animals too- is his ability to ideate112 at which level other things are added to the animalistic qualities that he possesses. The human being is characterized by his reasoning, spirituality and the “immateriality of his rational soul”113 which other animals do not enjoy. The Holy Qur’an, which is supreme among all other ideologies and books, was revealed to develop man, to turn a potential human being into an actuality. This was the reason behind the revelation of the other divine books also. The missions of all the prophets, regardless of the period, were to turn the human being into a true human being. All the sciences, the acts of worship, the religious learning and the rules for worship are all a means to turn a defective human being into a perfect human being. The Qur’an is a book of human perfection which, when turned to, provides for every stage of man’s development. Islam and other divine religions do not envisage a government which is like other governments; the government of Islam is not like other governments. The materialistic governments- whatever their leaningsare only concerned about preserving order in their own countries. If the government is a true exponent of justice, it will attempt to guarantee that oppression does not exist outside its own boundaries, and if the rulers are themselves just, they will not tyrannize others. But in principle, such governments only guarantee order in their own countries and whatever happens within the home is of no concern to them so long as it poses no danger to the regime. The people can drink wine, gamble, perpetrate all kinds of scandalous deeds within their homes and the government will not interfere. However, if they come out of their homes and start to riot, then the government will clamp down on them for then they are going against the order of things. Whether the government is just or unjust, it will not interfere in that which people do in their own homes, unless an oppressive act takes place in the home and somebody complains to the authorities, in which case the government may decide to do something about it. However, such is not the case with Islam and divine governments. They have rules for everyone wherever they are. So if someone wishes to carry out a vile and unlawful act in his own home, the Islamic government will have something to say about this. Although corruption within people’s homes will not be purposely sought out by the Islamic authorities, still, unlawful acts are forbidden and a ruling has been given that they should not be carried out. Those who

112 This is the ‘mithali’ stage which is between nature [tabi’at] and reasoning [‘aql]. At this stage, physical images and perfect forms exist but there is no matter which force or effect has. This world, which is the stage between reason and matter, exists for some animals too, for example some animals have the intelligence of knowing their master, but this stage is stronger in human beings. 113 In the explanation for the ‘mithali’ stage of the human being, it was said that some intelligent animals also experience a weak form of this stage, but the stage of reason [‘aql] and that of immateriality of the rational soul which perceives the ‘whole’ belongs only to human beings and the animals do not possess it. The highest stage of an animal’s existence is the ‘mithali’ stage and the ideational stage.

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perpetrate such acts are made punishable by the law, and if the government finds out about their actions then it has to follow its legal rulings and mete out the necessary punishment.

ISLAM’S ATTENTION ON ALL ASPECTS OF MAN Islam as well as other divine governments and calls involve themselves with all aspects of man’s development, from the lowest level up to the highest to which he can ascend. It is not like those governments which only concern themselves with the governing of a country, for Islam, in addition to having many rules pertaining to the politics of a country, also has spiritual laws. It deals with both the material and the spiritual. It has rules pertaining to man’s spiritual education, his spiritual development, and, at a more mundane level, which concerns man’s character; it has rules for his moral edification. Islam has moral teachings and it has rules which govern his social relations, his relationship with himself, his wife, his children, his neighbors, his friends, his fellow countrymen, his co-religionists, and people of a different religion. Islam has rules for man which extend from before his birth until after his death. It contains provisions relating to the preliminaries of marriage and the form in which it should be contracted, and others relating to the development of the embryo in the womb until birth. It specifies how the child should be reared, it has rules for him at puberty, in his youth, in old age, when he dies and is laid in his grave and even after that, for this is not the end; it is only the beginning. These rules pertain to all aspects of man’s life here, to his intellectual and moral education, but they don’t end here, they are continued even when he enters the grave, when he is separated from this world114 and reaches the realm of perfection and incorporeality. For the world of the grave is itself the beginning of another life, it is the beginning of the spiritual life of the grave, the spiritual life in the intermediate area between Heaven and Hell (barzakh)115, and then the spiritual life on a level even higher still. Islam and its laws which God, the Blessed and Exalted, has sent for man are not confined merely to this world or the next.

THE DISASTER OF A ONE DIMENSIONAL LOOK AT ISLAM Throughout the ages, there have been many groups of philosophers, gnostics, Sufis, Muslim scholastics and others who looked for the spiritual aspects of life and found them, each according to his own level of perception, and who then charged the so-called ordinary people with error for looking only at exoteric meanings. They considered anybody apart from themselves as being ‘exoterics’ and charged them with error. In their exegeses of the Qur’anic verses too they explained most, if not all, of the verses in mystical, philosophical and spiritual terms, and they ignored those aspects which referred to the worldly life and those teachings which are needed for this temporal life. Based on their own ideas, they sought meanings which were above the understanding of the so-called ordinary people, and, in addition, they saw themselves as being endowed with a special knowledge and rejected all others apart from themselves. At the same time, another group of people existed who busied themselves with matters of jurisprudence and worship; they rejected the first group and regarded their ideas as erroneous, denouncing them as heretics or unbelievers, among other things. However, both these two groups were unrealistic, one confined Islam to the branches

114 When the soul leaves its material shell. 115 For details on barzakh (purgatory), see Ayatullah Sayyid Abdul Husayn Dastghaib Shirazi, Barzakh (Purgatory), available at: https://www.alislam.org/barzakh-purgatory-sayyid-abdul-husayn-dastghaib-shirazi

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and secondary aspects (furu’) of the laws and the other to spiritual laws. One group believed Islam to be concerned only with the supernatural and the other believed that Islam was all about the laws of nature and jurisprudence, that everything else was irrelevant. Recently another situation has arisen whereby some good, pious people, writers who work for the people just as the religious jurisprudents (fuqaha), the scholastics and philosophers do, wish also to serve Islam. They too, based on their own individual understanding of the subject, wish to explain the laws of Islam to the people and expound on them. Now this new group of writers, who write very well, is doing the opposite to that which the philosophers and gnostics did; they are now trying to make the verses of the Qur’an conform to their own materialist notions. The philosophers and gnostics believed that Islam had come to instruct man in monotheism and other divine and theoretical matters and that anything else was merely an introduction to these. They said that one should ignore these other matters and concentrate only on the divine aspects of Islam.116 Because of these ideas, some of them, not all of them of course, paid no attention to religious jurisprudence or to the jurisprudents, the traditions, the literary meaning of the Qur’an and many of the Qur’anic laws. They did not reject them; they simply ignored them, which is the same as rejecting them. When one has nothing to do with these things, when one is indifferent and rejects those who believe in these matters calling them ‘exoterics’ this means that one has not accepted these things and “we believe in some of God’s prophets but reject others.”117 Materialism has now gained predominance across the globe creating a garish, gaudy world and the proponents of this ideology have also increased greatly in number. Recently, a group of people have appeared who say that the reason for all Islamic laws is nothing more than to create a just society and do away with classes. They claim that the monotheism (Tawhid) of which Islam speaks means that all peoples should live equally, as one, as a single unity, and that Islam’s justice seeks to create a just and egalitarian society. In other words, Islam seeks to create an egalitarian but animalistic life whereby everyone eats the same grass, everyone lives together as equals and no one has anything to do with anybody else, everyone eats from the same trough. As for all the verses which have been revealed about the Day of Resurrection and about monotheism (Tawhid), and all those proofs which have been given for the existence of another life, these are all ignored by those who are religious but who espouse certain principles of materialism. They close their eyes to such verses and concentrate on other verses, while those people who espouse such views and are not so religious simply explain such verses away. During my youth, I met a few religious students who said that they had discovered something new and that was that the Day of Judgment took place here, in this life, that whatever was to happen, happened here, the punishment was meted out here and everything ended here. Of course in those days there were people who had deviated from what is right, but such ideas were not very common. They believed in an animalistic life which ended with death. They did not actually say that they did not accept the Day of Judgment or the

116 “Pay attention to the objectives and ignore the principles” is one of the generally known proverbs and is cited when one wants to emphasize the importance of outcome. 117 Qur’an 4: 150

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verses in the Qur’an which pertain to it, but they believed the Day of Judgment to be a thing of this life and the verses referring to it to mean something which would happen here.

NEGLIGENCE OF THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL VIEW ON ISLAM This group which has appeared now is a group of people who are religious and who attract many followers, but they are in error. In their books and writings, in the articles that they have written in magazines and the suchlike, they say that Islam came to develop the human being, but they maintain that it aims only to create a classless human being. In other words, Islam did not come to develop man spiritually and take him from his animalistic stage to a higher one, but only to make him classless, to make all men live equally under one governing system which pays everybody equally and which in return is to be served by everyone. It is as if they ignore all the proofs which are found in all religions, and, as far as they can, they interpret the verses of the Qur’an according to their own beliefs; those that they cannot explain in this way they just ignore completely, they simply forget about them. The other group (the philosophers and mystics) do likewise, they speak of those verses which they can relate to the spiritualism and mysticism that they understand, but they too ignore the rest. Look at how those who believe in these matters have interpreted the story of Moses and Khizr.118 God only knows where they got their ideas from. When man reaches this stage whereupon his whole attention is focused on the unseen and he completely ignores those teachings which are for this earthly life, when he reads into things that are not there, as in the case of the story of Khizr and Moses, when he sees only the spiritual aspects and nothing else, then his heart becomes totally engrossed in spiritual matters and he does not concern himself with the fact that worldly affairs and the teachings for this temporal life form one aspect of the religion, just as prayer and worship are another. He interprets everything to suit his own particular point of view, and those things which oppose his viewpoint he does not try to understand at all. On the other hand, when he understands nothing other than this material world, then his ability to perceive is defective; he cannot understand how anything can exist beyond this. These people are not concerned about ‘proof’, one cannot demonstrate something to them with proofs, they are people of ‘exposition’ and they want to present an eloquent exposition. They can perceive nothing beyond this world and so they either explain the verses in accordance with their own beliefs in a bestial, worldly life, a classless prosperous life where, if possible, everyone lives as equals, or else they don’t accept those verses which pertain to spiritual matters- of course they haven’t the nerve to say they don’t accept them- and if they do accept them, the degree of their acceptance is very weak. They have a strong belief in their hearts about this life but they cannot properly perceive the existence of the unseen, their hearts are defective and their belief weak in this regard.119

118 According to the traditions, Khizr was a prophet who had the power to perform miracles. His name derives from an Arabic root meaning ‘green’ and it is said he was called this because wherever he went became green. His real name was Tali ibn Malikan ibn Afkhashad ibn Sam ibn Nuh. According to the traditions, Khizr had eternal life due to drinking the water of life. Refer to the translation of Tafsir alMizan, vol. 26, pp. 243- 245. 119 Imam refers to Qur’an, 18: 60-82

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ISLAM CONTAINS ALL THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS It must be stated that Islam was unknown at the beginning and even now it is unknown.120 Throughout Islamic history, Islam has remained unknown among men. The mystic recognizes Islam to be concerned only with mysticism and the unseen, whereas that group of people who are found today who write in newspapers and magazines, they understand Islam in terms of what its form of government is, what its teachings, manifestations and justice comprise of. They understand it only in terms of this material, natural world, and they believe it to go no further than this. Islam then for them does not go beyond the bounds of creating a prosperous, animalistic life whereby man lives like other animals which graze on the mountainside eating grass equally and having nothing to do with one another, a life like that at the time of primeval man when, according to them, the fish of the seas, the deer and other animals hunted in the wilderness were equally at the disposal of everyone. They claim that this was the best period of man’s history and Islam seeks to re-create this period. In their view, Islam and the other divine religions came to return the people to that time when life was a prosperous, animalistic life. At that time they lived off the fish from the sea, and now they live off chicken and fish! All that matters is that man has a prosperous life, that he eats the right food and wears the right clothes. These people have nothing other than knowledge of God; they cannot understand anything apart from this world, this natural realm. They cannot perceive anything beyond this. The existence of another world and what kind of a world it is lie beyond the scope of their perception. So what are they to do when they don’t have this perception? Consequently, such groups do not have the right to tell you gentlemen who are busy with your studies here, who really understand Islam and know what Islam is, nor do they have the right to say that the bearded and turbaned men are good for nothing and these lessons are of no use anymore. Such things are said by those who do not understand Islam properly. Likewise, you too do not have the right to impose your ideas of the divine sciences on them, and if you do you will be no different from them. Neither group has the right to do anything like this. You cannot condemn them for saying that there should be no oppression and that justice should prevail, for this is true, Islam calls for this too, but it is not confined to this. Islam aims to develop a human being who is a seeker and protector of justice, who has high morals and divine knowledge so that when he leaves this world he will enter the next as a true human being. The understanding of those who see only one side of the coin and are blind to the other is incomplete: “Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath and who go not astray.”121 There is a tradition, I’m not sure whether it is correct or not, but they say that according to the exegetes of the Qur’an, those who have brought about the wrath of God consist of the Jews, and those who go astray consist of the Christians. In another tradition it is said- and again I cannot say whether this is truly a saying of the Prophet or not, I am simply repeating what I have heard- that the Prophet said: “My brother Moses was blind in his right eye and my brother Jesus was blind

120 Referring to a Prophetic tradition which says: “Islam was a stranger at the beginning and will return to that state again. Blessed are the strangers.” Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal. 121 Qur’an, 1: 6-7

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in his left, but I have sight in both my eyes.”122 Those who wish to expound on this say that Moses was blind in his right eye because his teachings as laid out in the Torah concentrate mainly on the material world and political and worldly affairs- and as you see the Jews have grasped the world with both hands and are devouring it with an insatiable appetite, they are devouring America and have now turned their attention to Iran and still they are not satisfied- and Jesus (as) was blind in his left eye, which represents the realm of nature, because his book (the Bible) pays more attention to spiritual matters. “But I have sight in both my eyes.” The Prophet of Islam, however, paid attention to both aspects, both the material and the spiritual. The rules of Islam testify to this as do its policies.

SEPARATION OF RELIGION FROM POLITICS Of course, in the opinion of many of the educated class, and especially many of the religious scholars, Islam has nothing to do with politics. They believe Islam and politics to be issues separate from one another. This is what the governments would like us to think; this is the idea that the foreigners have instilled in us from the beginning. Many promote the notion that the akhunds should have nothing to do with political matters. When they want to defame an akhund they say: “This is a political akhund!” They say that Islam is separate from politics; that religion is separate from politics, but these people haven’t understood Islam. The government of Islam was formed at the time of the Prophet and was continued after him, whether in a just or unjust manner. At the time of Imam Ali (as), however, the government was a just, Islamic one. It had policies for everything. Just what is politics? Politics is the formation of policies dealing with the relationship between a ruler or government and the people or other governments, and with the prevention of corruption in society. In Islam, all these policies exist. In fact, Islam has more rules pertaining to politics than it does to worship. The books relating to the political aspects of Islam by far outnumber those concerned with worship. This mistaken notion has been put into our minds so that now some of the gentlemen (the clergymen) believe that Islam has nothing to do with politics, that it consists of a few ordinances concerning worship which is itself a personal matter between God and man. You can go to your mosques and pray as much as you like, read the Qur’an to your hearts content and the governments will leave you alone. But this is not Islam. Islam stands up to the oppressor, it orders the people to do battle with the taghut (oppressor), with the unbelievers who reject divine guidance, and with those who rebel against God. So with all these rules for battle, for jihad and so on, is Islam so far removed from politics?! Does Islam mean nothing other than going to the mosques, praying and reading the Qur’an?! Islam is not only this. Islam has political laws which must be implemented.

THE NECESSITY OF GIVING ATTENTION TO SPIRITUALITY At this stage then one may ask that if this is the case and Islam is concerned with political affairs, then what is the point in going to the mosque? What’s the use of performing the ritual prayer (namaz)? This view is a mistaken one also. Islam is concerned with prayer; Islam is based on prayer.123 Islam is not concerned only

122 This is said to be a saying of the Prophet. Imam Khomeini refers to it in the book Sirr as-Salat (p. 92) and interprets it thus: “Moses’ multiplicity dominated his unity, and Jesus’ unity dominated his multiplicity; the Prophet of Islam was the great isthmus (between the two) which is the middle road and the right path.” 123 “Islam is based on five things: prayer, alms-giving [zakat], hajj and governance [wilayah] and nobody is invited to anything more than governance.” A tradition from Imam al-Baqir (as), the fifth Imam from the Prophet’s Progeny. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 29.

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with this worldly life, with an animalistic life whereby one questions the need for prayer once one’s life is put right. If one denies the existence of anything other than this worldly life, then he is right to question the reason behind prayer, for it no longer matters. If one is only aware to this extent, then everything ends once social justice has been created among men and the world has been set right. But when there is another world, when proof exists, when all religions assert the existence of a world beyond this corporeal one, then just as this material world should be reformed with its own tools and social justice should be spread among the people by a just government, so too the tools which exist for the other world should be put to use. For according to the proof and according to all religions, there is another world apart from this one, there is eternal life after death, and the tools for that life have been brought by the prophets. Supplicatory prayer, invocation of God (dhikr), the Qur’an and the ritual prayer (namaz) are all tools for the other life. The rules for worship are tools for the afterlife, the divine sciences likewise. These are to help man in his life in the next world, to illuminate his life there. So those whose predilections tend toward the material aspects of this natural realm should not charge those who incline toward mysticism with error. To find fault with them is a mistake and is adopting a narrowminded attitude. Likewise, the mystics and philosophers also do not have the right to charge with error those who say that we should struggle against tyranny and oppression and establish social justice. Do not say that your only duty is to sit down and study. No, it is the duty of all Muslims to both implement and study Islam, to study it and fight against oppression with all their might. If everyone were to observe this duty, then no government could tyrannize its people or another government. Tyranny occurs when the people do not support their government, when they follow one path and the government another. This happens when the government has not treated the people in a way so as to secure their support, when those in authority have done things that turned the people against them.

THE GULF BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NATION OF IRAN Just look at the situation in our own country. The regime there has created such a gulf between it and the people that if, God willing, it is brought down, the people will light up the streets in celebration. Why should this be so? If someone such as Imam Ali were overthrown, would the people act the same way? No, but the regime in Iran is now greatly out of touch with the people, it is not concerned about the people, it has nothing to do with the people apart from oppressing, tyrannizing and spreading corruption among them.

OBSCENITIES AT THE SHIRAZ ARTS FESTIVAL You do not know what kind of obscenities have been started in Iran recently. You have not been informed about it, and it is difficult to speak of. Indecent acts have taken place in Shiraz124 and it is said that such acts will soon be shown in Tehran too, and nobody says a word. The gentlemen (clerics) in Iran don’t say anything. I cannot understand why they don’t speak out! All this corruption is taking place and I don’t know

124 In the art festival of Shiraz, two artists, a man and a woman, performed sexual intercourse in front of a live audience. The act was so obscene and shameful that Anthony Parsons, the British ambassador to Iran at the time, in his memoirs writes: “The effect of this bizarre and disgusting extravaganza on the good citizens of Shiraz, going about their evening shopping, can hardly be imagined. This grotesquerie aroused a storm of protest which reached the press and television. I remember mentioning it to the Shah, adding that, if the same play had been put on, say, in the main street of Winchester, the actors and sponsors would have found themselves in trouble. The Shah laughed indulgently.” For more on Anthony Parsons’ comments on this incident refer to pages 54- 55 of his book The Pride and Fall.

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if it will end with this or not. They put on a show which included the sex act itself, the actual act itself was shown in front of a live audience and nobody breathed a word. What are they waiting for? When and where are they going to speak out, to object? Interestingly enough, all the organizations which arrange such events, including the government itself, do everything with his (the Shah’s) permission. Nothing can be done without his approval; such lewd acts cannot be shown without his permission. He arranges for such things to be shown and then orders the newspapers to condemn them as shameless acts so that the people themselves will not take any action, so that if passions are inflamed they will be tempered by this press criticism. God forbid, in the not too distant future such shows will take place in Tehran too. Yet nobody objects, no akhund, no politician, no doctor, no engineer. They should voice their opposition, if all the people objected together, if they all stood up for the Islamic laws and spoke out then such events would never occur. They take place now because of our indolence and our weakness which are played upon by others. They call you (the clergy) a group of weak and hopeless people, whereas in fact you are powerful, you command the support of the nation. The nation is Muslim and the Muslim nation is devoted to Islam and to the clergymen of Islam. The clerics must in turn serve the nation, and if they do not then the people will no longer give them their support. Be that as it may, Islam is concerned with all of these matters; it comprises of both material and spiritual aspects, and deals with both the unseen and the manifest. For man is a multi-dimensional being and the Qur’an is a book designed to produce true human beings, the book of God was revealed to bring the true human nature of man forth from a potentiality into an actuality, and as it corrects society, so too it takes man to a higher stage of human perfection. So these groups should not oppose one another. The spiritual and material are both separate matters. If you are unable to comprehend what fiqh is then why do you belittle it so, when in reality you simply do not understand it. Likewise philosophy, if you do not understand philosophy and transcendental philosophy then why do you belittle the philosophers so when you simply don’t understand what they are saying? Simply because one does not understand what a certain group is saying and what it is aiming at does not give one the right to oppose it. Maybe this shows narrowmindedness. All groups should join hands and unite. Islam’s jurisprudents (fuqaha) with its engineers, its doctors, its university and school students, should all join hands together so that they can achieve something, so they can escape from these pressures which are being exerted upon them more and more with each passing day. But they do not unite, and I can’t understand why! They have begun to a certain extent in Iran now. An opportunity has presented itself and the people have taken it and we hope, God willing, that more opportunities present themselves in the future. May God, the Blessed and Exalted, grant you all success. May He assist Islam, the ulama of Islam, the students and all Muslims.

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22nd Speech Date: November 1, 1977/Aban 10, 1356 SH/Dhul-Qadah 18, 1397 AH125 Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: The power of the clergy and the political, intellectual and religious services rendered by the Shia ulama Addressees: Religious students, clergymen and Iranians residing in Iraq I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I must firstly thank all the different strata of society; I must thank the various orders of the religious ministry in whichever country they may be- be they in Iraq, in Iran or elsewhere- for showing such concern. I must thank everyone including the maraji’ of Islam, may blessings last long; the learned ulama both in Iran, here in Iraq, or elsewhere, may esteem their esteem last long; the accomplished orators; the students, both from within the universities and from elsewhere; and those who have shown concern from various countries abroad- countries such as America, Europe and India for example. I thank them all and pray for their success and good health. I thank all of those who have shown their concern and have organized gatherings and I ask them to forgive me if, because of my old age, I have been unable to visit them or to participate in all of these gatherings. I hope that they will accept my apologies.

GOD’S HIDDEN FAVORS These kinds of affairs126 are of no real importance; these things happen. Everyone experiences this kind of thing at some time. God, the Blessed and Exalted, shows His mercy in ways both manifest and hidden. He

125 In Sahifeh-ye Imam (22- volume), vol. 1, p. 255 and in the new edition, vol. 1, p. 427, the date of the present speech is given as December 31, 1977/Dey 10, 1356 SH. 126 It refers to the martyrdom of Haj Aqa Mustafa Khomeini (1930- 1977 AD/1309- 1356 SH), Imam’s eldest son, who began studying Islamic sciences at the age of fifteen and attained the level of ijtihad at the age of twenty-seven. He became an expert in Islamic sciences in his youth, his teachers being Imam himself, Ayatullah Burujerdi and Haj Sayyid Muhammad Damad. On November 4, 1964/Aban 13, 1343 SH, he was arrested on the orders of the regime and imprisoned in Qezel Qal’ah prison for fifty-seven days. After his release, he went to Qum, where he was given a grandiose welcome by the clerics and people there. Hujjat al-Islam Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini who was present during a telephone conversation between Mawlawi- the head of SAVAK in Tehran- and Haj Aqa Mustafa, relates the story of the latter’s release and his expulsion from Iran to Turkey as follows: “In prison, the head of SAVAK in Tehran proposed that they would release Mustafa on condition that a few days later he would leave the country to join his father in Turkey. Haj Aqa Mustafa at first agreed to do this, but upon being released he met with his mother who advised him that such an action was not right and thus he decided to remain in Iran. When Colonel Mawlawi found out about this, he telephoned Haj Aqa Mustafa and while uttering obscenities and abuse, he threatened him. My brother answered him in a similarly harsh tone. At 10 am the following morning (January 3, 1965/Dey 13, 1343 SH) he was arrested again and sent into exile first in Turkey and later in Iraq along with Imam. Haj Aqa Mustafa, like his distinguished father, was of an uncompromising nature and he believed that in order to sweep away the Pahlavi regime, an all-encompassing uprising was required, and he himself took great pains to realize this. However, in 1969 (1348 SH), the Iraqi secret police, who were keeping a close eye on things, arrested him and took him to the presidential palace in Baghdad. Hasan al-Bakr, the Iraqi President of the time, who was well aware of Haj Mustafa’s secret meetings with Ayatullah Hakim, threatened Haj Mustafa and then suggested that he embark on a struggle against the regime in Iran with the help of the Iraqi Ba’athist regime. Although Haj Mustafa rejected this proposal of cooperation, nevertheless the Shah’s regime began a propaganda campaign against him in Iran, accusing him of collaboration with the Iraqi government. Haj Aqa Mustafa was martyred on November 23, 1977/Azar 2, 1356 SH at the age of forty-seven, just over a year before the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.”

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has a hidden beneficence of which we have no knowledge; a beneficence about which we are uninformed. It is because we are deficient with regard to knowledge, with regard to our deeds, and indeed in every respect that we grieve and make a fuss when these kinds of matters arise. We show no tolerance at such times. This is due to a lack of understanding on our part with regard to God the Exalted. If only we were aware of that hidden beneficence which God the blessed, the Most High shows toward his servants- And surely He is Gracious to His servants127 - and if only we had a true understanding of these occurrences, then we would not show such a lack of tolerance in the face of such affairs- affairs which are indeed trivial and unimportant. We would realize that some kind of divine grace is involved in all this; that this is some form of guidance.

THIS WORLD AS THE PASSAGE TO THE HEREAFTER This world is one through which we must pass. It is not a world in which to abide forever; it is a path. If we are able to tread this path correctly, as did God’s prophets- “Juzna wa hiya khamidah”128 - and we are able to travel this path safe and sound, then we shall attain salvation. But God forbid, should we slip and stumble along the path of this world, then the same will occur when we cross over the Sirat129 in the Hereafter; there too we will stumble and run into problems. I pray that God, the Blessed and Exalted, may awaken us; that he may make us aware of those hidden blessings of which we are now unaware, so that God willing, we may succeed in attaining the stage of awareness attained by those who have grasped both the heights of divinity and the various stages of mankind- those who do not overestimate the world; who do not view the world as an independent entity; who do not regard their worldly ambitions as ends in themselves but instead regard this world as a means of reaching other places, of attaining other, higher forms of bliss and felicity. May God allow us to reach such higher stages. Indeed, we cannot perceive these higher stages. While here in this world we cannot fully comprehend the various stages which exist, the various worlds which exist, or the true magnitude of this world. How deceptive this world is- this world, which is the only world we have ever been able to see; a world which according to a tradition: “Ma nazarallahu ilayhi mundhu khalqih”;130 a world of matter which God, the Blessed and Exalted, held in contempt after having created it, even though the little that they have so far been able to discover and to grasp shows this universe to be so stupendous that it lies beyond the powers of the human intellect. So far they have reached a stage where they have now realized the mind-boggling and inexplicable nature of this world of matter, yet this is a realization which will indeed grow in intensity as time goes by. They have so far been able to conclude that there are certain stars whose light takes six billion years, yes, six billion years to reach the earth. Such a figure is beyond our imagination. Some have written that if certain stars were to be split open, 500 million

127 It refers to Surah ash-Shura 42: 19: “Gracious is God to His servants. He gives sustenance to whom He pleases, and He has power and can carry out His will.” 128 It is transmitted in a tradition that one of the Imams (as) was asked to explain the meaning of Surah Maryam 19: 71: “ There is none of you but will come to it: a [matter that is a] decided certainty with your Lord.” He said: “We were allowed to pass through Hell while the fire was out.” Refer to ‘Ilm al-Yaqin, vol. 2, p. 971. 129 A kind of bridge which only the righteous can cross on the road to Paradise. 130 Imam Ali, in denouncing the world, said: “The world has no value or esteem before God, the Glorious and Dignified, and from among all that He has created and we can perceive, nothing is more odious in the sight of God than the world; and from the time that He created it, He has not looked upon it.” Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 3, p. 214.

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suns could be accommodated inside them; and there are some stars which are so big that were they to be placed at the sun’s center, they would extend as far as the earth. This vastness, which is beyond human comprehension and which is inaccessible to human investigation, constitutes the cosmos of the ‘world’; it constitutes the meanest of worlds. Indeed, some of those who were acquainted with these matters used to say that this world has been designated as the ‘Earth’ to reflect God’s disdain toward the essential nature of this world. This world which is so vast and so immense is yet but the ‘Earth’; and the heavens, along with all that has so far been discovered to lie therein, are but the “nearest of heavens” according to the Qur’an which states: “Surely We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment, the stars.”131 Thus, the Qur’an speaks of the skies and all that lies within them as the “nearest” Heaven; nothing yet having been discovered by man about the more distant heavens. But even so, despite such magnitude the tradition tells of how God, the Blessed, the Exalted, “held the world in contempt” after He had created it; while the Qur’an speaks of the life of this world as but “a provision” (for a time). Indeed, life in the Hereafter is true life. That is where everything is really alive. We are not really in a state of life here; we are in a state of death. True life is to be found in the Hereafter- the next abode “that most surely is the life”.132 But we are not now able to grasp this fact.

DIVINE DUTIES: GOD’S FAVORS TO HIS SERVANTS While we are here in this world, God, the Blessed and Exalted, has given us certain missions to accomplish. While here in this worldly existence, we have certain duties to fulfill- duties assigned to us by God, the Blessed and Exalted, to which we must attend. We must not neglect our religious duties. All religious duties are in fact blessings from God, blessings which we mistakenly regard as duties. They constitute blessings, whether they are individual duties assigned to train the individual and to enable him to mature- there being no other means of attaining maturity or of improving the self, and there being certain stages of human development which are unattainable other than by following this path- or whether they are social duties which we are obliged to fulfill, duties to which we must attend in order to regulate society. Both the prophets and the Qur’an have spoken of those things which concern the spirit, things which concern the different stages of understanding and which relate to the realms of the unseen. The traditions and the Holy Qur’an have spoken both of issues which concern individual duties and which play a part in man’s development and maturation, and of political issues, economic issues; issues which concern society and are to do with the regulation and moral teaching of society. We, and all of mankind, have a duty to pay due attention to all of these stages, to all of these different levels of human development and we are not to concentrate solely on one aspect alone.

THE ROLE OF THE CLERGY IN PRESERVING ISLAM Let me now discuss the sense of attachment that I feel toward all of the various fronts which serve Islam, be they those clerical fronts which have always served Islam from the beginning, or other fronts which are also now actively serving Islam; fronts which are composed of intellectuals and of those who are involved in politics. I am fond of all these fronts, but at the same time I have a grievance to voice against them all. 131 Qur’an. 37: 6 132 Qur’an 29: 64

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Indeed, when any Muslim, any human being, sees how these people are serving humanity and the human cause, and therefore how they are serving Islam- the school of thought which has come to develop true human beings- he cannot help but feel a sense of attachment toward these people or groups; groups which are serving Islam either by their use of the pen or by taking certain actions. There is nothing wrong with him feeling this sense of attachment. But, nevertheless, there is a grievance which must be voiced against these various groups; a well-intentioned grievance. I have a complaint to make against those intellectual and academic groups and those students who are striving in the path of Islam- may God always assist them; and this complaint concerns their having overstepped the mark in some of the things they have written about the Faqih, about fiqh, and about the ulama of Islam- a complaint about them having said things on occasion which were uncalled for. The people who have said these things do not mean ill. I know that on the whole it is not that those who want to serve Islam are spiteful and therefore say something out of bad faith, but rather they do so because they are insufficiently informed. Similarly, my knowledge of history is lacking. I am now eighty years old. I have been among academic circles for almost sixty years and have taken an active interest in current affairs for almost thirty years. I have also probed into the history of the last one hundred and odd years, but my knowledge of history prior to this time is slight. My knowledge of foregone eras, of bygone ages, of the period which stretches from the beginning of the Islamic era down to the recent past, is rather superficial. Nevertheless, even a cursory glance at past history reveals how the clergy have been the ones who have preserved this Islam in all of its dimensions. That is to say, the gnosticism of Islam has been preserved by the clergy; the philosophy of Islam has been preserved by the clergy; the ethics of Islam have been preserved by the clergy; the fiqh of Islam has been preserved by the clergy; the political precepts of Islam have been preserved by the clergy. All of these fields of knowledge have been preserved due to the painstaking efforts of those in the clergy. This rich science of fiqh that we now enjoy- the fiqh of Shi’ism being truly the most comprehensive in the world- is a set of religious laws, the exposition and analysis of which has been due to the efforts of the Shia ulama.133 The fiqh of Shia Islam is the most comprehensive of all the religious jurisprudence. There is not another set of religious laws in the world which is so comprehensive. Those religious laws outside Shia Islam which were initially divine laws and which, like the fiqh of Shia Islam, were also comprehensive at one time, have not survived. They have been substituted by terrestrial laws, laws which have been devised by the earth’s inhabitants, by people whose understanding is so little that traditions relate how the human brain would not even satisfy the appetite of a sparrow.134 Yes, these terrestrial laws have sprung from such brains, or more precisely from those brains which function correctly, for those which do not function correctly are indeed void of knowledge, period. All of these man-made laws are defective. These laws are defective regardless of where they may have been devised; and moreover, they are laws which have been devised to suit a particular environment, or a particular situation. They have been devised to regulate the affairs of a particular country, for example or to regulate the political relations between one country and another; but apart from this, their laws serve no other purpose. The place where other laws can be found, laws to suit all

133 Deducing secondary aspects [Furu’] from the principles and fundamentals [Usul] of Islam. 134 A saying from Imam al-Sadiq: “Oh son of Adam, if a bird were to eat your brain, it would not be satiated.” Refer to the book, Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 126.

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purposes, is in Islam; and the most comprehensive of Islamic fiqh, is that which is found in Shia Islam. The fiqh of Shia Islam is unique in the world- it is not to be found among other Muslim sects, may God increase them in number, nor is it to be found elsewhere, among the non-Muslims. And this fiqh has developed because of the painstaking efforts made by the Shia ulama’. From the advent of Islam, that is, throughout the Prophet’s lifetime and after that, during the time of the Immaculate Imams, peace be upon them, it was these Shia ulama who would gather around the latter and would record the Islamic precepts narrated to them. Subsequently, the ulama compiled four hundred different works from these recorded utterances; works which became known as the Usul (the Principles).135 Later still, various compendiums were made from these Usul, such as Al-Kutub al-Arba’ah.136 These have all been the results of efforts made by the Shia ulama. All of the different dimensions of Islam and the Qur’an, those dimensions which can be grasped by man’s narrow understanding that is, have been preserved and expounded by the ulama, by these “bearded men who wear turbans”, to quote the words of these intellectuals and academics. It is the ulama who have managed to keep Islam alive until the present. It is they who have written books on any topic you care to mention; on the subject of theology; on the science of Islam; on Islamic sciences; and it is they who have taken great pains to this end thus enabling the fruits of their labor to now be passed on to this present-day clerical order.

ULAMA COMPROMISE WITH THE KINGS FOR THE SAKE OF SHI’ISM’S PROPAGATION With regard to political affairs, as I mentioned before, my knowledge of history is slight and I can no longer remember everything that I may have read or seen in the past; but even so, the history of the past one hundred years or so is something which is known to us all. If we were to go back a little further in time however, we would see how a certain section of the ulama had made self-sacrifices and had had connections with certain kings. Although these ulama could see that the people disapproved of this situation, they still had connections with the kings of the time; but they did this in order to propagate faith, to propagate Shia Islam, and to propagate the religion of Truth, for whether they liked it or not, the kings were obliged by these ulama to go along with the propagation of faith, of religious faith, of the faith of Shi’ism. Thus, these were not akhunds of the Royal Court, as some of our writers mistakenly claim. On the contrary, it was the kings who followed and paid allegiance to the ulama. The sanctum of Shah Sultan Husayn137 can still be

135 A large number of the disciples and students of Imam al-Sadiq wrote down his replies to various questions and collected them together in book form. These sayings, which fill four hundred volumes, later became famous as Usul al-Arba’ami’ah. Shahid al-Awwal in his book Dhikrah and Muhaqqiq Hilli in his book Mu’tabar and a number of other writers in their literary works have explained certain factors concerning the above-mentioned principles [usul]. A number of these principles were used by the authors of al-Kutub al-Arba’ah in their compositions, and some of them have not yet been explained. Refer to al-Mu’tabar fi Sharh al-Muktasar, p. 15 and Dirasa Hawl al-Usul alArba’ami’ah, p. 12. 136 Al-Kutub al-Arba’ah [The Four Books] are the most reputable of the Shia Hadith sources. These books are (1) al-Kafi fi ‘Ilm ad-Din [The Sufficient in the Knowledge of Religion] by Thiqat al-Islam Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni (d. 940 AD); (2) Man la Yah-duruhu al-Faqih [For Him Not in the Presence of a Jurisprudent] by Shaykh as-Sadduq Muhammad ibn Babiyah al-Qummi (d. 991 AD); (3) Tahdhib alAhkam [Rectification of the Statutes] by Shaykh at-Ta’ifah Muhammad at-Tusi (d. 1068 AD) and (4) al-Istibsar fi ma Ukhtulif fihi min alAkhbar [Reflection upon the Disputed Traditions] also by Shaykh at-Tusi. 137 Among the rooms of the Chahar Bagh Madrasah the first room in the north-west wing is a special room famous as the Shah Sultan Husayn room. Shah Husayn (1688- 1726), one of the Safavid rulers, spent a lot of his time in this room in consultation with the great ulama of his time.

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seen in the Chahar Bagh Madrasah in Isfahan138 even today; and it was they, the ulama who led him to use such a chamber. It wasn’t a case of him holding sway over the ulama. There were political motives behind the ulama’s behavior; there were religious motives. Thus, when one hears for example that Majlisi139, Muhaqqiq ath-Thani140, or Shaykh Bahai141, may God be well pleased with them, held ties with the kings of their time, that they cooperated with them and accompanied them, one must not assume that the ulama continued attachment to the court was for the sake of obtaining position and status and that they were in need of some favor or other to be bestowed upon them by Shah Sultan Husayn and Shah Abbas! This was not at all the case. These ulama made self-sacrifices; they both sacrificed and struggled against the self so that they could propagate this religion of Islam by means of the kings themselves. These ulama even managed to continue their crusade to preserve Islam and the Shia faith within an environment where cursing the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali (as)) was a common occurrence and at a time when there was no mention or sign of Shi’ism. I even heard somewhere that once, when the authorities had decided to desist from making such curses against the Imam, people from an Iranian city requested permission to continue with this practice for a further six months. Yet in spite of such difficult circumstances and such a hostile environment, the ulama continued with their struggle. They humbled themselves before the people and continued with their mission although the latter at that time were hostile toward them- a hostility which probably stemmed from the people’s ignorance.

138 The Chahar Bagh Madrasah which is also famous as the “Shah’s Mother’s” Madrasah was built during the Safavid era on the orders of Shah Sultan Husayn. 139 Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (1625/6- 1698/9 AD), commonly known as “the Second Majlisi”, was one of the great Shia ulama and transmitters of Prophetic traditions during the Safavid period. He compiled more than sixty books, the most famous of which is his Bihar al-Anwar [Oceans of Lights], a monumental encyclopedia of traditions and narratives which attempts to present all Shia traditions in a single work, classifying them by subject matter. Since its compilation, its value as the standard reference work for all Shia studies can hardly be overemphasized. One indication of its popularity is that despite its enormous size, it was published twice in lithographed form in the nineteenth century. The modern edition of the work fills 110 volumes of approximately 400 pages each. His other works include: ‘Ayn alHayah; Mishkat al-Anwar; Hilyat al-Muttaqin; Hayawat al-Qulub; Tuhfa az-Zayir; Jala al-’Uyun; Miqyas al-Masabih; Rabi’ al-Asabi’; Zada al-Mu’ad; Haqq al-Yaqin. Majlisi lived during the Safavid era. His great personality and position among the Iranian Shia and his sittings with the Safavid king, Shah Sultan Husayn Safavid (1688- 1726 AD), even though these lasted for only four years, constituted one of the causes of Iran’s stability at the time and contributed toward the preservation of her territorial integrity. Not long after Majlisi’s death, and due to the incompetence of the king, Iran fell into anarchy, Ghilzai Afghans (one of the largest of the Pashto-speaking tribes in Afghanistan) took control of Isfahan, the Safavid capital, in 1722 and the south of the country fell under their control, while the Russians and Ottomans controlled the north. ‘Allamah Majlisi’s grave is situated in the Jami’ ‘Atiq of Isfahan. Refer to Danesh-e Muslimin, p. 222. 140 Shaykh Zayn al-Abidin Abul-Hasan Ali ibn Husayn ibn Abdul-Ali known as ‘Muhaqqiq Karaki’ or ‘Muhaqqiq ath-Thani’ (1465 - d. 1534 AD in Najaf) was one of the famous ulama of the Safavid period at the time of Shah Tahmasp (1524- 1576 AD) and held the position of Shaykh al-Islam or Chief Jurist-consult in Iran. His most important works include: Jami’ al-Maqasid fi Sharh al-Qawa’id; and commentaries on Sharayi’ al-Islam and Sharh al-Fih Shahid al-Awwal and the book Tahrir by ‘Allamah. 141 Muhammad ibn Husayn Amili known as Shaykh Bahai was an outstanding scholar at the time of Shah Abbas Safavid (1588- 1629 AD). He went to Iran from Lebanon in his youth with his father Husayn ibn ‘Abdus-Samad who himself was one of the Shia ulama. He learnt fiqh, usul, literature, the science of religious traditions and Qur’anic exposition from his father. He later benefited from the teachings of such scholars as Mulla Abdullah Yazdi and when he himself reached the position of professor [ustadh], religious scholars such as Mulla Muhsin Fayz Kashani, Makki Amili, Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Majlisi (the father of Muhammad Baqir Majlisi) and many others studied under him. Shaykh Bahai was an expert in fiqh, mathematics, physics, mechanics and astrology. He was the author of 88 books and treatises in Persian and Arabic. His most important works are: Jami’ Abbasi (concerning fiqh); Khulasah al-Hisab (mathematics); Tashrih al-Aflak (astrology); Kitab Arba’in; Kashkul (narratives, traditions, science and poems); Mathnawi Shir va Shikar; and Mathnawi Nan va Halva. He died in Isfahan and, according to his own will, was buried near Imam Reza’s (as) shrine.

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Similarly, today, if anyone objects to and criticizes the ulama it is because they are not aware of the facts. It is not that they cherish a grudge against the ulama, but rather it is a case of them not understanding the situation. At the time of the Immaculate Imams the case was the same. People were unaware of what was really going on and wrongly accused the ulama- ulama such as Ali ibn Yaqtin who served as a minister of the Royal Court; or even the Commander of the Faithful (as), he too can be cited as such an example. For twenty-odd years the Commander of the Faithful joined in with the rulers of the land when they performed their prayers and he paid them his allegiance.142 But he did these things for the good of Islam, because there were certain benefits to be gained for Islam which overrode these side-issues. The other Immaculate Imams (as) fraternized with the sultan of the day at times; but when this was an impossibility then they behaved otherwise. The interests of Islam are of far more importance than we imagine. They override any other concern that we may consider important. The reason that you now criticize these ulama who put their lives in danger for a certain cause and who were forced in the past to behave in a certain manner to this end, is because you are unaware of the truth of the matter. It is not that you bear malice or have bad intentions; it is that you are unaware of the actual facts. If I thought I could guide an unjust sultan to the straight path, then I too would fraternize with the king. You too would have a duty to do the same if, as a result, you could reform an unjust, cruel sultan. It is not a question of being attached to the court; it is a question of reforming individuals. These ulama did not join the Royal Court as such, instead their intention was to reform individuals; and I therefore have a grievance to voice against those who state otherwise.

THE CLERGY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE UPRISINGS AND MOVEMENTS So far I have discussed the ulama with regard to fiqh and concerning their association with the authorities of the day, and I have done so to the best of my knowledge. Now, I shall turn to political aspects and to the ulama’s involvement in the political affairs of recent history; and again I shall discuss this matter to the best of my knowledge. One of the movements that occurred during the past one hundred years or so in opposition to certain things which were detrimental to Islam, was the movement concerning the tobacco issue143 - an 142 It refers to the three caliphs before Imam Ali (as). 143 In 1891, Nasiruddin Shah granted yet another in a long line of concessions he had already given to foreigners in return for money to satisfy court consumption and to finance his tours of Europe. This time, in return for a personal gift of twenty-five thousand pounds, an annual rent of fifteen thousand pounds to the state and a twenty-five percent share of the profits for Iran, one Major Gerald Talbot acquired a fifty-year monopoly over the distribution and exportation of tobacco. Akhtar [Star], a liberal Persian paper published in Istanbul at the time, expressed the general concern of Iranian merchants: “It is clear enough that the concessionaire will commence the work with a small capital and will purchase the tobacco from the cultivators and sell it to the merchants and manufacturers for higher prices, and all the profits will remain in the purse of the English. As the Persian merchants have no right to export tobacco from Persia, those who were formerly engaged in this trade will be obliged to give up their business and find some other work. The concessionaire does not take into consideration how many merchants who were engaged in this business will be left without employment and will suffer loss in finding other occupations.” The clergymen and maraji’ of the time immediately opposed the concession and demanded its cancellation. Ayatullah Mirza Shirazi, the maraji’-e taqlid, determined the destiny of this struggle. He issued a religious fatwa stating that the use of tobacco in whatever form was haram [forbidden] and was tantamount to declaring war with Imam az-Zaman (the Twelfth Imam). The bazaar in Shiraz, the main tobacco-growing region, shut down and a general strike of the leading bazaars particularly Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashhad, Qazvin, Yazd and Kermanshah ensued which spread into a state-wide consumer’s boycott. Ayatullah Shirazi’s representative in Tehran, Mirza Hasan Ashtiyani, led the protest there. Hookahs were smashed and tobacco was set on fire as the consumer’s boycott received support from practically all classes of Iranian society, even members of the royal harem. Consequently, Nasiruddin Shah, seeing his position threatened by this rebellion was forced to annul the concession and pay the penalty. See Nikki Keddie, Religion and Rebellion in Iran- The Tobacco Protest of 1891- 92.

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issue with which you are all familiar. The great Mirza Shirazi, may God rest his soul, issued a decree of prohibition and, led by Mirza Ashtiyani144 in Tehran, the ulama of Iran, the ulama from all over Iran, may God rest their souls, embarked on their crusade, rescuing the fallen Iranian government as a result. The government had collapsed because of a certain few who had sought revelry and pleasure and who had wanted to peddle the wares of the country. These people had sold Iran to the foreigners. Hence, Mirza Shirazi, may Allah be pleased with him, issued a decree and the other ulama of Iran, in obeying this decree, laid their lives on the line. They endured hardships, went to great lengths, rose up in opposition and persuaded the rest of the people to rise up, until eventually the tobacco concession was annulled. So much for the movement which fought against despotic rule. As for the fight for constitutionalism, this involved a movement which in fact sprung from Najaf and which once more was pioneered by the ulama.145 Here again, the ulama in Iran rose up against despotic rule, against ruthless despots who did as they pleased and killed as they pleased. On one occasion, a group of poor soldiers who were not even given bread to eat, had assembled in the street to protest. At the same time, His Majesty was passing by in the royal carriage on his way to pay a visit to the shrine of Hazrat Abdul-Azim. At this point, one of the aforesaid soldiers threw a stone. According to historical accounts, these soldiers were brought before the king as a result, and the latter ordered for their execution! A great number of soldiers were therefore executed, until someone known as Mustawfi al-Mamalik146 interceded and spoke out against these measures taken by the king. These are the kind of despotic people, the kind of despotic kings they were. Muhammad Ali Mirza147 was yet another of 144 Mirza Muhammad Hasan Ashtiyani (1832-1902 AD) was a famous mujtahid and one of the Usulis* of Nasiruddin Shah’s reign. He was a student of Shaykh Murtaza Ansari and attained the level of ijtihad in Najaf. He came to Tehran in 1865 and began teaching the religious sciences. His grave is situated in Najaf. His works include: Kitab al-Waqf; Kitab al-Awani ath-Thahab wa’l-Fiza and Kitab al-Qaza. Refer to the Encyclopedia of Shi’ism, vol. 1, p. 116. *The adversaries of the Akhbaris. They hold that the Faqih may legitimately apply rational exertion to the solution of legal problems. The Iranian religious scholars have been overwhelmingly Usuli since the late 18th century. See Hamid Algar’s Religion and State in Iran, 17851906 pp. 33- 36. 145 The Iranian constitutional movement (1905- 1911 AD) greatly benefited from the support and co-operation it received from such personalities as Akhund Mulla Muhammad Kazim Khorasani and Aqa Shaykh Abdullah Mazandarani both maraji’ of Najaf, and from Sayyid Abdullah Behbahani and Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai, two of Tehran’s prominent ulama. Akhund Khorasani issued a fatwa [decree] about the importance of the Constitution and in this way made the constitutional movement in Iran indebted to him. Shaykh Abdullah Mazandarani was one of Akhund Khorasani’s close associates throughout the movement. A proclamation issued by these two religious scholars read: “The Constitution of each country limits and conditions the will of the ruler and the offices of government so that the divine ordinances and common laws based on the official religion of the country are not transgressed.” 146 Mirza Yusuf Ashtiyani (1810- 1886 AD) known as “Mustawfi al-Mamalik” or “Aqa” was one of the leading personalities of the Qajar period. He was a noble, virtuous man who was a close associate of Mirza Taqi Khan (Amir Kabir). 147 Muhammad Ali Shah, the sixth monarch of the Qajar dynasty and the son of Muzaffaruddin Shah, ruled for only two years from January 1907 to July 1909. At the beginning of his rule he was sympathetic toward the demands of the constitutionalists. However, he soon began to oppose the movement. On June 23, 1908, with the help of the Cossack Brigade commanded by its Russian colonel named Liakhoff, he staged a successful coup d’état against the first Iranian Majlis; the Majlis building was bombarded and closed, and a number of political figures were arrested and executed including Malik al-Mutakallimin and Mirza Jahangir Khan, the editor of the paper Sure Israfil [Trumpet Call of Israfil]. Ayatullahs Behbahani and Tabatabai, the two prominent ulama of the movement, were arrested and sent into exile. In 1909, as forces loyal to the constitutional movement converged on Tehran and the royalists fled in disarray, Muhammad Ali Shah sought sanctuary in the Russian legation. Five hundred delegates, drawn from the dissolved parliament, from the Bakhtiyari and guerrilla forces, from the bazaar and from the liberals in the court, met promptly in Tehran and declared themselves a Grand Assembly. Functioning as a constituent body, the assembly deposed Muhammad Ali Shah, nominated his twelve-year-old son, Ahmad, to be the new Shah, and elected ‘Asd al-Malik, the aged but liberal ilkhan of the Qajar tribe, to serve as royal regent. Subsequently, Muhammad Ali Shah sought refuge

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these despots, and indeed everyone is aware of the kind of person, the kind of beast he was. Other kings have also been the same. And it was this kind of despotism that the ulama rose up against at the time when they formed a movement in the struggle for constitutionalism. They were the ones who, more than anyone else, wanted to achieve constitutional rule; but they did not succeed in this. No, they were unsuccessful. Had they succeeded, all would have been well, but they were unable to do so. This was through no fault of their own however. Indeed, they tried their best, and because of their efforts the resultant situation was at least an improvement on the former state of affairs when those in authority were unaccountable for their deeds. Things did not turn out as the ulama had wanted though, because even though the ulama’s efforts had brought about the drafting of the Supplementary Constitutional Laws, these were not in fact adhered to. This present-day government of Iran is unsanctioned; it is illegal. These parliamentary deputies in Iran are illegal; they are not sanctioned. According to the laws of the Constitution, this present-day Majlis is not sanctioned. The Constitution states that the Majlis of Iran must lie under the supervision of five fuqaha; but can even one such person now be found to occupy such a role? Indeed, can any kind of supervision of the Majlis be seen to exist at all? Is there any kind of true popular representation there at all? Or is it a Majlis which has been set up without popular approval? Yes, it is a case of it having been forcibly installed. Therefore, we see that although the ulama tried their utmost to achieve constitutionalism, they were prevented from doing so. Having said that, it was nevertheless the clergy who, as always, were the vanguards of the movement and who brought about changes, albeit ones which fell short of their initial objectives. Once again it was the clergy’s endeavors which were paramount, other forces playing a supportive role only. Needless to say, others did in fact play a part in this movement, but as ever, it was the clergy who were in the forefront.

THE STRUGGLES OF THE ULAMA IN IRAQ Again, what would have happened had the ulama not engaged in combat in Iraq?148 On this occasion, the son of the Sayyid149 was killed in the war; the son of the late Sayyid Muhammad Kazim150 was killed in abroad. Throughout the reign of Muhammad Ali Shah, the Russians directly interfered in the internal affairs of the country and were the instigators of many outrages. Among these was the bombardment of the holy shrine of Imam al-Reza in Mashhad and the slaughter of a large number of Iranians there. See Ervand Abrahamian’s, Iran Between Two Revolutions, Chapter Two. 148 During the First World War, the Ottoman government sided with Germany against the armies of Britain and France. As the war spread to Iraq, which at the time formed part of the Ottoman Empire, and the situation became critical, the great Shia ulama of the time, residing in Iraq, declared jihad against the British and eminent mujtahids and scores of religious students led the army in defense of their Islamic homeland. Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi (d. 1921) an important Shia jurisprudent and marja’ of the time, encouraged the people to rise up through his stirring proclamation in which he stressed the incumbency of jihad against the British. He was a leading force in the resistance staged by the Shia ulama opposed to the imposition of British rule on Iraq at the end of World War I. Among other ulama who took part in the jihad the following can be cited: Mirza Shirazi’s son; Ayatullah Sayyid Mustafa Kashani and his son Ayatullah Sayyid AbulQasim Kashani; Ayatullah Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim; Ayatullah Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Kashif al-Ghita and Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari. 149 Imam is referring to Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai Yazdi, the son of Ayatullah Muhammad Kazim Tabatabai Yazdi. Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai was one of the famous ulama residing in Iraq and was the marja’ of the Shia there. He proclaimed jihad against the British in Iraq and was one of the leaders in the Iraqi uprising (1920) in which he himself was killed. 150 Imam here is once again referring to Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai (see previous footnote). His father Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Tabatabai Yazdi (d. 1920) was one of the great Shia ulama and maraji’ and was a student of Mirza Hasan Shirazi. His most famous work is ‘Urwat al-Wuthqa. After the death of Mulla Muhammad Kazim Khorasani he attained the position of marja’iyyah (authority). As a marja’ he issued

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the war. Yes, the ulama there, in Iraq, shouldered arms and went into combat. The late Mr. Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari151, may Allah be pleased with him, was imprisoned; that is, he was taken captive along with a number of others and was sent abroad. He himself told of how they were counted one by one as they were handed over by the foreigners into the custody of others, and of how the latter explained to him that this was a precaution which had to be taken for his own safety since it was believed that cannibalism was practiced by the inhabitants of that region. During this period, it was the second Mirza Shirazi, that outstanding personality, that great man who shone both in learning and in deeds, who rescued the country of Iraq. He issued the order for jihad and called on the people to participate in this crusade. People therefore responded to this call, for at that time, unlike today, people used to take their lead from the ulama. Hence, in answering the call to war made by Mirza Shirazi, the people fought; they gave lives and battled on throughout the traumas of the crusade until they eventually won back Iraq’s independence. Had it not been for their efforts we would now be captives; we would now be a British colony; but yet again, the vigorous efforts of the ulama saved the day. The reason why certain ulama in Iraq were sent into exile in Iran was because of their opposition to foreign forces. The late Messrs. Sayyid Abul-Hasan152, Naini153, Shahrestani154, and Khalisi155 were all sent into exile in Iraq because they spoke out against these forces and their agents; and I myself can vouch for this.

a number of fatwas ordering his followers to resist the foreign imperialists. Consequently, at the time of the occupation of Iraq by the British and of Libya by the Italians, and the Russian and British invasion of Iran, it was the fatwas of this great clergyman which encouraged the people to free their lands from foreign occupation. 151 Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari (1888- 1952 AD) was one of the great religious scholars of Iran. He studied the science of usul under Ayatullah Akhund Khorasani and combined militancy with learning. He fought against the British occupiers of Iraq under the leadership of Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi and spent a period in exile on the island of Hengam in the Persian Gulf. For a period of eight years (five years during the reign of Reza Khan and three years during that of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi) he administered the theological center in Qum alongside Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Hujjat and Ayatullah Haj Sadruddin Sadr, two great jurisprudents and theologians of the time. Ayatullah Khwansari struggled alongside Ayatullah Kashani in the movement for the nationalization of oil in Iran. 152 Sayyid Abul-Hasan Isfahani (1858- 1946 AD) was educated initially in Isfahan but traveled to Iraq in 1889 to complete his education under the tuition of Akhund Mulla Muhammad Kazim Khorasani and Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi. He attained the position of marja’iyyah in 1921. His ‘practical treatise’ [Risalah al-’Amaliyyah] is known as Sirat an-Najah. He participated in the Iraqi revolution of 1920 as one of the leaders of the Shia population and was banished from Iraq for a while. 153 Mirza Muhammad Husayn Naini (1860- 1936 AD) was one of the great mujtahids and religious jurisprudents of the early twentieth century. He studied under Mirza Shirazi and proved to be one of the latter’s most outstanding pupils. He played a crucial role in the progress of the constitutional movement, and was one of those Iranian maraji’ residing in Iraq who was sent back to Iran after the Iraqi uprising of 1920. However, after six months he returned to Iraq and took up residency in Najaf. His most famous work is Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Milla which discusses Shia political theory including government from the Islamic point of view and which he wrote at the beginning of the constitutional movement in Iran. He was famous for his eloquence of speech and his fine handwriting and is recognized as one of the great scholars of the science of usul (principles of religion or dogmatic theology). 154 Ali Shahrestani was one of the famous Iranian mujtahids and one of the Shia leaders during the Iraqi revolution of 1920. He was exiled to Iran by the British after their occupation of Iraq, and he spent the rest of his life in Bakhtaran (Kermanshah). 155 Ayatullah Khalisi (d. 1925 AD) was one of the Shia religious scholars and a leader of the movement in Iraq against the British occupation of that country. In 1922, the Iraqi monarch King Faysal banished more than forty of the Shia ulama from Iraq. Ayatullah Khalisi was sent into exile in the Hijaz for ordering a boycott of the elections and for suspected opposition to the heads of Iraq. His expulsion from Iraq sparked strong opposition from the ulama and Muslim people of Iran, such that the Iranian government was compelled to hold talks with British and Iraqi officials to try to persuade them to allow Ayatullah Khalisi to travel to Iran from the Hijaz and the other ulama to return to Iraq. The Iranian government was successful in its efforts, but as Ayatullah Khalisi stepped onto Iranian soil at Bushehr, he was martyred by a follower of the British govt. His works consist of Al-’Anawin fi’l Usul and Mukhtasar ar-Rasa’il wa’l-Wusul ila Kifayat al-Usul.

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THE CLERGY’S STRUGGLES AT THE TIME OF REZA KHAN Again, at the time of that man from Savadkuh156, that abhorrent ruffian Reza Khan, the ulama once more rose up and this time they did so in the city of Isfahan.157 I was present on this occasion. Both the ulama from Isfahan and those from other Iranian cities, converged on Qum where they assembled and rebelled against the regime. However, the regime resorted to trickery and the movement was crushed. Whether defeat in fact resulted from the regime’s trickery or whether it was due to other factors, the point is that it was indeed defeated. Yet another movement was embarked upon by the ulama of Khorasan.158 The late Messrs. Aqazadeh159 and Sayyid Yunus160 along with other of their contemporaries, were arrested and taken to Tehran where they were imprisoned. I myself saw how the late Aqazadeh, may Allah be pleased with him, was seated on the ground with his turban removed, and how no one was allowed to go near him. He

156 Reza Khan was born in the town of Alasht in Savadkuh County, Mazandaran Province in 1878, to son of Major Abbas-Ali Khan and Noush-Afarin who was a Georgian Muslim immigrant from Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire). 157 In September 1927, Reza Shah issued a decree which implicitly prohibited the clergy from carrying out some of their duties and from involvement in the country’s affairs. His decree was in fact a declaration of war against the clergy. First reactions came when protests against the military service law were held by the people of Isfahan and about one hundred ulama and mujtahids of Isfahan, together with a group of other inhabitants of that city, traveled en masse to Qum. The “Qum migrants” as they became known, were led by one Haj Aqa Nurullah Ruhani. Upon arrival in Qum, the migrants called on the ulama and maraji’ from across the country to join them in Qum in their show of opposition. About seven hundred clergymen responded to their call. Contemporaneous with this event, people in different Iranian cities held anti-government demonstrations. The spread of this opposition to his new policies compelled Reza Khan to respond. He sent some of his representatives along with his Prime Minister and Court Minister to Qum to speak with Haj Aqa Nurullah and the other ulama. Eventually, the government was forced to give in to the migrants’ demands which included a review of the military service law; the selection of five ulama to take seats in the Parliament and the appointment of an overseer of Islamic laws in the towns and cities of Iran. However, Haj Aqa Nurullah, who had stipulated that the migrants would return to Isfahan only when their conditions were met and officially ratified, died under mysterious circumstances during the night of December 25, 1927. Subsequently, with the death of their leader, the protesters dispersed, returning to their respective home. 158 After the enforcement of Reza Khan’s decree requiring everyone to wear uniform dress and the Islamic veils of women to be removed, the ulama in Khorasan rose in revolt. In order to suppress the uprising, Reza Khan ordered his agents to attack the protesters who had gathered at the mosque of Gauhar Shad in the city of Mashhad. A great number of innocent people were massacred in this incident and about one hundred clergymen and other influential people were arrested. Some of the great ulama of the time, such as Aqa Sayyid Yunus Ardebili and Aqazadeh were taken to Tehran to stand trial. See Nihzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 2, p. 165. 159 Mirza Muhammad (Aqazadeh) Najafi Khorasani (1877- 1938 AD) the son of Akhund Khorasani began his studies with his father and received the authorization for becoming a mujtahid from him. In 1907, he left Najaf for Khorasan in Iran and took up residence in Mashhad where he taught usul and fiqh for a while. He was a staunch supporter of the constitutional movement and with the rise to power of Reza Khan and the establishment of his despotic rule, he continued struggling against oppression and called upon the people to rise up against the first Pahlavi monarch. After the barbaric events at Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad, Khorasani was arrested and sentenced to death. However, measures taken by those at the Najaf theological school forced Reza Khan’s regime to commute his sentence. Consequently, he was held in prison for a while and upon his release he was expelled from Mashhad and forced to move to Tehran. There his home was kept under constant surveillance. It is believed that he died at the hands of one Doctor Ahmadi who killed him while treating him for an illness. His body was laid to rest at the shrine of Abdul-Azim. Some of his most notable works are Kitab al-Qaza; Ash-Shahadat and Mabhath al-Fazz. Refer to Tarikh-e Bist Saleh-ye Iran, vol. 6, p. 252. 160 Sayyid Yunus Ardebili (1876- 1959 AD) was one of the famous Shia maraji’. He left his place of birth (Ardebil) for Zanjan to study fiqh and usul under Akhund Mulla Qurban Ali Zanjani, and rational sciences [ulum al-maqul] under Akhund Mulla Sabz Ali Hakim. In 1892, he traveled to Najaf where he attended the theological centre studying under notable instructors. He later moved to Karbala to study with Mirza Shirazi the second, eventually returning to Ardebil in 1916. In 1923, at the time of the struggle against Reza Khan, Sayyid Yunus went to Mashhad. Following events at the Goharshad Mosque, he was arrested and sent to Ardebil. In 1938, he once again returned to Mashhad where he began teaching. He died there not long after his return. His body is buried in the Dar as-Sa’adat at the shrine of Imam Reza (as). He is famous for authoring such books as Daura-ye Kamil-e Fiqh and Risalat dar Qa’idah al-Zarar. Refer to the Encyclopedia of Shi’ism and Tarikh-e Bist Saleh-ye Iran.

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was led through the streets in this state, with his turban removed, and was taken to a court of law where he was tried. Throughout the whole of this time however, there was no sign of these political parties. These parties were not at all in evidence during these uprisings which were staged by the ulama. Yes, they existed, but they were inert. Azerbaijan161 was the spring-board of yet another movement during which the late Messrs. Mirza Sadiq Aqa162 and Angaji163 were arrested and exiled for their participation in this campaign. Following a long period in exile, the late Mirza Sadiq Aqa never actually returned to Azerbaijan although he was held in high regard by the people there. Instead however, he came to Qum where I would occasionally pay him a visit and where he in fact remained until the end of his life.

RESISTANCE OF MUDARRIS AGAINST REZA KHAN’S OPPRESSION Someone else with whom I was acquainted, was the late Mudarris, may he rest in peace. He was yet another ‘alim who stood in confrontation against oppression, against of the oppression of that man from Savadkuh, that ruffian Reza Khan. He stood up in opposition in the Majlis Other ulama had sent him to Tehran as a leading representative of theirs, yet he traveled to Tehran in a horse-drawn carriage. According to a reliable source, Mudarris had bought this carriage in Qum, and had personally ridden the horse several times during his journey to Tehran. Having reached the capital, he bought a modest house in which to live, where I would often go to visit him. I visited Mudarris, may Allah be pleased with him, regularly. He was the most popular Member of Parliament in Tehran. He used to stand alone and fearlessly speak out against oppression; and he enjoyed a following which included people like Malik ash-Shu’ara’164. But in spite of this following, it was he who stood up and spoke out against oppression and against the injustices committed by that man (Reza Khan). This all happened during the time when the Russian government had sent an ultimatum to Iran and when its soldiers had entered Iran, advancing as far as Qazvin. I can’t remember exactly what it was that Russia wanted from Iran, but it is documented in history, and it concerns a matter which would have more or less reduced Iran to servitude; a matter which the Russians insisted on being ratified in the Iranian Majlis. The matter was taken to the Majlis and everyone there was at a loss as to what course of action they should take,

161 One of the freedom movements during the despotic reign of Reza Khan was that of the ulama of the Iranian province of Azerbaijan. This movement was led by Mirza Sadiq Aqa and Angaji, two of the great religious jurisprudents [fuqaha] and maraji’ of the people of Azerbaijan. In order to suppress the movement, Reza Khan sent these two theologians first to Kurdistan and then to Qum. Angaji was able to return to Tabriz after a while, but Sadiq Aqa remained in exile in Qum until the end of his life. 162 Mirza Sadiq, the great religious jurisprudent [Faqih] and marja’ of the people of Azerbaijan province, resided in Tabriz. He was one of the great theologians and mujtahids of the Shia during the first half of the twentieth century. 163 Mirza Abul-Hasan Angaji (1862- 1937 AD) the son of Sayyid Muhammad Shaykh Shari’at was one of the religious jurisprudents and maraji’ of Tabriz. He studied under Haj Mirfattah Sarabi and Mirza Mahmoud Usuli in Tabriz until 1884 when he went to Najaf to study under Fazil Irvani, Haj Mirza Habibullah Roshani and Aqa Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Mamqani. Four years later, toward the end of 1888, he returned to Tabriz and began teaching. In 1933, he was arrested and sent into exile first in Sanandaj and then in Qum. He died in Tabriz in 1937. His works include Kitab-e Hajj and Hashiyeh. 164 Muhammad Taqi Bahar known as Malik ash-Shu’ara’ was a great Iranian poet and scholar. During the Constitutional Revolution, he was one of the friends and followers of Sayyid Hasan Mudarris. His revolutionary essays and poems written at the time of Reza Khan’s suppression were the cause of his incarceration and banishment from one town to another on many occasions. Bahar was elected to the Parliament on several occasions.

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hence, they remained silent in their stupor. A foreign journal recounts how a clergyman came and stood at the back of the speaker’s platform, his hands trembling from age and infirmity; and the journal quotes him as saying something along these lines: “It may be the will of Allah that our liberty and sovereignty shall be taken away from us by force, but let us not sign them away with our own hands,” He then cast a negative vote, and others, finding courage, followed suit, thus dismissing the ultimatum. As for the Russians, there wasn’t a damned thing they could do about it.165 This is the policy politicians usually follow. Firstly they play the bogeyman to see how their opponent reacts. Should their opponent stand up and confront them, then they beat a retreat; but should the poor opponent step back, then they close in. Animals also behave in this way. An animal also has this property, whereby it comes forward at first to sass out its opponent. If the latter takes the offensive, then the animal runs away; but if its opponent flees, then the animal chases after it. This is normal practice for an animal. And so we see what a fearless opponent this clergyman, Mudarris, was. He was someone who would stand up to a great power, who confronted a power as great as Russia. He was someone who, to quote the aforementioned journal, stood up with trembling hands and said: “It may well be the will of Allah that our liberty and sovereignty shall be taken away from us by force, but let us not sign them away with our own hands.” He then cast a negative vote; and others, finding courage, did the same. Now, wouldn’t you say that this clergyman is worthy of appreciation? And what about these past movements and this recent movement which led to the event of Khordad 15 and the forefront; it was the ulama; and this has continued to be the case right down to the present. Even now it is the religious scholars who create uproar and make their voices heard more than anyone else. Of course some of those from the university are also now involved in this struggle; they too are playing a part in the movement as are the rest of the people. But it is the ulama that they follow and not anyone else. A great number of the ulama from Tehran have been imprisoned by the regime; many of the preachers and the ulama have been arrested and sent to prison where they have been kept for several days and where they have undergone persecution.166

165 In May 1911, the Iranian government recruited sixteen American financial experts- headed by Morgan Shuster- to reorganize the tax administration in the country. The Russians were strongly opposed to the presence of the Shuster mission in Iran and in October of the same year they threatened to occupy northern Iran if Shuster, who was seen to be treading on Russia’s toes, were not brought to heel. In November the Russians introduced fresh troops into the country and made further demands that: the Shuster mission be dismissed; the appointment of other foreigners be made subject to British and Russian consent and an indemnity be paid to the expeditionary force which had occupied Anzal3 and Rasht near the northern Iranian border! They threatened to occupy Tehran without further ado unless these demands were met within forty-eight hours. The ultimatum was discussed in a meeting of the Second National Assembly on December 1, 1911 and was met with strong opposition from Ayatullah Mudarris in particular, whose brave stance in the face of the threatening ultimatum encouraged other members of the Assembly to oppose it. Three hundred women marched into the public galleries with pistols hidden under their long veils, and threatened to shoot any deputy willing to submit to the Russian ultimatum. Angry demonstrators attacked the city trams that were partly owned by the Russians, and a huge crowd, described by one eyewitness as the “largest up to that point in Iranian history,” gathered outside the parliament building shouting, “Independence or Death”. However, Premier Samsam as-Saltanah, along with the regent (of Ahmad Shah who was still a minor), the Cabinet and Yeprem Khan with his fighters from the Caucasus, decided to accept the ultimatum to avoid a Russian occupation of the capital. As the Prime Minister accepted the Russian demands and as the regent accused the deputies of acting unconstitutionally, Yeprem Khan barred shut the doors of Parliament and the Second National Assembly was dissolved. See Ervan Abrahamian, Iran Between Two Revolutions, pp. 108- 110 and Tarikh-e Bist Saleh-ye Iran. 166 Nearly fifty-three clergymen were arrested and imprisoned during the bloody events of June 5, 1963/Khordad 15, 1342 SH.

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INVALIDITY OF THE THEORY, ISLAM WITHOUT THE CLERGY My good men, you are mistaken in believing that you want Islam but not the mullah. How can you have Islam without the mullah? Again, it is these very mullahs who step forward and who get things done. It is they who sacrifice their lives. Even now some of our mullahs are in prison; some of our ulama, our selfsacrificing ulama, are in prison as we speak, refusing to give in to these acts of oppression. They are approached by agents of the regime who ask them to express regret for their actions, but they do not comply. The things I have so far discussed are just some of the things that I have personally witnessed during my lifetime, many other such things having by now escaped my memory; and as for incidents from an earlier period in history, since I am no historian I am not really in a position to discuss them. However, with regard to the grievance I wish to voice against these intellectuals, I would ask them not to brush aside this powerful force which has the support of the nation; and not to dismiss the ulama arguing that: “We want Islam, but we don’t want the mullah”. This is against reason; it does not make political sense. You must welcome the ulama with open arms; and should they be found wanting in their knowledge of political affairs, then come together and give them the political instruction they need. The relationship they have with the people is much better than yours. They command a greater influence over the people than you do, indeed, you have no such influence. They are influential among the people. Each mullah carries weight within his own parish. Those of you, who are concerned about Islam and who say that you want Islam, are not to say that you want Islam but that you don’t want the Akhund. You should say that you want Islam and that you want the Akhund too. If an Akhund is unaware of certain political issues for example, then you are to make a joint effort to help him. You are to teach him about these political issues so that he may then practice what he has learnt, and as a result, is able to retain the nation’s support thus enabling you to administer the country. If you want to engage in struggle alone, without assistance from the akhund, then you will remain oppressed by others till doomsday. You are to come together, to unite, to be brothers together. Don’t spurn those within the clergy. The latter constitute an imperishable force; they constitute the power of the nation. Therefore, do not brush the power of the nation aside by saying that you don’t want to have anything to do with the clergy. No matter how much you may say this, the fact remains that the people certainly do want the clergy to be involved. You are but an isolated group compared to the rest of the people, people who indeed want the ulama to be involved in things. People such as those in the bazaar or the ordinary man in the street, they all want the ulama to be involved. Therefore, while I feel a sense of attachment and fondness toward certain intellectuals- intellectuals who serve Islam, and in particular those who are abroad, those in America, Europe and India for example, with whom I correspond and who are at the service of Islam, who want to serve Islam, who have a love of Islam, and who want to eliminate oppression, on occasion having firmly resolved certain difficulties which have arisen abroad in the past- at the same time, I believe that they should not disregard those services rendered by the ulama of Islam and the akhunds, arguing that “We want Islam minus the akhund”. Don’t you see that this is not possible? Islam and the akhund are inseparable entities. To say “We want Islam minus the akhund”, is like saying “We want Islam, but an Islam which does not concern itself with politics”. Indeed, this is the extent to which Islam and the akhund are intertwined. There is no way that you could have Islam without the akhund. The Holy Prophet (s) was also an akhund; he was one of the greatest akhunds of all

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time. The Prophet was the akhund above all akhunds. And Hazrat Ja’far al-Sadiq (as), he too was an ‘alim of Islam. These men were the fuqaha of Islam; they stand supreme among the fuqaha of Islam. So how on earth can you now say “I don’t want the akhund”?! Indeed, this is why I nurse a grievance against these intellectuals. However, I also have a complaint to make against the honorable gentlemen of the clergy. They too are guilty of overlooking many factors. They too, because of their purity of heart, are influenced by the malicious propaganda which is put out by the regime. The latter dreams up some machination or other daily. It continually makes an issue out of nothing so that the prime cause of our suffering will be overlooked and the ulama will become inattentive. That is to say, there are certain elements which often purposely create a sensation, thus causing some predicament or other to arise. Every so often some kind of trouble crops up in Iran; and at such times, instead of the honorable preachers, the learned ulama, concerning themselves with the political matters found in Islam, with the economic matters found in Islam, they spend their time talking about “this person” being a heathen, “that person” being an apostate, and “so-and-so” being a Wahhabi. They accuse the scholar who has toiled hard for fifty years, and whose knowledge of fiqh is more thorough than that of the majority of themselves, of being a Wahhabi.167 But it is wrong of them to say such things. You are not to create a rift between yourselves. If you continually reject people one by one by saying that this person is a Wahhabi, that person is an unbeliever, and so-and-so is whatever, then at the end of the day who will remain?

TWO LESSONS FROM THE PROPHET (S) I mentioned earlier that I am no expert as far as history is concerned, but nevertheless there are certain things which I have seen or heard in the past and have committed to memory. One such thing concerns something which the Noble Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him and his family, did following his capture of Hunayn168; something from which two lessons can be learned for those who are keen to understand. On the occasion in question the Noble Prophet did two things: firstly, according to historical accounts, when he heard that one of the leaders of these unbelievers had got away and fled to Jeddah and that he had boarded a boat there with the intention of escaping, the Prophet handed his ‘aba (cloak) to someone, ordering for it to be taken to the escapee and for the latter to be brought back for he had been

167 It refers to Ayatullah Muntaziri. 168 Hunayn is a location in the Hijaz, Saudi Arabia between Mecca and Ta’if in the Sarawat Mountains. The location, on the Road from Mecca to Ta’if Road, is a wide arid valley surrounded by barren, rocky mountains. The Battle of Hunayn took place here in 630 AD.

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spared169; and secondly, he again behaved in a similar manner with Abi Sufyan170 (and later with Abi Sufyan’s offspring), a person who throughout his whole life continually refused to accept the faith of Islam. Thus, when the spoils which had been won during the Battle of Hunayn were brought forward for distribution, in spite of all that this Abi Sufyan and those pagans of the Quraysh had done in the past, the Prophet gave generously to them all, giving as many as a hundred camels to one, three hundred camels to another, and goodness knows how many camels and other things to the rest. And he did this even though he knew that they were pagans; even though he was well aware of them being polytheists. As a result however, the devotees protested that their own share of the spoils had been inadequate and that these unbelievers had been too greedy. In reply to these protests the Prophet said: “They (the unbelievers) have taken camels away with them whereas you have got me with you. Wouldn’t you prefer to have the Prophet of God with you rather than some camels?!”171 Hence, we see what a noble person this man was. Irrespective of his prophetic role, we can see what an exalted mind he had. And at the same time we see how the beneficence shown by the Prophet toward the pagans of the Quraysh led the latter, who were probably impure at heart, to at least make an outward appearance of being Muslim, and to therefore join the fold of Islam. Furthermore, we see how admirably, how marvelously, the Prophet replied to those who voiced protest, thus making them content.

169 This was Safwan ibn Umayyah, one of the leaders of the unbelievers who, upon the Prophet’s triumphant return to Mecca in 630 AD, fled the city for Jeddah from where he hoped to go on to Yemen. ‘Umayr ibn Wahb approached the Prophet and told him of Safwan ibn Umayyah’s flight, saying: “Oh Messenger of God, Safwan is one of the elders of this city who because of his fear of you has fled to Jeddah to throw himself at the mercy of the sea. Grant him quarter.” The Messenger of God replied: “It is granted.” ‘Umayr ibn Wahb then said: “Oh Messenger of God, give me a token that I may take to him so that he will believe he has been granted amnesty.” The Prophet handed him the turban he had worn upon his head when he had entered Mecca after the city had surrendered to him. ‘Umayr took it and set off to Jeddah. He arrived there just as Safwan was about to board a ship. Safwan returned with him to Mecca and went to the Prophet and said: “This man tells me that you have granted me quarter.” The Prophet replied: “That is so.” Safwan ibn Umayyah said: “Grant me a two-month respite. The Prophet answered: “I will grant you a four-month respite.” 170 Abi Sufyan was one of the aristocratic and influential figures of the Quraysh tribe during the Age of Ignorance (before the dawn of Islam). It is said that he was an exciter of discord and was either the instigator of each disagreement which occurred among the Quraysh or played an active role in the dissension. According to one narrative, he lost the sight of both his eyes during the course of two battles. Abi Sufyan opposed the Prophet and the message of Islam until the defeat of Mecca in 630 AD when he embraced Islam and was granted amnesty by the Prophet. He died circa 651 or 654 AD. 171 After his victory in the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet gave most of the spoils to the Quraysh and the Meccans for he knew that this would reconcile them to Islam. However, the Ansar (the helpers, the epithet given to the Medinans who helped Muhammad after his migration to Medina) received only a small portion of the booty and this caused them much discontent. When the Prophet of God was informed of their objections, he gathered them together and said: “Are you now upset over a small amount of the wealth of this world that I have used to reconcile some hearts and thus strengthen Islam and you don’t consider important the great blessings that God has bestowed upon you and the fact that he has guided you to Islam? Oh Ansar, are you not content that some take with them camels and sheep while you take with yourselves the Messenger of God? I swear by God in whose hands lies my life that if the people had all gone along one path and the Ansar along another, I would have gone along the path of the Ansar. And had I not migrated here, I would still have been one of the Ansar. Oh God, grant forgiveness to the Ansar and the sons of the Ansar and their grandsons.” These words of the Prophet had such an effect on the hearts of the Ansar that they began to weep aloud. Their shaykhs and leaders stood up before him and kissed his hands and feet. Then they said: “We are content with God the Almighty and with your mission and are happy with this portion.” Refer to Kitab alIrshad (The Book of Guidance) by Shaykh al-Mufid translated by I. K. A. Howard, p. 90; The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates by Hugh Kennedy pp. 43- 44 and Tafsir al-Mizan, vol. 18, p. 62.

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THE NECESSITY OF THE CLERGY’S ATTENTION TO THE INTELLECTUALS Returning to the present-day situation, if some patent error is to be found in the work of those who are currently striving for the sake of Islam, and who are writing material to this end, then you are to rectify this error. As ones who are learned, you are to rectify this error and are not to ostracize the persons concerned. Do not drive them away. Indeed, today we need the support of as many people as possible. Right now, we are to make the most of every single person. At times like this, when whatever the regime writes is against us; when all its measures and propaganda are aimed against us; when neither the press nor the radio are free to convey our message or to broadcast even one word of our argument; at a time when our hands our bound and we have been placed in a strait-jacket whereby we cannot get our message across and have no means of propagation at our disposal; indeed, we need every single person we can get. Therefore, even supposing that there are a few mistakes to be found in the work of those who are writing to promote Shi’ism, you are to rectify these mistakes. Do not ostracize these people; do not drive them away. Do not reject those from the university. These are the people in whose hands this country’s destiny will lie in the future. It is not you who will become a government minister in the future. You and I are not the country’s future ministers. We are in a different profession. Tomorrow, this country’s destiny will lie in the hands of these people from the university. It is they who will become Members of Parliament, government ministers or whatever. Therefore, you are to be on friendly terms with these people. Do not persist in your rejection of them. Do not continue to mount the pulpit and denounce them. Mount the pulpit and advise them instead of reviling them. Where will reviling people get you? Advise them. Welcome these credit-worthy fronts which are currently active. Like yourselves, their members have also suffered imprisonment and persecution; they too have suffered exile; they too have been forced to live abroad and are afraid to return to their own country. If you ostracize those who are currently writing and publishing material abroad on Islamic and religious issues, then tomorrow, should the country’s destiny fall into the hands of some of these people, what will they do with the future generation of akhunds having been tormented so by akhunds in the past? Everyone must join hands together.

THE MEANING OF THE SHAH’S REGIME’S ‘LAND REFORMS’ LAW Both the country of Iran and the Islamic countries as a whole, of which Iran is but a member, are hovering on the brink of a disaster. God knows how distressed and worried I sometimes become when I think of how many days Iran would be able to survive on its own supplies, if, God forbid, it should become involved in a war. Experts say that were these ‘supplier countries’ to cut their supplies to Iran, then the latter would only be able to sustain itself for a thirty-three-day period. Yet what kind of a country are we talking about here? We are in fact talking of an Iran whose province of Khorasan alone was capable of supplying the country’s needs all year round, in addition to producing a surplus for export to others. Yes, just one of its provinces- the province of Khorasan. But what did they do? They went and implemented land reforms! They implemented those damned land reforms, and as a result all the land has been taken from the people and we have now reached a stage where Iran’s total agricultural produce is enough to suffice for a mere thirty-three-day period- if the published figures are accurate that is, otherwise the period could in fact be even shorter still.

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What would happen if, for just one day, these ships and those people172 who have built a market here in which to sell their goods did not come to Iran? Yes indeed, that is what ‘land reforms’ actually means: the opening up of a market here for use by foreign countries. These countries have been known to have poured wheat into the sea in the past; they have had a wheat surplus and so they have poured it into the sea.173 But why should they do this when instead they can implement ‘land reforms’ in Iran and export this wheat surplus to her, receiving cash payment in return? They have left our agriculture in a paralyzed state, everything now coming to us from there, from abroad. Just take a look at the various journals. In them you can sometimes see with what swelling pride the government boastfully brags about how much wheat it has imported, how much barley it has imported and so on. But you bungling idiots, don’t you see this is in fact something of which you should be ashamed! You are the ones who should be exporting wheat. You are the ones whose province of Azerbaijan alone was once enough to supply you with all of your agricultural needs as well as producing a surplus for you to export. Yet now you sit and boast about being the ones who have to import goods! Yes indeed, you should be ashamed of these ‘land reforms’ of yours and of whatever other ‘reforms’ you have brought about.

THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CLERGY AND THE INTELLECTUALS To return to my grievance against the honorable gentlemen of the clergy, I ask them not to divorce these other fronts from themselves, but instead to bring all the different fronts together. Moreover, those in the clergy must value this group of people who are striving in the path of Islam and who are writing material to this end. They (the clergy) must make use of these people. My good men of the clergy, extend the right hand of fellowship. Do not talk of a deprave, libertine university and do not continually divorce other fronts from yourselves. And the same goes for the members of other fronts; they too must not divorce the clergy from themselves by saying, for example, that they are reactionaries and old-fashioned. In what way can the akhund be said to be reactionary? How can the akhund be said to be reactionary when he stands as a forerunner of progress? Thus, we have a situation where one front accuses the clergy of reactionism and so on, while another front makes defamatory statements about those in the university saying so-and-so is an atheist and so on. But this is totally wrong. Both fronts are to extend a brotherly hand to each other, so go ahead and do this and set out a joint course of action which you can both follow. Today we have been presented with an opportunity. Iran would not be in the terrible state it is now if this were not the case. This is an opportunity which has been granted us and which, if capitalized upon, presents us with an ideal opportunity. The gentlemen must avail themselves of this opportunity. They must protest in writing. Some writers from certain parties are already busy making such written protests to which they are also adding their signatures. Such people write, air their views and sign their work.174 You are to do the same, and you are to get a hundred ulama to sign your work. You 172 The Americans. 173 According to a United Nations Organization report, while millions of people in developing countries were dying from malnutrition because of the shortage of food, America decided not to cultivate millions of hectares of farmland in order to stop the decrease in the price of agricultural commodities. America controls the distribution and price of wheat by destroying it (throwing it into the sea) or preventing its cultivation. See The Food Crisis, p. 16. 174 By way of example one can cite the Iranian Society for the Defense of Freedom and Human Rights affiliated to the International Committee for Human Rights in America, the Assembly of Iranian Writers and the Assembly of Attorneys. Two months before the

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must hammer the message home; you must come out with the problems which are facing Iran. Now is the time to say these things; and if you do so then you will achieve results. However, my concern is that should this opportunity be wasted and should this man’s175 position be strengthened, then the regime will come down on the people so hard that they won’t know what hit them; and it is you clergymen who will bear the brunt of this attack. This is what is worrying me. Therefore, do not waste this opportunity. All fronts must unite and write about the problems facing Iran. Announce them to the world. If it is not possible to do so in Iran, then send what you have written abroad; they will publish it there for you. Somehow send your work here (abroad) and we will send it to be published. Get your criticisms down on paper; protest against the regime itself as others have We ourselves have seen how several people have already criticized the regime in writing; we have seen how they have got away with saying many things to which they have given their signature. This is an opportunity not to be missed so do not let it slip by.176 The regime in Iran is now doing its best to straighten things out with the imperialist powers. It is seeking to fully establish its puppet status with these powers once and for all, for it has not yet been given their full assurance on this. It is therefore busy making plans either to bring the representatives of these powers over here or for its own representatives to go there or whatever in order to straighten things out for good.177 And present speech, Iranian writers, academics and politicians issued a statement in which, without mentioning the Shah’s name, they called for the government to act according to the constitutional law and for the rights and freedom of the people to be respected. Refer to Zendegi-ye Siyasi-ye Imam Khomeini [The Political Life of Imam Khomeini], p. 366. 175 The Shah. 176 James Earl Carter Jr. (b. 1924) popularly known as Jimmy Carter, the Democrat candidate in the US presidential elections, was voted in as the new American President over his rival from the Republican Party on November 3, 1976/Aban 12, 1355 SH. He took office on January 20, 1977/Dey 30, 1355 SH espousing defense of human rights as one of the main planks of his platform. This may have been a customary gesture expected by the audience at home, but the reasoning behind the emphasis on human rights was prompted by other objectives too, among them the need to: improve America’s image, particularly in the wake of the brutal events of the Korean and Vietnamese wars, and mollify the still strong global anti-US feelings brought about by those events; increase the propaganda against and psychological pressure on the Kremlin and attract disgruntled Russian elements to the American side; and to place US-installed or backed dictators in a favorable light by making them appear to be making strides toward the improvement of human rights and the democratization of their countries and thus meriting further US support or aid- in this way, the US government hoped to prevent uprisings against dictators in its client states and thereby secure its own interests in the various regions of the world. Throughout the presidential campaign, the Shah had put his support and oil money firmly behind the Republican candidate, Gerald Ford. The Shah’s ambassador in London wrote in his diary on August 8 that the Shah “fears that Jimmy Carter may have ‘Kennedy-type pretensions’ and would much prefer to see Ford re-elected.” (p. 23 of Parviz Radji’s In the Service of the Peacock Throne, The Diaries of the Shah’s Last Ambassador to London). In his many years of dealing with US Presidents, the Shah had found his despotic nature and policies were less censured by the Republicans than the Democrats. This was confirmed throughout the 1976 campaign when the Democrats criticized the torture and political repression which was increasingly becoming more commonplace under the Shah in Iran and used his abuse of human rights to discredit the Republicans in their support of him. Upon assuming office, Carter, confident in the stability of the Shah’s regime, placed Iran at the top of the list of those countries which were expected to at least put on a show of liberalization and present some modicum of respect for human rights (although, as was to be seen, Carter would in no way allow abuse of the latter to stand in the way of US lucrative ties with Iran). Hoveyda was then dismissed from office and Jamshid Amuzegar took his place. A Society for the Defense of Human Rights was formed by some of the more moderate elements of the opposition. The administrating body of this society comprised of Mahdi Bazargan, Hasan Nazi, Ali Asghar, Haj Sayyid Jawadi, Ahmad Sadr Haj Sayyid Jawadi, Rahmatullah Muqaddam Maraghi’i, Lahiji and Minachi. 177 Initial doubts which hung over the future course of US-Iran relations upon the new President assuming office were cleared up when in November 1977 the Shah traveled to Washington to seek further support for his regime from the Carter administration. Carter had earlier approved billions of dollars’ worth of military sales to Iran signaling that no drastic change in the relationship was to come about even in the light of scant improvement in Iran’s human rights record. Gary Sick in his book All Fall Down, p. 78 says: “The tone of policy in Washington had changed sharply from the days of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, but the emphasis was definitely on gentle persuasion, not heavy pressure or fundamental shifts of alliances. If that was not evident to the Shah prior to his arrival, there could have been little doubt in his mind after the nearly five hours of face-to-face meetings with President Carter on November 15 and 16.”

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my worry is that, God forbid, should this opportunity be lost, and should this regime receive the assurance it is seeking from the imperialist powers, then unlike former times, untold damage will be inflicted upon Islam. I beseech Almighty God to grant success to you all; and to grant glory to Islam. O God, in the name of the Immaculate Imams, exalt Islam; bestow dignity and greatness upon it; awaken us from the slumber of ignorance; bring together all of our different fronts; and enable us to speak with one voice. May God’s peace mercy and blessings be upon you.

23rd Speech Date: Circa January 1978/End of Dey 1356 SH/Safar 1398 AH178 Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Theme: Crimes of the Pahlavi regime Occasion: Tragedy of the massacre of people of Qum on Dey 19, 1356 SH [January 9, 1978] Addressees: Clergy, theology students and a group of people I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

CONDOLENCE ON QUM TRAGEDY I am at a loss as to whom I should offer my condolences on this tragedy, this great tragedy. 179 Should I offer them to the Most Noble Messenger, peace be upon him and his family, to the Masumin, peace be upon them, to Hazrat Hujjat (the Twelfth Imam) peace be upon him, or to the Islamic ummah, to the Muslims, to the oppressed in all countries of the world, or should I offer them to the oppressed nation of Iran or the respected people of Qum. Should I condole with the bereaved, with the fathers and mothers who have borne so much suffering, or with the theological schools and the ulama? To whom should I offer my condolences and whom should I thank for these events that have come about for Islam. The awakened nation of Iran is plundered and dishonored, it suffers many tragedies and yet it stands firm in the face of these and it sacrifices lives. They have opened up fire on the people with machine-guns without right or reason, and so far, according to the information that we have received, they have killed seventy people.

178 In Sahifeh-ye Nur, vol. 1, p. 267, the present speech is said to have been delivered on January 9 [Dey 19], but in view of Imam’s remarks this is a definite mistake, the said speech having been made at least several days following the event which occurred on January 9. 179 It refers to the killings of January 9/Dey 19] which took place following the printing of the defamatory article entitled: “The Red and Black Reaction in Iran” which appeared in the Ittila’at newspaper of January 7, 1978/Dey 17, 1356 SH. The said article which openly insulted both Imam Khomeini and the other maraji’, carried the fictitious author’s name” Ahmad Rashidi Mutlaq”; and after its publication, the people were so enraged that they immediately collected all of the newspapers in question, set them ablaze, and then began to shout out anti-Shah slogans in the streets. Two days later, on January 9, the theological teaching centers closed down and the general public, including those from the bazaar, headed for the homes of the maraji’ to demonstrate their support for the clergy. On their way however, they were suddenly attacked by armed troops who immediately opened fire on them.

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However, we have been given varying reports and some news agencies report that a hundred people have been killed; the most oft-repeated figure is one hundred or two hundred and fifty dead, but some telegrams that have arrived here from European countries or America speak of three hundred dead, so it is still not clear how many have actually been killed. The number of injured is also not yet known. The correct figure will probably come to light later, if that is possible, if the regime has not thrown the bodies of the people into the Hawze Sultan Lake, as they did on Khordad 15 (June 5, 1964)180. I wonder if the true figure will ever be discovered. We have received confirmed reports that some people went to the hospitals to donate their blood, but they were arrested and hence some of those in need of blood died. The regime’s agents didn’t give the bodies of those killed to their relatives, and if the latter persisted, they made them pay five hundred tumans before they handed the bodies over to them.181 Whom should we thank for this and with whom should we condole? We should be thankful to the Iranian nation. It is an awakened nation; it is a vigilant, renitent nation in the face of oppression. The Iranian people witness so much injustice, they sacrifice so many lives yet still they resist, still they persevere, and this perseverance will bear fruit. There is no doubt that when a nation awakes, when even its women rise up against the government and against these oppressors, it will be victorious, God willing.

WEAPONS IN THE HANDS OF THE WICKED I have heard that at the time of Reza Khan, the father of this Khan, the late Mudarris told him that he believed Shaykh ar-Ra’is182 had once said that he feared a bull with horns for it had a weapon but no intellect or wisdom (‘aql). Even if this does not prove to be a saying of Shaykh ar-Ra’is, it is still a wise adage, for what heinous acts are perpetrated when weapons fall into the hands of the impious and the unworthy. From the very beginning, man has suffered because weapons have been in the hands of impious, unsuitable people. From the very time that man became civilized, as he believed, weapons have been in the hands of the impious and all the problems which mankind has had to suffer stem from this. So long as these unworthy weapon-bearers remain armed, mankind will not find its ultimate destiny. One of the missions of the prophets was to disarm the unworthy, injudicious weapon-bearers, but they could not, for these people held power and authority. Worthy people too in every age tried to wrest the arms from the hands of the unworthy, but they were also unsuccessful. So it has been the unworthy, injudicious and ungodly people who have always been armed and this is the cause of all the problems that you witness (in the world). From the very beginning, when man first came to this earth and the door of struggle between the just and the unjust was opened, and throughout all ages, arms have been in the hands of the unjust- very rarely has it been otherwise. We don’t need to delve far back into history to see what crimes have been committed because of this; we only need to look at the wars which have occurred over the past hundred years. The

180 The Hawze Sultan (Qum Lake) is situated on the lowest stretches of the plain which lies between the cities of Tehran, Qum and Saveh; and it is a well-known fact that the corpses of the victims of Khordad 15 were dumped into this lake by government agents. 181 Those who came to claim the corpses of either the people killed during the demonstration or those who had been executed following a predetermined trial, were asked by the Shah’s agents to make a payment which would cover what they termed ‘bullet costs’. 182 Avicenna also known as Ibn Sina (980-1037 AD), the great Persian Physician. His magnum opus The Canon of Medicine was taught in European universities for 600 years. He is buried in Hamadan, Iran.

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First World War183, the Second World War184, the Vietnamese War185 of recent history and the killings that accompanied them, these all came about because the arms were in the hands of the unworthy, they were the ones who had the weapons.

THE CRIMES OF REZA KHAN I myself can remember and have witnessed the bloodshed that has occurred over the past fifty years in Iran because of the unlawful rule of these criminals. Such sorrow and bitterness it has caused us. Perhaps some of you too share this sorrow or perhaps you are too young to know of everything that has happened, but I am old, I have witnessed the people’s misfortunes and the crimes and killings perpetrated by these unjust weapon-bearers from the time that the first coup d’état was carried out.186 I was in Arak then,187 and the English criminals, the unjust British who possessed arms, armed an unworthy, ignoble Reza Khan and 183 World War I, which broke out in 1914 and came to an end in 1918, was initially sparked off by an Austrian attack against Serbia, other countries, including the Soviet Union, Germany, France, Belgium, Britain, Japan, America, Finland, Bulgaria, Italy and Hungary also later becoming involved in the battle. This war left almost 13,500,000 people dead and numerous cities razed to the ground. 184 World War II broke out in 1939 with a German attack on Poland; and in support of the latter, the French and British governments subsequently declared war on Germany. Italy, Somalia, India, Libya, Yugoslavia, Greece, the Soviet Union, Iran, America, Japan, Algeria, Morocco, Romania, and several other countries were all involved in this war. On August 6, 1945/Mordad 15, 1324 SH, America dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and this, together with a second attack on Nagasaki three days later, led directly to Japan’s surrender and to the end of the Second World War- a war which claimed the lives of 39,000,000 people. 185 Vietnam was occupied by the French in 1880, but in 1940, following the defeat of France in Europe, the reins of the government in this country were seized by the Japanese. In 1945, the year of Japan’s surrender to the Allies, France yet again set its sights on Vietnam but this time it experienced a defeat at the hands of the latter. In 1954, as a result of the agreements concluded at the Geneva Conference, the temporary partition of Vietnam into two areas of North Vietnam and South Vietnam came about. An American-backed government was installed in South Vietnam which, in its attempts to consolidate the regime’s position, came down hard on all dissidents who were thus sent to labor camps. Between the years 1956 and 1960, as much as one billion dollars was given by America to the South Vietnamese government by way of military and economic aid, in addition to military equipment which was also dispatched by the US to support the regime there. In 1960 a guerrilla campaign was launched against the Vietnamese regime by South Vietnamese guerrilla forces known as the ‘Vietcong’. Thousands of Vietcong members were either arrested or killed by both government and American forces throughout the following four years, until in 1964, America officially waged war with both North Vietnam and the Vietcong of South Vietnam. During the period which stretched from 1962 until 1968, more than 400,000 Vietcong members and North Vietnamese combatants were killed in war and conflict. From February 1965 until January 1968 alone, 2, 582,000 bombs were dropped on the defenseless people of this country during 107,700 air raids which were carried out by US aircraft on North Vietnam; and in 1969, hundreds of the inhabitants of Mylai, a small village situated in South Vietnam, were killed in a general massacre which was carried out by American troops there. On August 10,1969, approximately 500,000 young people from North Vietnam were reported to have been killed in the war. From 1971 until 1973 the Vietcong managed to topple down the South Vietnamese regime with several severe blows; and eventually in 1975, a defeated America was forced to withdraw from Vietnam. This withdrawal was concurrent with an all-out attack on South Vietnam which was staged by both the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese forces, and which resulted in the collapse of the South Vietnamese regime, the liberation of South Vietnam, and the latter’s unification with North Vietnam. According to Western sources, the killing of each Vietcong member cost America as much as 350,000 dollars, let alone the moral, social and psychological damages inflicted upon the American nationdamages which were in fact far greater than any economic losses it sustained. 186 Reza Khan Mirpanj, who held military command over a Cossack unit in Qazvin, occupied Tehran in 1920 [1299 SH] in accordance with a plan devised by the British government, and by carrying out a coup d’état he forced Ahmad Shah to appoint Sayyid Ziyauddin Tabatabai as the Prime Minister. Reza Khan gradually consolidated his position and took steps to establish a unified national army. In 1923, Ahmad Shah appointed Reza Khan to act as Ministerial Chairman after which he then left Iran to visit Europe. Eventually, in 1925 [1304 SH], parliamentary representatives were pressurized by Reza Khan into presenting a single article to the Majlis by virtue of which Ahmad Shah was ousted from the throne and Reza Khan became elected as monarch. This article was ratified by the Majlis in spite of opposition voiced by the clergy and certain crusaders such as Mudarris. 187 In 1920 (1299 SH- the year of Reza Khan’s coup d’état), having received an education in Khomein, Imam Khomeini went to the theological center of Arak where he continued his studies.

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imposed him on the people. After World War Two began, and the British had kicked him out of Iran for disobeying them, they admitted in a broadcast over Radio Delhi that they had engineered the rise to power of this blackguard.188 At the time, the people suspected this to be the case, but they didn’t know all the facts because the evil propaganda of the time did not allow it. I have witnessed the indescribable crimes that he committed during his stay in power.

THE CONSPIRACY OF “REMOVAL OF THE ISLAMIC VEIL” (KASHF-E HIJAB) I cannot describe for you the sorrows of those days. I’m sure his heinous deeds have been recorded in the annals of history and God willing, after the overthrow of this evil monarchy, the historical facts will be disclosed and the records will be made available for you or for future generations to read. Then you may be able to understand a little better, that is if these accounts can describe what bloodshed he caused, how many of the ulama he incarcerated, how much pressure he brought to bear on this poor nation in order to impose uniform dress, how he hit the oppressed, how he humiliated the ulama and how many turbans he removed from the heads of the religious scholars. It is said that when this ungodly man went to Turkey and saw what misdeeds Ataturk had done there, he sent a telegram to his agents in Iran telling them to make the people wear uniform dress. At the time, he used the excuse that the farmers who worked out in the sun should wear a peaked cap so that they wouldn’t be troubled by the sun- however, it was obvious that this was not the real reason for imposing this law. When he returned from his trip, then the pressures began in earnest.189 A series of intense pressures and outrageous atrocities followed the issuance of this Uniform Dress Law. The ulama were tormented greatly because of this law, many of them were sent into exile and some of them

188 On November 5 1941/Aban 14, 1320 SH, two months after Reza Khan had fled Iran, British Radio, in one of its political commentaries, openly spoke of Britain’s tendentious friendship with Iran and of having brought Reza Khan to power. In this regard it stated: “British political policy in Iran is one based upon friendship: both a friendship with an underlying purpose and a friendship without an underlying purpose. As for the friendship which has no underlying purpose, this is enjoyed by the learned men only, for other than this the friendship held between the British government and Iran or any other country for that matter is not and cannot be void of personal motives Once we saw how suspicious the Iranian nation was towards the treaty concluded in 1919, believing it to be based upon ulterior motives, we annulled the treaty and instead gave the Iranian government help and encouragement to establish order in its own country. The underlying reason why we gave help and encouragement to Reza Khan was that our opponents used to accuse us of controlling Reza Shah’s actions and claim that whatever he did was in compliance with our instructions. But this was not in fact the case! When we realized however that Germany’s evil designs and the Shah’s negligence were endangering our interests, then we were forced to reluctantly take this course of action (i. e. the sending of Reza Khan into exile)”. Refer also to Tarikh-e Siyasi-ye Mu’asir-e Iran, vol. 1, pp. 127- 128. 189 When Reza Khan returned to Iran having visited Turkey and talking with Ataturk, he began to speak of modernization. Ataturk had taught him that the greatest barrier preventing the Westernization of a nation was the ulama and the clergy, and that only by foreshortening the arms of the latter was he himself able to persuade the men to wear a neck- or bow-tie and a hat and to prohibit the women from wearing the Islamic covering! Hence, in following Ataturk’s example, and after consulting with Britain, Reza Khan also embarked upon a new program of “reforms”. In a personally-issued writ, Reza Khan banned the donning of religious dress for all clergymen save a few who had been made an exception. Other steps taken by him in bringing about uniformity of social dress included the compulsory wearing of the Pahlavi hat (semi-brimmed), and later the Chapeau hat (full-brimmed), frock-coat and jacket. Regulations concerning the compulsory wearing of a hat, and the color and type of shoes and clothing which were to be worn, were conveyed via the governors of the various provinces in the form of official notices which were handed down to the latter from the Ministry of the Interior! But even this did not satisfy Reza Khan, who then began to consider further measures which could be taken to crush Islam and the Muslims in Iran. However, having been discharged from this mission, he did not actually get the chance to implement these measures but instead left his son to carry out the rest of his proposed plans.

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were killed because of their objections to it.190 The second excuse used to bring pressure on the people came when he called for the unveiling of women, which again he did in imitation of the ungodly Ataturk, the unjust, armed Ataturk. What a shameful act this was. God only knows how this nation of Iran suffered when he forced the women to remove their veils.191 The veil of humanity was rent asunder. God knows which women he dishonored in this way, which people he humiliated. He forced the ulama at bayonet-point to attend celebratory parties with their wives, which they did with heavy hearts and which ended with the people crying. Other people as well, different groups in turn, were invited and obliged to attend parties with their wives. This was the freedom for women which Reza Shah enforced. He used bayonets and the police to compel the respected people, the merchants and the ulama, to attend these parties on the excuse that he himself had organized them. At some of these celebrations- as the regime called them- the people cried so much that those agents with a sense of shame regretted having forced them to attend. This was just one way he used to put pressure on the people, and God only knows what repercussions this measure had.

PREVENTION OF RAWZAH ASSEMBLIES Another way was he stopped the clergymen from going to the pulpits and delivering sermons of any kind.192 He also prevented them from holding rawzahs- indeed at one time in Iran no rawzahs assemblies were held at all during Ashura. Some fearless people did however dare to hold assemblies, but these had to be held late at night or in the early hours of the morning and they had to end before the call to morning prayer was

190 In 1935 AD/1314 SH, Reza Khan forced the people of Iran to abandon the national and traditional form of dress for a foreign one. The writ which was issued in this regard was called the “Uniformity of Appearance Writ” and it applied to everyone including even the clergy. The people, who were truly angered by these measures, turned to the clergy for guidance and the latter thus commanded them to rise up in opposition. In the struggle which ensued, Ayatullah Husayn Qummi was sent into exile in Iraq (the home of the holy shrines of some of the noblest figures of Islam); and Yunus Ardebili, Muhaqqiq Khorasani and the latter’s son were tried in court and sentenced to imprisonment, Ayatullah Khorasani’s son actually dying shortly after having been forcibly divested of his religious garb. Furthermore, about one hundred of the country’s most distinguished clergymen and preachers were also arrested and imprisoned during the course of this protest. 191 On December 2, 1935/Azar 11, 1314 SH, Mahmoud Jam, who had been appointed by Reza Khan to form a Cabinet, was asked by the latter: “How can we get rid of this chador (a full-length veil worn by women)? Ever since I went to Turkey and saw how the women there have discarded the black veil and the Islamic form of covering, I have come to despise any woman who wears the chador. Indeed, the chador is the enemy of progress and development. It has assumed the exact properties of a boil, in that it must be lanced with great care.” On January 7, 1936/Dey 17, 1314 SH, after having consulted with Jam, Reza Khan escorted his wife (Taj al-Muluk) and daughters (Shams and Ashraf) to a Teachers’ Training College ceremony, the latter having discarded their Islamic covering. Consequently, the wives of both ministers and certain figures of high national standing also attended this official function alongside their husbands, while lacking any form of Islamic covering. Once the occasion had drawn to a close, Reza Khan ordered Jam (the Prime Minister) to arrange for other such gatherings so that the women of Iran could get used to the new state of things in the country and could become accustomed to fraternization between the sexes! Hence, from that time onwards, many such social functions were organized to this end, and government officials received strict orders to treat those women who appeared in public wearing Islamic dress with the utmost harshness. 192 The law which was established to bring about uniformity of social dress applied to everyone except those muftis who were Sunni and a limited number of clergymen who, prior to this law, had obtained government permission to don the religious dress. Other than these exceptions, no one had the right to wear religious garb unless they possessed a certain certificate which was issued by the Ministry of Education. Subsequent to the announcement of this law, disciplinary officers and gendarmes would interrogate any clergyman on sight, and should the latter not possess the aforementioned certificate, then they would remove his turban from his head in full view of the public and summon him to the police station. Moreover, the officers at police headquarters would sometimes disregard the certificate in question and would take those wearing turbans into custody anyway and force them to shave off their beards. These measures became so strict that the clergy could rarely be seen in the streets, only venturing out from their homes after nightfall and only using those alleyways which were less crowded and busy; and following the quelling of the popular and clerical uprising in the Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad, even more pressure was brought to bear by Reza Khan on those who belonged to society’s clerical class.

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sounded. In this way, he kept everybody in Iran from this divine bounty, from commemorating the sufferings of Imam Husayn and reciting narrations (of the martyrdom of the Imams). This came about because the weapons were in the hands of the injudicious. Arms should be borne by those who are worthy of bearing them. When weapons are in the hands of the unjust, then iniquities ensue. The crimes that have occurred! The mass murder that took place in the Goharshad Mosque and the subsequent arrest of the ulama of Khorasan and their incarceration in Tehran, the trial, imprisonment and murder of some of the great ulama; these events came about because the weapons were in the hands of the injudicious. The ulama of Isfahan and the ulama of Azerbaijan were arrested and banished merely for uttering a word or standing up to Reza Shah. Apparently the ulama of Azerbaijan were forced to stay in Sunqur193 and the late Aqa Mirza Sadiq, may God grant him mercy, never returned to Tabriz.194 This was another way through which that evil man repressed the people. The atrocities that he committed cannot be spoken of in one or two meetings.

MASSACRES BY SHAH’S ORDERS And now, during your own lifetime, you too are afflicted with misfortunes inflicted upon you by another injudicious horned beast.195 For do not be mistaken in thinking that even one bullet is fired without the Shah’s permission. Do not suppose that the head of Qum’s police or the head of Qum’s SAVAK, or any of Qum’s policemen have the nerve to open fire on the people and kill them without his permission. No wise person should suppose that this could be so. All these incidents are reported to him and clearly this evil man has to give the orders to shoot. It is said that on Khordad 15, he circled above the demonstrators in a helicopter and gave the command to open fire, as if he were giving the command to open fire on foreign armies!196 On armies that were attacking Iran!197 This useless lot is so humble and meek before the kings 193 Sunqur is the capital city of Sunqur County, Kermanshah Province. It is located in the Zagros Mountains, about 90 kilometers from the province's capital city Kermanshah. The inhabitants of Sunqur city are generally trilingual in Sunquri, Kurdish and Persian. 194 In 1934 [1313 SH], Reza Shah’s Minister of Education, Ali Asghar Hikmat, was at a ceremony in Shiraz when, to the surprise of most of those present, a group of girls began to dance before the audience. As a consequence, those guests who had not expected to witness such a spectacle left the ceremony and since the public had also become aware of what had taken place, they arranged for a protest demonstration to be held. Sayyid Hisamuddin Fali, an influential cleric and alim of Shiraz, voiced strong objection to the Iranian government concerning the behavior witnessed at the ceremony, and he was then arrested and sent to prison. The news of events in Shiraz and the arrest of Sayyid Hisamuddin reached the ulama in the theological centers of Qum, Mashhad and Tabriz. In Tabriz two distinguished ulama, their eminences Sayyid Abul-Hasan Angaji and Aqa Mirza Sadiq Aqa, remonstrated with the government and as a result were also arrested and banished, firstly to Kurdistan (Sanandaj) and several days later to Qum. After a while Ayatullah Angaji eventually returned to Tabriz, but Ayatullah Aqa Mirza Sadiq Aqa actually passed away while still in exile in Qum. 195 The Shah. 196 Imam sarcastically calls those people of Iran who had risen up to demand justice “an army of foreigners” in scoffing at the government’s claims. 197 It is said that on Khordad 15 and 16, 1342 SH/June 5 and 6, 1963, the Shah had given his military commanders the permission to “shoot as they saw fit”, and he had stressed that soldiers were not to waste their bullets, nor to fire into the air, but instead, they were ordered to target the upper-part of the body when firing. Furthermore, it is also said that on Khordad 15 the Shah actually flew above the city of Tehran in a helicopter from where he personally took it upon himself to command the operations in progress. In his memoirs (p. 51), General Fardoust writes: “On the morning of Khordad 15, 1342 SH (Pakravan) spoke with Muhammad Reza (Shah) over the telephone, and the latter gave orders for Oveissi to assume responsibility for the operation to exterminate and suppress the people who had risen up in revolt and for him to maintain direct and frequent contact with the Shah in this regard At twelve noon on that same day, Oveissi telephoned me and said: ‘I have been put in a helpless situation! I don’t even have one military company fully under my command; and should a group of demonstrators attack me or my company, then they will all be destroyed outright!... ‘ I must add that up until midday of

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and presidents of other countries, especially the American President, they flatter them and align themselves with them, but in their dealings with their own people, because of the authority they exercise over them, they harass them and cause them suffering. When they go abroad they spend their time groveling and eulogizing, but when they return to their own country, they begin their wickedness. Previously, when it was said that the Shah had granted some freedom in Iran, I told the gentlemen here that if this man reaches an agreement with this evil Carter198 and strengthens his servile position, he will hit the people harder than ever before. But I didn’t think he would do it as soon as this. Almost immediately after he had finished his talks with Carter and had confirmed his servitude, he created a pretext for showing some muscle. He created a pretext for attacking the people in Qum. Pay no attention to what is written in the regime’s press, those who were there say that the people were marching peacefully to give their requests to the ulama when one of the regime’s own men threw a stone smashing something, the regime’s agents then attacked and began shooting at the people. This is what happened on Khordad 15 too. Of course the people had themselves risen up to call for the injustices to be redressed, but the demonstrations were peaceful 199 until a group of the regime’s own agents in Tehran set a library on fire and looted a shop. This created the pretext for the regime to open fire on the people with machine-guns. They created the pretext then just as they did for this most recent outrage200, otherwise the people did not want to do battle with the regime. Someone who is unarmed cannot fight an armed bull. The people had no intention of doing battle with the regime. But he had to make us see that he is no longer the man he was before he met Carter, that now that he has met with Carter and smoothed out any differences, now that he has consolidated his servile position,201 the people should no longer suppose that he has lost his support, Khordad 15, both Muhammad Reza, the Americans and the British, had perceived the demonstrations as a grandiose, well-thought-out plan to topple the Shah and thus they were extremely nervous about the whole affair. It is also interesting to note that at that time there was an American adviser who worked in Headquarters No. 3, as a member of SAVAK, and who was the most intelligent and pre-eminent person within America’s advisory body there.” 198 James Earl Carter Jr. (Jimmy Carter) was the thirty-ninth President of the United States. He won his way into the White House (1977) by advocating “the defense of human rights”! His diplomatic record tells of many ventures undertaken by him including his role in the establishment of political relations with China; his efforts towards the drawing up of the scandalous Camp David Accord between Egypt and Israel; his role in concluding the Nuclear Arms Reduction Pact with the Soviet Union; his hardline stance in opposition to the Islamic Revolution; and his involvement in the failed military attack on Tabas. 199 In order to check the escalation of the Iranian nation’s struggle, an escalation which in fact began in 1962 [1341 SH], the Shah’s regime intended to create an atmosphere of terror and to kill the people en masse; and hence, it was in accordance with this plan that the dreadful crime which took place on Khordad 15 (June 5) was actually perpetrated by the regime. In a speech delivered on June 8, 1963/Khordad 18, 1342 SH in Hamadan, the Shah invents lies and makes false accusations in a bid to gain the people’s support, whereby he explains: “When I spelt out the six tenets of our very own national revolution to the peasants and the people of Iran, I pointed out that there were two forces which would not remain silent: the Black Reaction and the Red Reaction. That which we witnessed in Tehran on Wednesday, Khordad 15, was a manifestation of one of these two forces- the Black Reaction. On that day, the Black Reaction set fire to the library in city Park as well as a sports arena, various vehicles of transport and bus-ticket kiosks. Members of this Black Reaction attacked buses carrying school girls and it assaulted defenseless women in the streets of Tehran. It argues that you peasants who have been given freedom must once more become bondsmen. The reason why the Black Reaction attacked the power station was to halt production in Iran”! 200 It refers to the tragedy which occurred on Dey 19 [January 9] which has been mentioned earlier. 201 In 1976 (1355 SH) the Shah spent enormous sums of money to support the Republican Party candidate in the run-up to the American elections. However, the Democratic Party actually won the election and the newly-elected President, Jimmy Carter, entered the White House from where he announced: “We do not supply arms to just anybody irrespective of who they may be, nor do we offer our support to just anybody”. The Shah, who could not maintain his rule even for one day without American support, repeatedly sent congratulatory messages to Carter and voiced his support for Carter’s ideas and policies for fear of what might happen otherwise. But in spite of this, Carter paid no attention to the Shah until the time when, on the advice of Kissinger, America’s Foreign Minister at that time, Farah (the

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no, he still has it, and thus he will carry on killing! These vociferations and these threats are made in order to show the people that he has not lost his might. But he has made a mistake; he doesn’t realize what ignominy he has brought upon himself with these killings. The people have now risen up against him, against the man who once said that the whole nation was in agreement with him202, that everyone voted in support of his bloody White Revolution. The uprising began in Qum then spread to Tehran, to Khorasan, Azerbaijan, Kerman, Ahwaz, Abadan until now the whole of Iran is in revolt. The whole of the nation has risen up against this man who claims that everyone is in agreement with him, that the nation wants him, that the people support him. But if one day the bayonets of America were to be removed, then the courtiers themselves would skin this man alive. Carter should put this to test one day, were he to leave this weak nation alone, leave these people alone, then he would soon see what would happen. These organizations that we hear about are nothing more than a ploy to deceive the people. They are not bothered about security, so why do they send a representative of the Security Council here? It is just a show to beguile the people.203

COMMUNISM IS AN OPIATE They want to deceive the people, just as the Communists do communism is the opiate of the people, it cannot solve their problems. Is it possible that someone who himself is not a human being would want to serve mankind? Would an unjust armed person ever work for the sake of the oppressed? I know that this is not possible. During World War Two, when the heads of the Allied governments were to meet in Tehran,204 Shah’s wife) made a trip to America. Following a sixteen-day stay in Washington, during which Farah held talks with Carter, differences were settled, and the latter even extended an invitation to the Shah to visit the US. Subsequently, in the hope of gaining Carter’s support, the Shah signed various agreements worth billions of dollars with America; and with the same end in mind, he also guaranteed a price freeze on oil in OPEC and granted large concessions to American companies. Eventually these “gestures” made by the Shah paid off whereby Carter consented to visit Iran and to declare his support for the Iranian monarch! 202 With regard to the “patriotism” shown by the Iranian people during the events of September, 1941, the Shah had said: “The Iranian people’s patriotism was plain to see when I attended the Majlis to take the oath of sovereignty. On that day, the people carried their young sovereign on their shoulders both to and from the Majlis. This was the greatest reassurance that I have ever been given”. Furthermore, with relation to events which occurred in 1953 [1332 SH] concerning his return to Iran, the Shah said: “The people once again asked for their Shah, the affection and support they showed to me being so great that I again felt that I shouldered an added responsibility- a responsibility other than that stipulated in the Constitution and other than that of a constitutional monarch. I was made to feel that I am a monarch which the people had again asked for to determine the country’s fate and to safeguard its interests”. Concerning the ‘White Revolution’ he said: “In order to unfold the secret which lies behind the revolution and the harmonic relationship which exists between the Shah and the people, one needs to examine the ancient history of Iran, its royal history, and the sense of attachment felt by the Iranian people towards the monarchy in this country”; and in another speech he claimed: “No matter which part of this country I visit, I receive a warm welcome from the people and I encounter the enthusiastic support of the nation. The people feel attached to me and this gives me a sense of pride”. This was said however, at a time when the Shah was afraid to go among the people without protection from the most highly-trained security guards! During the last days of his reign, when the country of Iran resounded with the slogan “Death to the Shah”, a correspondent for Der Spiegel asks Farah (the Shah’s wife): “Did you expect to see such hatred from the people?”, to which she replies: “Not at all; I am absolutely astonished”. And when the Shah is asked by a correspondent what he felt about the situation, he says: “I feel a great sense of sorrow”. See Bistopanj Sal Hakimiyyat-e Amrika dar Iran, pp. 103- 106; and Nutqha va Payamha-ye Shah, p. 3233. 203 On January 9, 1978/Dey 19, 1356 SH, the day of the tragedy in Qum, Kurt Waldheim, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, visited Iran, supposedly to examine the situation there with regard to human rights. After attending several receptions and holding talks with the Shah, Farah and Ashraf (the Shah’s wife and sister, respectively) however, Waldheim concluded his ‘investigation’ and left Iran! See the press from January 9- 20, 1978/Dey 19- 30, 1356 SH. 204 While World War II was still being fought, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, the leaders of America, Britain and the Soviet Union, gathered in Tehran to hold a conference. This conference lasted from September 2 until September 7, 1943, and once it had ended two declarations were issued. The first declaration announced the unanimous agreement reached by the three governments concerning the future strategy to be adopted in the war; and the other declaration announced the promise of economic aid to Iran both during and after the war. At the

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the American and British leaders arrived in a conventional manner and went to their embassies, but it was said, and God knows that this is true, that Stalin205, who at the time was the Russian leader- the same Stalin whose pictures we still see here and there although in recent years his reputation has been sullied somewhatwho was supposed to be equal with everyone else and whom everyone called brother, brought his own milch cow along on the plane so he would not have to drink the milk from Iranian cows! They were both injudicious, armed creatures, but God knows he was worse than his cow! I myself witnessed the state of his troops in Iran. While he entered Iran with his cow, his troops, who controlled the Khorasan region- for at that time Iran was divided into a few regions of control and that particular region was in the hands of the Russians- were begging along the roadside. I myself saw this, we were traveling by bus to Mashhad to make a pilgrimage and on the road to Mashhad just outside Shahr1d, Russian soldiers were begging in front of cars; it made them so happy if someone gave them just one cigarette that they went away whistling! Communism is a means of beguiling the people, nothing else. Is it possible for someone who does not believe in the unseen to think about the people and about remedying their affairs? No, it is a deceit. On certain occasions, these armed people deliver blows, and on others, they deliver both the blows and the propaganda. The propaganda machinery is in their hands. Now you see that in addition to beating up the people and killing them, in addition to all these crimes, they propagate that all the blame for these acts lies on the shoulders of the people, that only six people died in this incident and a few of them, including a thirteen-year-old child, were trampled to death by the people, and that the regime itself had committed no crime! On the one hand they create such propaganda and on the other they commit mass murder. All these heinous acts stem from the unjust being armed; it is the just who should be armed.

JUSTICE, THE PRIMARY QUALIFICATION OF ISLAMIC RULERS The God of Islam is just, the Prophet of Islam was just and free from sin, the Imams of Islam were just and free from sin. The judges of Islam should be just, its fuqaha should be just, the person who witnesses a divorce should be just, Islam’s prayer leaders should be just, its Friday prayer leaders should be just, its leaders should be just, its provincial governors, those who were sent to this place and that in the early days of Islam and who also acted as the prayer leaders, had to be just. They are only valid when they are just. If there is no justice and if those who exercise authority are not righteous, then such malicious acts as those we are now witnessing are perpetrated. The arms are in the hands of the unworthy, the unjust.

CLAIM OF LAND REFORMS AND WOMEN’S FREEDOM On the one hand they massacre the people, and on the other they shout about ‘social justice’206. On the one hand they force the women to remove their veils and on the other they shout about the ‘freedom of women’! time, northern Iran was under Soviet occupation, southern Iran was under British control, and Iran’s communication routes were controlled by American forces. 205 Joseph Vissarionovich (1879- 1953 AD), known as Stalin (the Iron Man), became the leader of the Soviet Union following Lenin. 206 The Shah constantly played with the words ‘justice’ and ‘social justice’ as can be seen in the following example: “Despite the urgency of military matters and the pressing nature of issues relating to the war, I began to discuss the need to establish social justice in my country How can one accept a situation where some become ill from overeating while others fall into such a sorry state due to a lack of food I have not relaxed my efforts for even one moment in achieving my aim, that being, the establishment of social justice in my country. Each and every one of the proposals that I have made concerning the establishment of social justice, has, thanks be to God, been put into operation”! The kind of justice which had been put into operation however, was one whereby desperate poverty had forced a certain section of the population to send their children to work in carpet-weaving factories where they earned less than 15 rials per day for their

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It’s ridiculous. This kind of freedom is ludicrous, it can’t be called freedom. On the one hand they carry out ‘land reforms’, and on the other they create a market for America! This has been the result of the land reforms. At one time just one of our country’s provinces met the needs of the whole of the country, and what remained was exported. But now whatever you want has to come from abroad! And the regime is proud of this and boasts: “We import our wheat from abroad; we import our barley, our oranges, and our eggs from abroad”! This should be lamented. The regime has no shame. This is what its land reforms entailed- all this destruction. Yet the Shah and his regime claim that all the ulama agree with the reforms and the White Revolution. If you can find just one ‘alim anywhere in Iran who is in agreement with your bloody revolution, then you have the right to say all the ulama are in agreement with you. Try to find one congregational prayer leader from among the prayer leaders of Tehran who is in agreement with you and will say that he concurs with you, aside from those whose turbans you yourselves have placed on their heads, whom you yourselves have created, and who dance to whatever tune you play, for they are not true religious scholars, but of course one or two of them can be found everywhere in the country. Try to find one from among the provincial prayer leaders who will say he is in agreement with you. Try to find a mullah in Qum who will say he is in agreement with you. The Shah and his regime have no shame. They carry out all kinds of heinous acts, all kinds of wrongdoings and then in order to deceive the people they say: “All the ulama are in agreement with us; only one who is not from this country disagrees with us”.207

THE ARMS ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE UNJUST AND THE IGNOBLE Consider all weapons, the pen itself is a kind of weapon, which must be in the hands of the just and worthy people, for when it is in the hands of the depraved, corruption and scandalous deeds will increase. At the present time, and in some societies and certain aspects, the pen is in the hands of the depraved who gloss over whatever the head of these profligates does and who palliate his crimes by means of their literary eloquence. This is a crime which is perpetrated against this nation by dint of the pen. These unworthy writers sit at home with this weapon in hand and with their eloquent style they whitewash the corruption, the crimes and the massacres and present everything to the contrary, they turn everything round. So the pen too should be in the hands of the just people.

efforts; or again one where an entire family had to survive from one year to the next on the produce obtained from a single walnut tree or from a goat. Indeed, justice had been put into operation to such an extent that those in both the north and the south and in the east and west of Iran were suffering from poverty and destitution, from pain and sickness. There was neither water nor any signs of development; neither electricity nor health care. Meanwhile however, the Shah and his loyal followers owned 50 of the shares in private banks! On one occasion alone (according to a petition made by the government of the Islamic Republic), Muhammad Reza and his wife stole 35 billion dollars of the people’s money! Iran’s foreign trade (according to statements made by the provisional government’s Trade Minister) more or less lay in the hands of only 60 people; major company shares were held by a mere 50 families; and tens or perhaps hundreds of checks, each worth so many millions of dollars, were cashed daily for members of the royal family and for the Shah’s courtiers and attendants, from a joint account numbered: 214895- 20 (the account number of the Pahlavi Foundation) in a Swiss bank in Geneva! Refer to Nutqha va Payamha-ye Shah, pp. 2793- 2966; Raz-e Biliyun Dular, p. 7; Dawlat va Huk’mat dar Iran, pp. 251, 266 and 281. 207 The Kayhan newspaper of June 5, 1963/Khordad 15, 1342 SH read: “Only two members of the ulama of Qum and Mashhad have voiced opposition, the rest of the ulama are in complete agreement with the government”- the two members in fact having been Imam Khomeini and Ayatullah Hasan Qummi.

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CULTURE, THE SOURCE OF BOTH HAPPINESS AND MISFORTUNE Culture is the source of a nation’s happiness or misfortune. If the culture is not sound then the youth who are trained in this unsound culture will, in the future, create corruption. The imperialist culture produces imperialist youth for the country. A culture which is created by the designs of others- and it is the foreigners who lay their plans for us then hand them over to our society in the form of culture- is an imperialist and parasitic culture. Such a culture is a weapon more lethal than anything else; it is even worse than the arms of these ruffians, for their weapons eventually fall to pieces, as they have done now. But when the culture is corrupt, our youth, who form the foundations of our society, are lost to us; they are trained to become parasites, to become infatuated with the West. They are trained in this way from the very first day that they enter school and this continues into higher education. If the culture is a correct culture, then our youths will be trained correctly. If the culture is a culture of truth, a divine culture, a culture which is of use to the nation, which is advantageous for the Muslims, then it does not produce such people as those who now exercise authority over us. But our culture is an imperialist culture, our culture does not lie in the hands of suitable people, the just do not administer it.

IMPERIALISTIC UNIVERSITIES If our universities were correct, independent universities and those who taught there were just and were free to do as they saw fit and what was right to do, then our country would not have got into the state it is in today nor would it reach a potentially worse stage tomorrow, God forbid. Some people have seized control of our universities who are themselves parasites, who are themselves supporters of the imperialists and possess a servile attitude. All this is because of one person, for if a lecturer or a professor at the university wishes to speak out, he is not able to, because the security organization, acting on the orders of ‘His Imperial Majesty’ does not allow him to do so. If our universities were proper universities then when the students there try to speak a word of truth, the police would not suppress them so. The things they do to them! They beat the girls, they beat the boys, and they beat our youth and imprison them. This is because our universities are not independent. We don’t have universities. Universities which are controlled by one person cannot be called universities. The learning environment should be a free environment.

FOLLOWING AN IMPROPER AND NOT NATIONALLY-BASED PARLIAMENT If this Parliament were a proper, just Parliament, and were a tool in the hands of the just, would the members have allowed such laws as have passed already through Parliament to have been ratified? Would they have allowed the Capitulation Bill granting immunity to the American military advisers, a bill which caused great humiliation for Iran, to have been ratified208 ? We don’t have a Parliament. The members of Parliament are appointed; they are just a group of agents, functionaries of the security organization who call themselves a ‘Parliament’. All of them are agents. If they were independent and if they had been selected by the people, if the Parliament were a national Parliament, then they would never let the regime

208 The Capitulation Bill.

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buy all these arms as it does209 , they would never give away our oil and buy weaponry in return- weaponry which we ourselves don’t know how to operate. This weaponry baffles us so they have to bring in American advisers and experts to show us what to do with it. But these experts won’t show us how to operate it. They are such animals; they will not be satisfied with this. They come here and are paid such exorbitant wages. We do not know how much they are paid every month, and cannot even begin to imagine, we only know that there are very many of them in the country. Their number, including their relatives, probably runs into the hundreds or thousands. It used to be said that there were sixty thousand of them in Iran getting huge salaries from this nation. The regime takes the money from the pockets of this poor, wretched nation and pours it into the pockets of these wealthy people. And even then they don’t train our military properly! They want our armed forces to remain in their present state, so that they can do whatever they want with them.210

THE SHAH IS THE SOURCE OF ALL CORRUPTIONS If we had an independent army instead of a parasitic one, it would not allow these advisers to come into the country and give the orders; the army officers would not simply be puppets in their hands. But our army is not a true army. All the armed forces are controlled by one man, one corrupt man who has corrupted everything. As it is said, one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. The corruption in Iran stems from him, but no one can say this because of the suppression which exists. Instead they keep saying the agents the agents! Who gives these agents the order to kill the people? Who gives them the order to attack the Hujjatiyyah Madrasah and kill the religious sciences students there? Who gives them the orders to position their machine-guns at the crossroads and open fire on the people?211 Can anybody, other than this vile man, order such things? All the corruption stems from him. Does the Parliament have the right to say a word without the permission of this vile man? Does the army have the right to say anything without his

209 The bilateral agreement signed in 1959 [1338 SH] between Iran and the US left Iran lying firmly in America’s clutches. Following this agreement, America gained a free hand to interfere in all of Iran’s affairs and an influx of foreign specialists flooded into the country. Moreover, the country’s system of defense, the organization of its armed forces, and in short, all of the army’s administrative and executive affairs were supervised by American military advisers. In addition, the army’s supreme commanders were in a subordinate position to that of the American advisers; and the opportunity for America to make inroads into the country became so great that in 1976 and 1977 [1355 and 1356 SH] weapons purchased by Iran from America amounted to 12 billion dollars compared to a former figure of 4 billion dollars! Refer to Bistopanj Sal Hakimiyyat-e Amrika dar Iran, p. 63. 210 Prior to the Islamic Revolution approximately 30,000 American military advisers were working in Iran and the US Senate had announced in a report that by the year 1980, there would be 50- 60,000 American residents there. Those foreign residents who already resided in Iran lived in modern apartments and grand, luxurious villas in the north of Tehran, and the salaries and fringe benefits they received were many times greater than those received by their Iranian counterparts, amounting to more than 1,000,000 rials per month. The consumer items they required were supplied to them via stores which were exclusively for their use. In Tehran there was a large American school, a hospital, a psychiatric clinic and a general support center in addition to special clubs for American citizens only. One of Iran’s radio stations and at certain times one of its television channels were given over to the broadcasting of certain programs in English for foreigners and especially for Americans. America’s overwhelming presence in Iran can be explained not only by military issues and Iran’s employment of American arms and equipment in her army, but also by the development of mutual ties between the CIA and SAVAK; the installation of surveillance equipment to procure Russian intelligence in various places throughout Iran; and the industrial and commercial activities undertaken by American companies and individuals there. See Dawlat va Hukumat dar Iran, p. 231; Mission to Iran, pp. 15- 42; I’tirafat-e Shah, p. 78; Siyohaft Ruz Pas Az Siyohaft Sal, p. 110. 211 It refers to the event which occurred in Qum on Dey 19, 1357/January 9, 1978, when agents of the regime attacked the religious students and the people killing and wounding many of them.

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permission? Do our judges have freedom? Do we have an independent judicial system? Our judges have the weapon of judgment in their hands, but they do not have the justice. They say they cannot dispense justice, so we have to ask them then why did you become a judge? You made a mistake in becoming a judge so leave this profession. Now everywhere in our country the weapons are in the hands of the unjust and all this corruption goes back to the court and to that man. He should be removed. I don’t know why this army is asleep. Why do they allow themselves to be humiliated so? Only a few days after that abominable Carter left, the regime carried out such actions. And this is only the beginning, if the people let him, the Shah will carry on, unless he is made aware of the consequences of his actions. The people are creating a clamor which is being heard across the world, the radios everywhere are speaking about it. The regime’s own radio can say whatever it likes; the people will no longer be deceived by their words. The nation has awakened. Sir, the people have awakened, if they had not then the bazaars would not have closed down as they have done. It has been said and officially confirmed by the regime, that Tehran bazaar closed down on Thursday in a show of protest. The closure of Tehran’s bazaar is not a common practice, it is a very uncommon event, no one can just close down the bazaar.212 It has been achieved because of the feelings and vigilance of the people. This gentleman who used to say” all concur with me” should look around him, the bazaars in Tehran, Ahwaz, Isfahan and Shiraz are actively protesting against him, and this has become our way of life now.

THE NEED FOR UNITY AMONG ALL CLASSES I hope that all classes, whether the ulama and mujtahids, the religious students or the merchants of the bazaar, the traders, army personnel or civil servants, who are sorely grieved by this wicked man will unite together and that our political groups will not work alone but they will cooperate with others just as in this most recent incident when this expression of antipathy was supported not only by some political groups213, but the ulama, the merchants of the bazaar, students... all classes came together. Telegrams were even sent

212 On January 17, 1978/Dey 27, 1356 SH, merchants and tradesmen of the bazaar in Tehran issued a statement in which they declared Thursday, January 19, 1978 to be a day of a general shutdown and called on all of those in the bazaar to refrain from opening up their shops and stalls for business on this day. This statement was made in protest to and condemnation of the regime’s killing of defenseless people, and in support of the popular and clerical uprising in Qum; and the proposed day for a general shutdown coincided both with the final day of a week-long period of mourning and protest by the clergy and with the day when memorial ceremonies were to be held for the martyrs of Qum. Refer to Nihzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 7, p. 38. 213 The statement made by the Iranian Laborers’ Party on January 18, 1978/Dey 28, 1356 SH, serves as an example of the revulsion which was expressed by certain political parties against the regime’s activities. This statement, which was addressed to the country’s AttorneyGeneral, accused the government’s executive body of felony and stressed the party’s support for the people of Iran and the faith it had both in the Shia maraji’ and the religious and clerical orders in Iran. Another such example was the statement issued on January 30, 1978/Bahman 10, 1356 SH by Ittihad-e Niruha-ye Jebhe-ye Melli-ye Iran, which again underlined this party’s support for the various popular fronts and endorsed the action taken by those in the bazaar. This statement also spoke of the shutdown proposed for Thursday, January 19, 1978/Dey 29, 1356 SH which was to be observed by the merchants and tradesmen in the bazaar of Tehran- a shutdown which, it stated, was to be a demonstration of the disgust felt towards the killing of a defenseless group of people in Qum, and was to be a show of support for the country’s progressive clergy. In addition to the aforementioned parties, other groups also issued statements which expressed support for the proposed shutdown- groups such as the ulama and preachers of Tehran and its suburbs; the natives of Shiraz in the bazaar of Tehran; the merchants and tradesmen who were natives of Isfahan but who resided in the country’s capital; the natives of Azerbaijan in the bazaar of Tehran; the lecturers and scholars from the theological centre of Qum; and the Muslim Movement both at home and abroad. Refer to Nihzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 7, p. 55 onwards; and Do Sal-e Akhar, the section concerning Dey and Bahman 1356 SH.

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by foreigners, from America and Europe, expressing their antipathy towards the regime and telling us that three hundred people were killed in this recent event.

GLAD TIDINGS OF THE ERADICATION OF THE ROOT OF CORRUPTION I hope that all the fronts will join hands together. If the nation unites in all aspects then these unjust people will be disarmed and the horns of this bull will be broken. They should not disagree with one another or purposely seek reasons for dissent. They should not start fighting one another over insignificant and childish matters. Differences are created by those who want to keep the people busy, and it is they who benefit from disunion among the people. The people should wake up to these things and, God willing, they have already done so. They should unite together, all of them. They should join hands together and, God willing, by the power and strength of God and through your unity, the root of all this corruption will soon be eradicated. I ask for everyone’s well-being from God the Most High. I express my thanks to all classes of people for standing by the ulama of Islam. I thank all fronts, especially the great ulama and the noble merchants of the bazaar. I thank them all and call upon them to pray for Islam, to strengthen and unify their fronts, and to come together for one aim which should be the severance of the hands of the oppressors and foreigners so that this country may prosper. The hands of the foreigners should be foreshortened, the resources which exist in our country should be used for the weak and for the good of the country, and all the country’s affairs should be rectified and put in order. This will not happen unless this regime is disarmed, and I hope, God willing, that it will be. May God’s peace and mercy be upon you.

24th Speech Date: February 18, 1978/Bahman 29, 1356 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 10, 1398 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: The crimes of the Shah and of those who claim to support human rights Occasion: The fortieth day following the martyrdom of those killed in Qum in the tragedy of Dey 19 [January 9] Addressees: Religious students, clergymen and members of the public In the Name of God, the Comp assionate, the Merciful “And there is no power and no strength save in God, the Most High, the Great and surely we are God’s and to Him we shall surely return.” As we are gathered here, according to the information reaching us, all the major cities of Iran such as Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad and Qum are closed down. Some cities, such as Qum, are completely closed down while in others, the bazaar and other centers of activity are closed. We hear that the bazaar in Tehran is completely closed except for a few merchants who may have some connection with the regime. From what we are told, these closings represent a form of active protest against the Shah himself. The people have

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identified the true criminal. Of course his identity was obvious before but no one dared to speak out. Now however, by God’s grace, this barrier of fear has collapsed and people have succeeded in the main task of identifying the true criminal and realizing who is responsible for the misery of our nation. Forty days have now passed since the death of our young ones, our students of the religious sciences, our clergy and our devout youngsters of Qum. How people have wept and mourned during these forty days; and what courage- the like of which has rarely been equaled in history- was displayed by the people of Qum and the students of the religious sciences who fought bare-handed against the government and the Shah’s agents and yielded their martyrs. According to reports, the agents of the regime spilled into the streets and alleyways of Qum and attacked the people; but the latter resisted to the best of their ability, both before and after the massacre, thus proving they are alive and not dead!214 Likewise, the great maraji’ of Islam in Qum, have expressed themselves courageously215 both in their speeches and in their declarations, including the one issued two or three days ago on the occasion of the fortieth day following the massacre and the general strike ordained for that day. In this declaration they addressed the main issue and stated who is responsible for the crime, albeit not explicitly but rather by implication which is in fact more effective. May God keep them steadfast.

QUM, THE CENTER OF BOTH KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION The students of the religious sciences, despite living in a place which is subject to attack by those bandits, yesterday organized an impressive mourning ceremony which was attended by a large number of people, and at which several vigilant and active youngsters fearlessly gave a truthful account of the state of affairs. According to reliable information, as we sit here in Qum, a great meeting is taking place at Azam Mosque in this city. I don’t know what the government intends to do about this meeting. I wonder whether the regime’s agents have once more gone on the rampage, killing and plundering? This is now a matter of grave concern to us. We are anxious and concerned for the people of all the major cities in Iran; cities like Mashhad, towards which the government shows a particular sensitivity; or Azerbaijan and Tabriz, which are under government observation. And I wonder what lies in store for Qum, which is the center of all our struggles and the center of learning from whence knowledge is disseminated to all lands, (just as was predicted by the Prophet’s family (as)), what danger awaits her? In fact, we now see that not only is knowledge disseminated from Qum, but action too, whereby it is now the center of Islamic activity- the

214 It refers to the tragedy of January 9, 1978/Dey 19, 1356 SH. 215 The Clergy Society of Iran, in a declaration beginning with the holy verse: And reckon not those who are killed in Allah’s way as dead... (Qur’an. Surah Aali ‘Imran 3: 169), asked the entire nation to rise up once more against the illegal, anti-Islamic programs of the Iranian government, and to answer the ruling system in Iran with a punch in the mouth by closing down the theological centers, universities and shops on Saturday, February 18, 1978/Bahman 29, 1356 SH in observance of a national day of mourning. Ayatullah al-Uzma Golpaygani also issued a declaration concerning this day and called to mind that: “Commissioned officers, instead of making amends for what they had done and attending to the damages inflicted, banished a group of believers and learned men without reason”. In yet another declaration, Ayatullah al-Uzma Najafi Marashi also requested that the authorities desist from their tyranny and from their encroachment upon people’s rights. In the declaration issued by the maraji’, February 18 [Bahman 29] had been declared a day of public mourning. Furthermore, in a public statement Mr. Shariatmadari announced: “We declare Saturday, February 18, 1978- the fortieth day following this grave tragedy- a day of public mourning. We expect the Muslim community to remain absolutely calm and composed while conducting the aforesaid ceremonies”.

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center of the Islamic movement.216 The movement emanates from Qum, from the city itself, from the religious students, from the ulama, from the teachers (may God support all of them), from the masses of its people who are the faithful soldiers of Islam, and it spreads throughout the country. It remains to be seen whether it will spread to us here in Najaf or not; God only knows what will happen.

THOSE WHO TRAMPLE ON HUMAN RIGHTS All the miseries that we have suffered, still suffer and are about to suffer in the immediate future, are caused by the heads of those countries that have signed the Declaration of Human Rights, but that at all times have denied man his freedom. The declaration’s maxim is “freedom of the individual”. Each individual human being is born free and must remain free. Everyone must be equal before the law; they must be free in their choice of residence and occupation, and they must enjoy freedom in their everyday lives. This is what the Declaration of Human Rights advocates. From the time that this declaration came into being not only Muslims but mankind as a whole have suffered at the hands of those states that signed and ratified it. The US is one of the signatories of this document. It has agreed that the rights of man must be protected and that freedom is one such right. But just look at what crimes the US, this so-called signatory of the Declaration of Human Rights, has committed against mankind. For as long as I can remember- and I can remember back further than many of you, for you are younger than I- America, one of the countries which gave its signature to the issue concerning human rights, has been the cause of disasters for mankind. It has appointed its agents in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries to deprive everyone living under its domination of his freedom. The imperialists advocate man’s freedom in order to deceive the masses; but people can no longer be deceived. All of these issues to which they give official sanction, of which the Declaration of Human Rights is but an example, are mere acts of deception and hold no authenticity. They draw up some pleasant-looking, high-sounding declaration with thirty articles relating to human rights, but in practice they neglect to enact a single one of them! This Declaration of Human Rights is but a fallacy; it is the opium of the masses.

THE CRIMES OF BRITAIN AND AMERICA What we have said is true not only of America but also of Britain, another country that signed and ratified the Declaration of Human Rights; a country whose civilization and democracy are so highly praised by those who Britain itself has convinced of its praise worthiness via effective propaganda and cunning. Indeed, it has succeeded in convincing people that it is the leader of democracy and the home of true constitutionalism. But we have all seen what crimes and atrocities Britain has committed in India, Pakistan

216 ‘Allamah Majlisi writes: “Imam al-Sadiq (as) said: ‘Very soon Kufah will become devoid of believers and it will lose its position as the seat of learning. This will occur in such a manner that the snake will hide in its own pit. Subsequently, a region by the name of Qum will arise as the new seat of learning. Qum will become the center of knowledge and learning until a time when religious learning will be available to all without exception. This event will take place at a time when the twelfth Imam’s manifestation draws near”. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 57, p. 213.

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and its other colonies.217 The imperialist states like America and Britain brought Israel into existence218, and we have seen what misery they have inflicted and continue to inflict on the Muslims there, and in particular on the Shia Muslims. Meanwhile, they have installed an agent in Egypt named Sadat219, whose every act is devoted to serving imperialism and who, only a short time ago, visited Israel where he gave it official recognition and approved of every word the Israelis had to say.

BRITAIN, REZA KHAN’S MASTER For as long as I can remember during the past fifty years- fifty years of national mourning and tragedy inflicted on our nation by this disgraceful family- it was Britain, this democratic lover of mankind and 217 In 1615, the British ambassador to India registered the right for his own government to trade and he gained concessions for the establishment of the commercial company by the name of East India Company. This is how British penetration got underway in the Indian subcontinent. This colonial company fortified British rule in India by intensifying the activities in which it engaged. Meanwhile, because of racial, religious and linguistic diversity and in particular the intense discord which prevailed between the Hindus and Muslims in India, this newborn British colonization was strengthened by force of circumstances. This occurred in such a manner that eventually in 1839 India became a British protectorate. It was after this that the British government began to take harsh measures and thus came to dominate India’s affairs; and from 1857 India officially became an addition to the British dominion. During the First World War, one million Indian soldiers were sent to the front line to fight for Britain, tens of thousands of whom were killed as a result. The compulsory provision of food by India for the British army led to a severe famine there. Eventually the Law of Independence for the Indian subcontinent was passed in the British House of Commons on July 4, 1947, by virtue of which in August of that same year, the two countries of Pakistan and India emerged from the British dominion in the subcontinent. 218 In 1907, at a conference held in Britain, the most powerful colonialist government of the day (Britain) declared to the government heads of Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Italy that if the surrounding coasts of the Mediterranean Sea- situated between the East and the West and lying in Muslim hands- were to be taken from their grasp, then this would present a serious danger for the aforementioned countries. It was this concern that caused the colonialist governments of the day to consider setting up a government in a strategically important part of the Mediterranean Sea- a government which would be at variance with and opposed to the Islamic countries, so as to create a rift in the unity of the Muslims. Earlier in 1897, Theodor Herzl (1860 – 1904), journalist and publisher of Die Welt newspaperthe official Zionist mouthpiece- had organized a conference in the Swiss city of Biel in order to discuss the issue of an Israeli government. He was also the author of a book entitled Jewish Government, in which he appealed to his own nation to help in the establishment of such a government in Palestine or Argentina. With the outbreak of World War I, American leaders, under the tutelage of the Jews, agreed to American participation in the war on the side of Britain on condition that Britain took steps to settle the Jews in Palestine and to set up an independent government for them. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire during the First World War also gave Britain the opportunity to settle a large number of Jews in Palestinian land. In 1948, America gave its open support to a state in Palestine by the name of Israel, following which the bloody war between the Arabs and the Jewish settlers in Palestine broke out. During a Security Council meeting, the United Nations Organization, under the pretext of preventing further killing and bringing an end to the Arab-Israeli war, gave its approval in a written declaration to the partition of Palestine into two areas: one for Muslim residents and the other for Jewish residents. Thus, the State of Israel was officially established with the backing of the imperialist powers. The usurper Israeli government occupied a large part of Palestine, driving 1,200,000 Muslims from their homes. 219 Anwar al-Sadat was born in 1918 in Egypt and having completed his basic education, entered the Officers’ College where he joined the officers’ corps of Jamal Abdul Nasir’s group. These officers took part in covert operations and Anwar al-Sadat was later arrested, expelled from the army and imprisoned. Sometime later he was released from prison and became a member of the Iron Guard, whose duty it was to safeguard the Egyptian king’s life and crush opposition forces. Later, on the insistence of Nasir, he again joined the Free Officers’ Movement which was conducting a covert operation against the ruling system of the day. In 1952, with the victory of the Egyptian revolution, Nasir became the President and Anwar al-Sadat initially became Parliamentary Speaker and then, following Nasser’s illness, he became the country’s vice-president. After Nasir’s death in 1970, Anwar al-Sadat, in accordance with the Constitution, became responsible for the country’s affairs for a sixty-day period, after which he was elected as the official President of Egypt. He annulled the treaty between Egypt and the Soviet Union and despite the fact that Egypt had assumed the responsibility of Arab leadership during the Arab-Israeli war, he nevertheless signed a bilateral treaty with America. When he then made a unilateral peace agreement with Israel, he in fact dashed all of Egypt’s hopes. Sadat was eventually assassinated by a young Muslim officer named Khalid Islambuli during the annual victory parade on 6th October 1981.

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signatory to the Declaration of Human Rights, that kept the Iranian people suppressed and afflicted. In fact it was Britain, according to its own admission, that brought Reza Shah to power. For almost twenty years, we, the religious scholars, and the Muslim nation as a whole were subject to intense pressure. Reza Shah wished to expunge every trace of the shari’ah. Of course, he did not succeed but this was his intention. Hence, anything which bore the remotest resemblance to Islamic propagation was prohibited. As for America, that other signatory to the Declaration of Human Rights, it imposed this Shah upon us; a worthy successor to his father. During his period of rule he has turned Iran into an official colony of the US. What terrible crimes he has committed in the service of his masters! Indeed, what terrible crimes both he and his father have committed against us all since their appointment by these signatories to the Declaration of Human Rights- these very signatories who have brought such misery and suppression to mankind, of which we have heard and witnessed but a fraction. However, one cannot truly understand a situation by hearing about it alone. You may hear of what this nation experienced at the time of Reza Shah, but you cannot actually conceive what the people themselves in fact felt and experienced, or what they suffered at the hands of these people. You are only able to appreciate and sense what this man is doing now, at the present time, and then only insofar as you are now physically present.

THE NATION’S AWARENESS You are thus aware of the present situation in Iran. You can appreciate what this man (the Shah) has done to this nation during the past few days. Even now it would not surprise me if at this very moment some confrontation or conflict is taking place between the people and the Shah’s agents, although we have not yet in fact received any reports to this effect. What we do know however, is that agents of the regime have attacked the forecourt of the Shah Mosque220 in Tehran and have forced a few shops there to open up for business, but the Tehran bazaar as a whole has not surrendered. Even though the government has sent a circular to all the bazaars in Iran forbidding anyone to close his shop and threatening severe punishment for disobedience, nevertheless, not a single bazaar in the country has paid any attention to this threat, not even the bazaar in Tehran which lies within close range of the regime. People no longer pay any attention to these empty noises. Gone are the days when they could intimidate people and frighten them into heeding their warnings... today people are being killed, yet they refuse to heed any threats.

THE ALIVE AND AWARE NATION It is now forty days since the massacre in which many of the ulama and the young and devout people of Qum were killed. May God preserve the Iranian people and the theological center of Qum, both of which in proving how fully alive they are have ensured the recording of their names in the annals of history. Even now as we calmly sit here, these people are in a state of intense activity. You can’t imagine the condition Mashhad is now in. I have no detailed information of its present state but I do know that until recently everything was closed down there. The same is true for Azerbaijan; there too everything was closed, but more than this I cannot say. According to the reports we have received, a general shutdown prevails in Qum whereby not even a single grocer’s shop is open. Even Tehran is ninety percent closed and to achieve this is not as easy as one may imagine. In fact the closure of Tehran is a smack in the mouth for those babblers. 220 Shah Mosque in Tehran (the present-day Imam Khomeini Mosque) is situated south of the main bazaar of Tehran.

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THE ‘WHITE REVOLUTION’ REFERENDUM They are those who once said that they had the backing of six million people who had voted in favor of their White Revolution! That was a foolish claim to make. I was in Iran at the time, and sent some people to Tehran to find out what this ‘referendum’ of theirs was that they wanted to stage. When they returned they told me that no more than 2,000 people had gone to cast their votes, and that even these were in fact their own agents. Yes, they once said: “Six million of the Iranian people have given us their vote, and since the rest of the people are either elderly, women or infants and hence unable to vote, the six-point program has been given unanimous approval.” The Shah too would repeatedly claim in his speeches that: “The people are with me. Only a handful of people voice objection every now and then and they are the Islamic Marxists221, otherwise the nation is behind me!” Now you will see the uproar that the regime will cause following this national shutdown. They will object and behave as they did previously after the week-long closing in Qum, the eight-day closing in Isfahan, and the two or three days of partial closing and the one day of complete closing in Tehran. On the latter occasion some unsuspecting wretches were seized by the Shah’s agents and loaded onto buses; whilst another group of the regime’s officials sent circulars to government offices and schools demanding that they close down and participate in a government-staged demonstration. This is what you call freedom, demanding that people ‘freely’ participate! Notwithstanding, most government offices ignored the circulars they had received. As for those poor wretches who had been loaded onto the buses, they were falsely told that they were being taken on a pilgrimage to Qum, and on realizing the truth of the matter during the journey, those who were able to, fled. From what I was told, those who remained behind and who were compelled to take part in the demonstration behaved as though they were participating in a funeral ceremony. However much they were told to shout “Long live the Shah”, they remained silent. The whole crowd was as silent as if it was attending a funeral! Indeed this was in fact the case, for they were attending the Shah’s funeral.222 221 “Islamic Marxist”, an expression coined by the Shah, has been thus defined in a book he is believed to have authored: “There is a number of people who, to the detriment of their own country engage in violence and murder. Modern democracy in Iran however, neither allows acts of violence or treachery against people nor does it permit reactionary or retrogressive campaigns. A sinister and profane alliance almost always emerges between these two extremes, producing an incredible and incompatible combination of Islamic Marxism between the atheists and those who claim to be the defenders of religious principles. This is in spite of the fact that the revolutionary freedom seeking of the former group is as far away from real freedom and true revolution as is the Muslim adherent of the latter group from the essence and spirit of Islam.” From thenceforth the Shah used this expression many times. During a later speech, having forgotten that this ‘ideology’ was in fact his very own brainchild, he explicitly called it an ‘absurd ideology’!: “Those misled, insane or self-seeking men who are to be found in many of the developed countries and who, unfortunately, engage in a kind of international terrorism have no place in this country. These people under the pretext of absurd ideologies such as “Islamic Marxism”, turn to violence and sometimes murder to the detriment of their own homeland”! This ludicrous expression became a weapon in the hands of the Shah’s agents whereby they were able to arrest any dissident against whom they held no evidence and send him to the torture chamber for the crime of having an involvement in the campaign and the ‘absurd ideology’ of Islamic Marxism. 222 A few days after the tragedy of January 9, 1978/Dey 19, 1356 SH, SAVAK, without prior notice, boarded employees of the Ministry of Education, members of the Rastakhiz Party, and other office employees onto several buses and told them that they were going on a pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Hazrat Masumah in Qum! However, having almost arrived in Qum, the people were forced to alight from the buses and were told to march towards the holy shrine while shouting “Long live the Shah” and exhibiting impassioned affection for His Imperial- Majesty! This demonstration, despite the agents’ threats, took place with such dispassion and indifference that, to quote

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THE SHAH, ANTI-ISLAM AND ANTI-CLERGY Those who rule us do not appreciate the situation and once again we have failed in our attempts to reform them. If only they had compromised somewhat with the people; if only they had heeded the people’s demands; if only they had performed their duties; if only they had shown sympathy towards Islam and the laws of Islam then the people would not have opposed them so. But the people see that ‘His Imperial Majesty’ is against whatever they attach value to. He is against the Islamic calendar which means he is against Islam itself. In fact the worst thing that this man has done during his reign is to change the calendar223. Changing the calendar is even worse than these massacres; it is an affront to the Most Noble Messenger himself (s). In spite of such plans however, they will never achieve ultimate success. Just as they tampered with the Islamic calendar which meant so much to the people, so too they attacked the centers of learning. They have raided and plundered our madrasahs several times now. Before, it was the Fayziyyah Madrasah that they stormed and made the scene of their crimes, but now it is the Hujjatiyyah Madrasah, the Khan Madrasah and the Haqqani Madrasah which are the targets of their attacks- or in fact any madrasah whose gates are open and where gatherings take place, however small. We are told that the entire doors and windows of the Khan Madrasah have been knocked in and smashed by rifle butts, and that a student of the religious sciences was shot and killed at the gate of the Hujjatiyyah Madrasah. One of the ulama who went to visit the scene told me on his return that a stream of blood ran from the place where the student had been shot to the edge of the pool in the madrasah courtyard224.

THE SHAH, THE PRIME CULPRIT AND INSTRUMENT OF THE ALLIES Do you suppose the chief of police in Qum is responsible for such actions? No, he is not capable of doing such things. Don’t repeatedly put the blame on the officials of the regime. The Shah himself is the culprit. He is the one who gives the orders and tells them to kill. If he didn’t give the command to kill, there would be no killings. Do you imagine it is a trivial affair to open fire on a whole nation with rifles and machine guns, or to make an armed attack on the theological center in Qum which is so loved and highly respected Imam: “It was as if they had participated in a funeral procession”. At the end of this ‘demonstration’, governmental agents issue a statement in which, while condemning foreign incitement, it is declared: “We, members of the Iranian people’s Rastakhiz Party in the holy city of Qum, vow never to permit the enemies of the nation and of the Shah’s revolution to violate the law” (Khorasan newspaper, January 13, 1978/Dey 22, 1356 SH, p. 12). Likewise, a similar engineered demonstration was arranged by the Women’s Organization of Khorasan in Mashhad to counteract a magnificent demonstration held by the Muslim women of Mashhad on January 7 (Khorasan newspaper, January 12, 1978, p. 1). During another such demonstration held in Tabriz, a clergyman who was known to be a fifth-columnist says: “Imperialism in the guise of religion and faith wants to threaten the unity and unanimity of the Iranian nation”; while a women’s representative also says: “The women of Iran will stifle the sound of reaction before it is voiced”. Accounts of other similar comments and incidents are to be found in the newspapers of the day. 223 Toward the end of 1975, on the anniversary of Reza Khan’s birthday, both the Consultative Assembly and the Senate agreed in a joint meeting that the official calendar of Iran was to be changed. Until then, time had been reckoned from the migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina (in 622 AD). The new calendar however (known as the Imperial calendar), took as its point of departure the founding of the Iranian monarchy by the Achaemenid emperor Cyrus, fixed somewhat arbitrarily at 529 BC. Following this change, it wasn’t long before the self-absorbed monarchial regime in Iran was uprooted. 224 On January 9, 1978/Dey 18, 1356 SH, the Shah’s agents opened fire at Hospital Crossroads on rows of religious students and people of Qum who were conducting a peaceful demonstration in protest against the defamatory article (concerning Imam Khomeini) carried by the Ittila’at newspaper. During this incident a young religious student who was shouting slogans from the second floor of Hujjatiyyah Madrasah was wounded by the agents’ gun-fire and was carried by other religious students to the pool of the madrasah where he finally attained martyrdom.

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by the people? Do you imagine that the command for such action could be given by the head of SAVAK in Tehran, the head of SAVAK in Qum or even the Prime Minister? No, it is the Shah himself; he is the prime culprit! And who is responsible for imposing him on us? The Shah himself stated in his book225: “The Allies, after occupying Iran, thought it fitting that I should be in control of affairs, and they agreed to my accession to the throne.” May God curse them for thinking it fitting. Later, on realizing the mistake in having mentioned this matter, it was erased from the text. Those Allies, those who signed the Declaration of Human Rights, it is they who appointed such a person to reign over us, and it is they who brought about such repression. You say mankind is free! But what about the Iranian people? Yes, the imperialists appointed a man to rule in Iran, as they had his father before him226; the latter also having denied the people all kinds of freedom. But the situation was different then, either people were unable to confront the regime then as they can now or their consciousness was not yet truly awaken.

QUM THEOLOGICAL CENTER, THE REVIVER OF ISLAM AND IRAN The theological center in Qum has brought Iran back to life; it has performed a service to Islam that will endure for centuries. This service must not be underestimated; we must pray for the theological center in Qum and pray that we will come to emulate it. This center’s name will remain inscribed in history for all time. In comparison to Qum, we here in Najaf are dead and buried227; it is Qum that has brought Islam back to life. It is the center in Qum and the preaching of its maraji’ and ulama that have awakened the universities, those same places where we religious scholars used to be accused of being the opium of the people and the agents of the British and other imperialists. No, all that was the propaganda of Britain, Germany, the Soviet Union and others, designed to misrepresent us and make the ulama and their institutions appear to be the opium of the people. They spread such propaganda because they know full well how active the religious scholars are and what a dynamic and militant religion Islam is. They drew up a plan to bring the religious scholars into disrepute, and propagated the notion that religion must be separated from politics.

RELIGION AND POLITICS This campaign has been in operation for many years now, whereby even the akhunds themselves have now become convinced by it and ask the question: “What business do we have with politics?” But to pose such a question is in fact to abandon Islam, to bury it in our chambers in the madrasah and in our books of religious learning. The imperial powers dearly wish that religion could be separated from politics and politics from religion. From the very beginning this is the idea that our politicians have promoted, until it has reached the stage where even we, the clergy, have come to believe that politics is none of our concern, and must be left to the politicians; and that we must concern ourselves with matters of religion only and turn the other cheek if they slap us in the face.228 This idea of turning the other cheek has been wrongly 225 The Shah, in his book: Mission for My Country. 226 Reza Khan. 227 It refers to the quiescent climate of the Najaf theological center. Imam’s remarks are indicative of the unfavorable circumstances prevalent in the Najaf theological center and of the indifference demonstrated by the latter. 228 In the Gospel of Saint Matthew 5: 38- 40 it reads: “You have heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also, and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.”

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attributed to Jesus (as) and yet again this too has been the doing of these imperial beasts. Jesus (as) was a prophet, and no prophet can be so illogical. Look at the history of the prophets. We see how Jesus did not remain among his people very long before his ascension to heaven.229 You are all aware of the history of the prophets. It is well known that the exalted prophet Abraham (as), one of the earliest true prophets of God, took up his axe and shattered all the idols. He was not afraid of being cast into the fire and burned. If he had been afraid of such things then he would not have been a prophet. This man who stood alone before such great forces and who was then cast into the fire, he could not follow a logic that required him, if slapped on one cheek, to turn the other cheek for it also to be slapped. That is the logic of the indolent, the logic of those who do not know God and who have not studied the Qur’an. Then look at Moses (as), a simple shepherd with nothing but his staff in hand. He too fought single-handed and he did so against Pharaoh who made claim to divinity. Here too, the Shah would like to make such a claim but he realizes that now is not the right time, for people would not believe him. Nevertheless, should he detect the least relaxation in our vigilance then he too would cry: “I am your Lord, the Most High”.230 There have always been those who have made such absurd claims in the past, and there always will be. And then there is the Most Noble Messenger (s). As you well know, he began his mission alone, prepared himself for the struggle to come for thirteen years and then fought for a decade. He did not ask: “What business do I have with politics?” But rather he administered the entire Islamic realm. The same was true of the Commander of the Faithful (‘a). He ruled, engaged in politics and fought wars. He never said: “Let me sit at home and devote myself to prayer and worship and not concern myself with political issues.”

COMPROMISING WITH THE OPPRESSIVE KINGS, CONTRARY TO THE QUR’AN But now we find one of the ulama (may God grant him mercy) saying: “If the Imam of the Age (as) considers it to be the appropriate time then he will come. I cannot claim to be more concerned for Islam than he is and he is well aware of the present situation. Thus, he is the one who must make the first move to remedy our affairs and not I!” This, however, is the logic of those who want to shirk responsibility231, it is not a logic of which Islam approves. Islam does not acknowledge such reasoning. Those who reason in this way conduct diligent searches in order to come up with a couple of religious traditions which tell us, for example, to make our peace with kings or to pray for them. But this is contrary to the teachings of the Qur’an. They have obviously not read this holy book. Even if they could find a hundred such traditions, it would not further their argument232 for such traditions are in discord with the Qur’an and the custom of the 229 Imam here is referring to Qur’an, Surah Aali ‘Imran 3: 55: “And when God said: O Jesus, I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto Me”; Surah an-Nisa’ 4: 158: “God took him up to Himself”. 230 Qur’an, Surah an-Nazi’at 79: 24: “Then he (Pharaoh) said: I am your Lord, the Most High”. 231 A group consisting of both ulama and clergymen as well as others, because of an erroneous interpretation of the principle of ‘expectation’ [intizar], have adopted the belief that no one has a duty to do anything about oppression, corruption and the non-performance of Islamic duties. These people hold that one must wait (in expectation) until oppression, injustice and corruption reach a climax, when the Imam of the Age, may God hasten his manifestation, will appear and fill the world with justice and redress. Not long ago the holders of this view became involved in an extensive operation to form an organization and a collective body; but due to basic organizational disorder and an inability to defend the organization’s unsound principles, this group inevitably gave up its overt activities. 232 Here, the Iranian text reads: “It will be struck against the wall”, meaning it will be of no worth. In an Islamic tradition the Prophet (s) said: “When you hear a tradition which is said to be from me, assess it according to the Book of God (Qur’an). That which agrees with the Book of God you are to accept and that which disagrees with the Book of God, you are to strike against the wall”. Tafsir-e Safi, vol. 1, p. 21.

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prophets. There is a tradition that says: “Whoever wishes long life for a king will be resurrected along with him.”233 Could a Muslim possibly wish long life for a king, whereby that king might commit more injustice? Could anyone wish to maintain relations with someone who slaughters people; who slaughters the ulama? Are you aware of how many of our great ulama, our valued teachers, are now living in prison or in exile? These are the very same ulama and religious scholars who, until recently, were living in exile and who, on being released, returned to their home towns, clenched their fists and began to speak out against the government and the Shah. Once again they were arrested. The honorable young gentleman who delivered a speech at the commemorative gathering yesterday afternoon had previously endured imprisonment and banishment; and it is quite likely that he has been arrested again now, or that he will be tomorrow. This is what true Muslims are made of. He is the true Muslim, who, when he comes out of prison, clenches his fist and resumes his struggle. The Prophet (s) stated in a tradition that even if a Muslim constantly says: “La ilaha illal lah” (there is no God but Allah), but he shows no concern for the affairs of his fellow Muslims, he is not a Muslim.234 A Muslim is the person who works to benefit Islam and his fellow Muslims; fellow Muslims such as those killed by the Shah. They kill our young men and yet we shouldn’t care? They kill our ulama and yet we shouldn’t care? Are we supposed to agree to all this, or to behave as if we are in agreement? If this is so then we must become different human beings! In Iran our young men were imprisoned and banished and now they are subject to the same measures again. But when these courageous youths return from prison or exile they recommence their struggle, returning to the themes of their earlier preaching. Again they are sent into exile. But even if they were to be banished or imprisoned and then released ten times over they would still be the same people that they were in the beginning. This is because they have received true Islamic training. Similarly, if the Commander of the Faithful (as) were to be killed and then brought back to life a hundred times over, he would still be the same Commander of the Faithful. But take some apathetic person and kill him, if you were to bring him back to life, he would still be as apathetic as before.

AMERICA AND RUSSIA IN COMPETITION IN PLUNDERING IRAN We have suffered and continue to suffer all these misfortunes at the hands of those government heads who have signed the Declaration of Human Rights and who loudly proclaim man’s right to freedom. Before, it was the British that brought us misfortune (until the time when they no longer held such influence in our country), and now it is the Russians on the one hand and the Americans on the other. These are the ones who are responsible for all our miseries. If only they were to withdraw their protection and backing of those in the Iranian government, the people would skin them alive. It is the government of Iran which granted absolute immunity to the American advisers, for which it got a few dollars in exchange; and one can see how many American officials there are in Iran now and what huge salaries they receive! That is our problem- everything in our treasury has to be emptied into the pockets of America, and if there is any 233 In quoting verse 113 of Surah Hud 11: 113, Imam al-Sadiq (as) states: “And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you”. Here, reference is made to one who inclines towards his sovereign and prays for his longevity so that the sovereign may grant him a gift.” Refer to Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 369. 234 “Whosoever rises in the morning and does not strive to help in the affairs of the Muslims is not a Muslim”: a tradition from the Prophet (s). A similar tradition has been quoted by Imam al-Sadiq (as). Refer to Usul al-Kafi, Kitab al-Iman wal-Kufr, the chapter entitled “IhtImam bi Um’r alMuslimin”.

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meager amount to spare, it has to go into the pockets of the Shah and his gang. They buy themselves villas and goodness knows what else abroad and stuff their bank accounts with the people’s money while the nation lives in poverty. At the same time, they constantly proclaim: “Iran is one of the most advanced countries in the world. It is now on a par with America, or at least Japan” (and maybe even a little more advanced than Japan). But the absurdity of these words and the warped thinking that underlies them has become apparent to everyone. Even the corner grocer will tell you that the Shah is talking nonsense but that “He is quite unashamed and goes right on talking, so what can be done about it?” After these events, the general strike and shutdown, you will see in tomorrow’s newspapers that they’re back to their old bombastic claims: “We hold the support of all the nation; all the people are with us except for a few misguided individuals; those clergymen who are truly enlightened support us, as for the rest they are all reactionaries including the ulama and the great maraji’ of Qum who announced a general shutdown, the ‘true’ religious scholars- that’s what they call them- are all in agreement with us.” The only problem is that these ‘true’ religious scholars are only to be found in the newspapers. To which ‘true’ religious scholars do they refer? How can any Muslim ever agree with you or consent to the killing of these people?235 Yes, the case may be that sometimes a Muslim or a scholar is afraid and says nothing, whereas at other times he is not afraid and speaks out; at times a student of the religious sciences is afraid and does not leave his home, whereas at other times he is not afraid and cries out in protest! But ‘agreement’, that is the wrong word.

MISBEGOTTEN MONSTER OF THE IRANIAN REGIME! What scholar could possibly agree with you? Could someone be a religious scholar and agree with a massacre? Is it at all possible? Can someone believe in Islam and yet agree with abolishing the Islamic calendar in favor of the calendar of the unbelievers? Could any Muslim agree with this scandalous uncovering of women? The women of Iran have themselves risen up against the Shah and landed him a blow by crying: “We don’t want to live this way! We want to be free!” To which this good-for-nothing replies: “But you are free! The only thing is that you cannot go to school wearing a chador or headcovering!” You call this freedom? I can’t make this state of affairs out in Iran. This Shah and his government are some kind of misbegotten monsters236 that are difficult to identify. Our country is in such a terrible state and we are faced with so many difficulties.

EXAMPLES OF POVERTY IN IRAN God only knows the kinds of problems the people are experiencing and only a fraction are referred to me. For example, they tell me: “We want to build a water-storage tank at such-and-such a place, because the people have no water there and women have to travel about six kilometers to fetch water.” Now if people don’t even have water, how about electricity or decent roads, do they have these? No, in fact they have nothing! Don’t look at the part of Tehran where, on the face of it at least, things have been put in order,

235 It refers to the religious students and those people who attained martyrdom during the event of January 9. 236 This is an expression for anything disturbed and distressed whose internal disturbance has brought about an abnormal state. “Shutur, gao, palang” (Camel, Cow and Leopard) is an expression used in the Persian language to refer to a combination of heterogeneous things or something of incongruous composition. Amthal va Hikam-e Dehkhoda, see under the word “shutur” [camel].

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take a look at the other part of the city. Go look at those pits, those holes in the ground in which people live, dwellings you reach by descending about a hundred steps into the ground. What a terrible place to live! Homes that people have made from rush matting or clay so their poor children can have somewhere to live. Yes, I am talking about Tehran and not some remote village or town; this is how things are in Tehran. When you enter the city you see all the cars and that deceptive exterior, but you haven’t seen the state the other side of town is in. The people who live there have no current drinking water in their homes. They have to take their pitchers and climb up those hundred steps until they come to a water tap, then fill their pitchers and climb down again. Picture some poor woman in the middle of the biting winter climbing up and down those steps to fetch water for her children. A reliable informant, the congregational prayer leader of Pamnar, told me of how one of the families that was driven out from one such hole went and sat down in the middle of Pamnar Avenue.237 This poor man with his wife and children sat there until finally people gathered around and helped to find them a place to live. They weren’t even allowed to live in that hole in the ground. Even that was taken from them! That is our ‘progressive’ country for you, and its capital city of Tehran. In one of their very own newspapers they wrote that in some parts of the country- I can’t remember exactly where, I think maybe it was in the region of Shushtar238 - when the people wake up in the morning they wash the trachoma-infected eyes of their children with urine so they can open their eyes. This is the state of our advanced and progressive country! Urine is used to wash their infected eyes because there is a lack of water!

IGNOMINY OF AMERICA’S PROCLAMATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS Is our country really so poor? What happens to all of its money? Our country possesses an ocean of oil. It has iron, precious metals, and much more. Indeed, Iran is a rich country. But those so-called ‘friends of mankind’ have appointed their agent to rule this country in order to prevent the poor from benefiting from its riches. Everything must go into his masters’ pockets and be spent on their enjoyment. Should a small portion of this wealth be left over, then even that goes to the Shah and his gang. Although a trifling amount by comparison, still there is enough for them to have a villa, a palace and an estate239 awaiting them wherever they travel, in addition to enjoying healthy bank accounts- yes they are truly well-off.240 They fooled people for a time with this Carter by saying that he would do such-and-such and would take all kinds 237 Pamnar is one of the oldest streets of Tehran which is situated in the city center near to the main bazaar. 238 Shushtar is one of the cities of the province of Khuzestan which at one time was one of the most inhabited cities of this province. This city covers an area of 3,528 square kilometers and lies 128 kilometers from Ahwaz (the provincial capital). 239 Authors have said that to determine precise statistics with regard to the land and property owned abroad by the Shah and his close relatives is by no means an easy task; and that moreover, a complete list of such possessions is not in fact available. A few examples of such possessions which were owned by the Shah are as follows: several hectares of land in Australia; several large islands in Italy owned by Farah (the Shah’s wife); vast areas of the banks of Geneva Lake; four glorious places in the highly sought-after areas of Paris and Switzerland; the village of Saint Moritz; an entire ski slope and a winter palace in Switzerland; several large palaces in California, Texas and Florida. Refer to Masud Ansari, Man va Khandan-e Pahlavi- Pas az Suqut; Husayn Fardoust, The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty; Kayhan newspaper, February 25, 1979; and William Shawcross, The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally, to name but a few. 240 In footnotes yet to come, indication will be made to the amount of foreign currency held by the Shah as is recorded in the official report made by the Central Bank. During the months of Shahrivar and Mehr 1978 alone [circa August-October], a substantial amount of money was sent out of the country, seventeen entries having been politically-coded credit transfers which were deposited into the Shah’s private accounts in Swiss, French and American banks and which amounted to 30,750, 000, 000 rials (over 2, 000, 000, 000 dollars). Gam beh Gam ba Inqilab, pp. 95- 102.

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of positive measures if he came to power.241 Once in power however, he said clearly- liars have short memories after all-” There can be no question of human rights in countries where we have military bases; human rights must not even be mentioned”. For after all freedom is part of human rights. First he says human rights are inalienable and then he says: “I don’t want to hear about human rights”. Of course he’s right from his own point of view; he uses the logic of bandits. The head of a government that has signed the Declaration of Human Rights says: “We have military bases in Iran; we can’t talk about human rights there. Respect for human rights is feasible only in countries where we have no military bases”. But for all its boasting about human rights, what miseries America has inflicted on the peoples of Latin America, in its own hemisphere!242 Again we see what it has done to Lebanon. There too it installs an agent and reduces the country to its present miserable state; and in Egypt it installs another, by the name of Sadat, whose every act is devoted to serving imperialism. A short time ago the latter went to Israel and gave it official recognition whilst approving of whatever the Israelis had to say. The Shah of Iran also says that it is necessary to make peace with Israel. In fact this wretch243 gave Israel recognition twenty years ago. I was in Qum at the time when he gave recognition to this government of infidels- and Jewish infidels at thatthereby affronting Islam, the Qur’an, the Muslim governments and the entire Muslim people. The name of Israel was not openly mentioned at first, but later it was. Shah’s ‘human rights’ Indeed, this person was a slave from the very beginning as he himself later made clear. This man (the Shah) who openly raises the question of human rights is in fact quite right to ask what it is all about.244 What do

241 After ten years of military intervention in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, during which hundreds of thousands of trained military forces were dispatched, and the most sophisticated of arms employed, America was finally defeated, tens of thousands of its men having been killed, wounded or captured and tens of billions of dollars have been spent. As a consequence, in 1975 America was forced to leave this territory. The defeat of this military operation and the innumerable crimes and inhuman acts perpetrated by the American troops as well as the psychological and sociological damages incurred, had made the American people strongly in favor of a peace-loving government which would defend human rights. Furthermore, the American government, having witnessed the overthrow of its agents following the discontinuation of the war in South-East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, believed the solution to lie in the creation of a politically-open climate and in allowing conservative and liberal fronts to play a role in Third World countries. In the meantime, the Watergate Scandal of 1974 had truly brought the Republican Party into disrepute both in America and across the world, thus leaving the US government no alternative but to allow a representative of the Democratic Party to win the vote in the presidential elections, by which means it kept alive the possibility of reaching its goals. It was because of this policy that the Zionist front and the global capitalism espoused by Carter were ushered into the political arena along with the argument for ‘human rights’. 242 As soon as a freedom-fighting movement appeared in Chile, America- the defender of human rights- staged a coup, killed Salvador Allende, and resumed its domination of that country. US espionage agencies and terrorist organizations are currently conducting intense operations against the freedom-seeking people of Nicaragua and El Salvador. Again it was American military intervention which brought about the defeat of the revolutionary regime in Granada. Yet, despite all of this, this country claims to respect human rights and freedom! 243 The Shah. 244 On October 25, 1976/Aban 3, 1355 SH, the Shah quite clearly expressed his views on ‘human rights’ and ‘democracy’ in response to the attacks made by Carter during his presidential campaign on the dictatorial and savage actions of the former. In an interview with Kayhan newspaper, the Shah said: “They want to question us on democracy and human rights. This is truly ridiculous. Why, does democracy simply mean to shout abuses? Does democracy amount to creating a hullabaloo? Is democracy only killing? What other meaning can democracy possibly have- if indeed it still exists- other than the policy pursued by us?” Once Carter had taken office and had forced the Shah to see things his way and to agree to the announcement of a politically-free climate in the country, and following an intensification of popular demonstrations and the failure of both the Shah and Carter to keep things under control, the Shah in an interview with Radio France on June 19, 1977/Khordad 29, 1356 SH, confesses that: “If our defense of human rights leads to our fall and our subjection, then

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human rights mean? It means the logic of bandits! It is nothing to do with human rights. The logic of bandits cannot be other than banditry, expressed with machine guns and rifles, by gunning down the religious scholars, by the destruction of the Fayziyyah Madrasah, and the subsequent closing and sequestration of this center of Ja’fari Shi’ism. Fayziyyah Madrasah has been closed for several years now. They plundered the madrasah and robbed its students; they burned the turbans of the religious students and even burned their books! They insulted the Qur’an itself! That is the logic of bandits. As you know, the students in Qum then made their headquarters in the Hujjatiyyah and Khan Madrasahs, and there too they have been attacked and beaten. But if they are beaten and expelled from their madrasah a hundred times over, they will establish their base in yet another madrasah, for they have come to life, they have awakened! At any rate, these are the difficulties we face. As we sit here, we don’t know what is happening to our Muslim brothers in Iran. It is a cause for anxiety; but we shall have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens and how events evolve. One thing that is for certain is that an impressive ceremony was organized yesterday afternoon in memory of those who were killed in Qum. And today too, Azam Mosque245 in Qum is full of people and the bazaars and shops of Qum are all closed down. The bazaars in other towns too have also been closed, according to what I have been told. There is no news yet from Shiraz and Isfahan but I have no doubt that there too the bazaars are closed. This is a bewildering situation. Their logic is the logic of the machine-gun, and the logic of all too many of us is silence. Some say there is no alternative but to remain silent. Their logic is to slap us, and our logic is to be slapped! They claim Jesus (as) recommended turning the other cheek. But he would never do such a thing for that is the logic of the apathetic! Jesus was a great prophet. He began his struggle in the cradle when he said: I shall rise up to establish prayer and worship. According to the Qur’an246 he was a prophet while still in the cradle. Is it possible that such a person could utter such apathetic, cowardly words? This recommendation to turn the other cheek was invented by those who claimed some affiliation to Jesus (we cannot call them Christians). They deceived the Christians and made them completely passive towards their governments.

THE IMAMS STRUGGLED AGAINST OPPRESSION THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES There are people among us who tell us we must swallow whatever poison the ‘holders of authority’ wish to force down our throats, simply because they are the ‘authorities’. We must not say a word against these tyrannical ‘authorities’. But if what they say is true, then why did Imam Husayn (as) oppose the authorities? Why did he confront Yazid247 and his government “tutil-mulk man tasha” (You give sovereignty to

that can no longer be said to be human rights!” He then warns America saying: “We can purchase goods from wherever we please, but who can replace a friendly Iran for America?”! 245 The Azam Mosque, situated beside the holy courtyard of Hazrat Masumah, was established in 1954, due to the efforts of the late Ayatullah Burujerdi. The architect of this mosque was Husayn Lurzadeh and the glazed tiles were laid by Husayn Burhani Isfahani. The mosque is about 11,000 square meters in area, of which 4,000 square meters is actually built upon. Imam’s speeches from 1962 until 1964 [13411343 SH] were delivered in this mosque. 246 Imam refers to Qur’an, Surah Maryam 19: 29- 33. 247 Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan succeeded Mu’awiyah as the caliph. During his initial year of rule he brought about the event which occurred at Karbala. During his second year as caliph, he raided Medina (the incident of Harra). His third year as caliph saw him attacking Mecca when the Ka’bah actually caught fire; and it was in this same year that he was overtaken by death. For more details please see: Battle of Harrah by Muhammad Ali Chenarani available at: https://www.al-islam.org/battle-harrah-muhammad-ali-chenarani

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whomever You wish) !?248 A certain akhund wrote to me a few years ago to ask me: “Why do you oppose the government? Do you not know that God gives authority to whomever He wishes?” I didn’t even answer him. He wasn’t worth answering. But his question involved a clear denial of the Qur’an. In a way, it can be argued that God gave kingship to the Pharaoh, but didn’t Moses (as) oppose him? Nimrod’s249 kingship was also a divine gift in the sense that everything is from God, but didn’t Abraham (as) oppose him? Why is the Prophet in opposition? Why was Hazrat Amir against Mu’awiyah? Mu’awiyah also represented the ‘holders of authority’, so why did first the Commander of the Faithful and later Imam Husayn (as) oppose him? And then Imam Husayn (as) rounded up his family and fifty or sixty followers and rose up in revolt against another ‘holder of authority’, Yazid. Why did he do that? Clearly those who disagree with revolt against the authorities talk sheer nonsense! Those ‘holders of authority’ who are mentioned immediately after God and His Messenger in the Qur’an250 must also be close to God and His Messenger in their practice. They must be the shadow of God and his Messenger. Yes, the Islamic ruler is the shadow of God251, but that which is meant by shadow is something which of itself has no motion. Your shadow does not move by itself, it moves only when you move. Islam recognizes that person as the ‘shadow of God’ who abandons all individual volition in the sense that he acts only in accordance with the ordinances of Islam, his motion therefore being dependent and not independent. The Messenger of God (s) was indeed a true shadow of God. But can the same be said for this vile man, the Shah? Yes, a few thoughtless people among us say so; but that would mean that anyone who rebelled against Yazid who was also a ‘holder of authority’ deserved to be killed! In fact, at the time of Yazid, the Umayyad judges delivered a verdict that Imam Husayn, the Doyen of the Martyrs, deserved death! We have not read the Qur’an properly, and have not understood its logic. Above all else, we must study the Qur’an. The Qur’an has given instructions for everything and has made clear what our duties are. It has told us how we are to treat kings.

OPPOSITION IN THE LOGIC OF THE QUR’AN AND THE PROPHET’S SUNNAH Why does the Qur’an repeat the story of Moses (as) so frequently? Is it just meant to be an entertaining story? If the Qur’an wanted to tell us a story, one recitation would be enough. So what is the purpose behind the Qur’an’s insistence on repeating the story of Moses and his opposition to the Pharaoh? It is to make us understand! The Qur’an constantly discusses warfare against the unbelievers and mentions the affair concerning the hypocrites (Munafiqin). Is this purely for the purpose of telling us a story? Is the Qur’an a

248 It refers to Surah Aali ‘Imran 3: 26: “Say, ‘O Allah, Master of all sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whomever You wish, and

strip of sovereignty whomever You wish; You make mighty whomever You wish, and You degrade whomever You wish; all choice is in Your hand. Indeed You have power over all things.”. A group of people, by reason of this verse, consider it incumbent

to obey the command of anyone in authority- even someone like Yazid. 249 Nimrod reigned in Chaldeah under the name of Keykawus. He was an idolater and a relentless tyrant and despot who possessed idol temples of gold, enjoyed a great amount of wealth and had a very large army. Tarikh-e Anbiya’ az -dam ta Khatam (History of the Prophets from Adam to the Seal of the Prophets), p. 289. 250 In Qur’an, Surah an-Nisa’ 4: 59, obedience towards those in authority is shown to be in conjunction with obedience towards God and the Prophet (s). 251 When the ruler of Islam is a person such as the Prophet (s), his government is referred to as the shadow of God. Hence, in certain traditions the sultan and ruler of Islam has been referred to as the same. Imam Khomeini, by virtue of the rare and gnostic insight with which he was blessed, has explained the meaning of this concept in his speeches.

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story-book? The Qur’an is a book designed to produce true human beings; it is a book intended to create active human beings. It is a book that deals with everything in this world, from beginning to end, and covers all the stages in man’s development. It is a book that regulates man’s spiritual life and orders its government. Everything is there in the Qur’an, in the traditions of the Most Noble Messenger (s) and in the traditions of the Immaculate Imams (as). But careful study of all these sources is needed for us to understand what our duty is. We repeatedly read in the Qur’an that the Pharaoh behaved in one way and that Moses behaved in another, but we do not consider why the Qur’an tells us all this. It tells us this so that we too may act like Moses towards the Pharaoh of our age. Let us take up our staffs and oppose this vile man252. At the very least, let no one support this regime. May Almighty God grant you all success. May Almighty God remove this evil rule from the Muslims [the audience cries Amen]. May God, Exalted and Almighty, preserve our people in the midst of their tribulation [Amen]. May God, Exalted and Almighty, grant a favorable end to this struggle both to the Muslims and to Islam.

25th Speech Date: May 13, 1978/Urdibehesht 23, 1357 SH/Jamadi al-Thani 5, 1398 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Situation in Iran; general and people’s uprising; guidance to the revolutionaries Addressees: Religious students, clergymen and a number of Iranians residing in Iraq I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I do not know where to begin. Should I talk about the people’s misery, or about glad tidings? At present misery prevails throughout Iran, and yet it is a misery which constitutes glad tidings. As I had formerly predicted, when these dictators, these despots and ruffians, anticipate and actually see their own fall and their own death toward the end of their lives, and when the end of their political power is in sight, they become mad. They completely lose all self-control and act in a state of madness and insanity when dealing with people. The Iranian people are currently eye-witnesses to this; and even you too gentlemen, witness it to a lesser degree.

QUM OCCUPIED BY THE SHAH’S ARMY At present, Qum, the center of the religious institution, the center of Islamic jurisprudence, lies in the clutches of the well-furnished Mongolian army. The well-furnished army of Muhammad Reza Shah is worse than that of Genghis (Khan). People’s homes, according to what we have been told, are being searched one by one, and no one knows what they are looking for. Army troops are now stationed in Qum with guns, tanks and machine guns, and all of the theological centers and the homes of the ulama are, as is

252 The Shah

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often the case, under police and army observation. They have invaded the homes of the maraji’, committing murder and perpetrating crimes there.253 Going by information received today, certain ulama are in hospital right now.254

THE PAHLAVI DYNASTY AND 50- YEAR DEFEAT This is the insanity which has befallen this person (the Shah), and I don’t know where it will end. It is a nervous condition which has come about because he sees himself as fallen, although as far as the nation is concerned, indeed he was fallen from the very beginning. From the very beginning, on the day when Reza Shah, under Britain’s orders, attacked Iran and carried out a coup d’état, those who were aware of what was going on realized that he was fallen. It was later on, when he (Reza Shah) began to throw his weight around, and his police behaved the way they did with the people, with the ulama and with women, with the religious teaching centers and with religious propagation, that people then recognized the monstrosity and the beast with which they were to contend. So we see that this dynasty was fallen in the nation’s eyes from the start. Its fall is not a thing of the present, for it was fallen fifty years ago as far as the people are concerned. However, the nation has now become aroused and word has it that more than thirty cities in Iran have demonstrated against this man, shouting “Death to the Shah”.

BETRAYAL TO THE NATION According to the Shah’s reasoning, the people of these thirty cities and of the country as a whole have all come from abroad and have entered Iran with forged passports! Furthermore, they are a ‘handful’ of rioters!255 The entire maraji’ of Islam and the ulama from all regions of the country have risen up against this person; and from what we were told today, fifty-six of the ulama in Tehran have refrained from attending the mosques, declaring that they have done so in protest to the regime’s behavior. Yet it is claimed that they have all come from outside Iran via forged passports!- that they are a handful of rioters!- that they are troublemakers! The ulama of Tehran, the ulama of Qum, the ulama of Khorasan, the ulama of Azerbaijan, the ulama of Yazd, the ulama of Kerman, the ulama of wherever, these are all a bunch of

253 Imam Khomeini and other maraji’ declared May 9, 1978/Urdibehesht 19, 1357 SH, a day of a general strike to commemorate the holding of mourning ceremonies forty days after the martyrdom of those killed in Yazd, Jahrom, Qazvin, Ahwaz, Isfahan and other provinces; and they also call for the nation to conduct further mourning ceremonies on this very day. The people of Qum also participate in the numerous gatherings which are held in the homes of the maraji’. This is when the regime’s agents attack the defenseless people. A number of people flee to the home of Ayatullah Golpaygani for refuge, and the regime’s agents have the audacity to invade the privacy of the Ayatullah’s home, beating and injuring the people right there and then. As a result of this incident, the Ayatullah suffers a heart-attack and is taken to hospital. The following day, armed agents savagely attack the people again at Eram Square, striking and cursing them. A group of people found shelter in Mr. Shariatmadari’s home which agents then storm. The latter begin to fire at the people killing a young religious student as a result. 254 It refers to Ayatullah Golpaygani. 255 During a telephone conversation held in Shahrivar [August/ September] between the Shah and Carter (the US President), the former refers to the popular revolution as a riot which has been arranged in accordance with devilish plans. During parliamentary proceedings, the Minister of State says: “It is not clear when and over which border those who caused the riot in Tabriz crossed into Iran”! A political forecaster for the Rastakhiz Party (Ja’farian), maintains that the ‘riot’ in Tabriz was the work of people who bore no relation to the nation of Iran. A pseudo-clerical representative of Parliament for Tabriz says: “Islam categorically forbids rioting”! In the Majlis, Senator Ali Rezai states: “The rioters were a gang of inexperienced youngsters and it is not clear which border they crossed or what means of identity they used when entering Iran”! Cited from page 13 of the book, Khatirat-e Brzezinski (Brzezinski’s Memoirs).

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rioters!! The one who is not a rioter is Muhammad Reza esquire! This person is not a rioter! He is a peacelover! He is taking us through the gateway of a ‘great civilization’!

THE BOOK ATTRIBUTED TO THE SHAH AND THE PAHLAVI DYNASTY’S 50- YEAR DEFEAT As for this book that they have written for him on his behalf256 - he hasn’t got the intelligence to write it himself, it is they who write it for him257 - I don’t know whether he has taken the trouble to read it to see what nonsense it contains, or whether he hasn’t even read it let alone write it. If anyone were to take a look at this book he would truly be ashamed at how a pen could write with such abandon in referring to so much suppression, so much hardship suffered by the people, so much killing, so many conspiracies, so many deals to sell the nation to foreigners, and so many acts of betrayal toward the Muslim nation of Iran- in referring to all of these as the “rendering of a service”! There is freedom in Iran! A freedom of which no one is aware! Were someone from the planet Jupiter to read this book, he would think that its contents resemble Plato’s thinking!258 He would be convinced that Iran is another world! A world in the beyond! If he were to actually enter Iran however, and see what kind of government it has, if he were to see what the Shah’s government is like, then he would realize that everything contained in the book is an exaggeration; it is empty talk. You ought to read this book. Of course the one who wrote it must have been a well-informed person- whether he (the Shah) has actually read it or not I don’t know, but in any case the writer himself has been someone possessed of some knowledge. Nevertheless, he has sat and written about the beyond; about somewhere beyond this world. As for him (the Shah), he wants to take us to the gateway of a ‘great civilization’; or rather, this is what he has already achieved! We are now at the gateway of a ‘great civilization’! We are presently within a city which is situated in the beyond! We have now entered a ‘great civilization’! But what do we have to show for it? Name one thing that is ours other than the lying and exaggerated talk in which we indulge; other than this what do we have? What do we have other than these crimes, these killings, this suppression, and this lying? Even the press reporters who have behaved the way they have for some forty to fifty years, even they have now objected to their having to tell so many lies. Yes, press reporters have argued “Don’t force us to tell so many lies”. Going by what some have said, university professors have voiced objection saying

256 The book Toward the Great Civilization was published under the name of Muhammad Reza Shah in 1977 (or, as some contend, in 1976), by “The Center for Research into and Publication of Political Culture Prevalent during the Reign of the Pahlavis”. The false, mendacious and fanciful issues raised in this book even came under criticism from the Shah’s own partisans and supporters abroad. Fereydun Hoveyda, who translated the book into French writes: “In my opinion, the book Toward the Great Civilization is no more than a world of fantasy and it is a far cry from reality”. Similarly, the Iranian ambassador to England said that “in a way the book amounted to the depiction of a hallucination which was the outcome of the mental discharge of a demented, infirm individual.” 257 The Shah made claim to being the author of three ‘great and important’ books, and he was convinced that the leaders of underdeveloped countries ought to read these works and achieve development and prosperity for their own countries by adopting the principles and sociopolitical theories found therein! These books, which were all the product of a specific period of the Shah’s reign, are entitled: Mission for My Country, White Revolution, and Toward the Great Civilization. It seems likely that the author of the latter book was Shuja’uddin Shafa’, who had been in charge of cultural affairs during Reza Shah’s reign, and was Muhammad Reza Shah’s ambassador to London. 258 That is, whoever read this book would think that in Iran the Shah had managed to bring about that very utopia which Plato had strived to accomplish!

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that they will not attend classes and lectures while the universities are in their present state- a state brought about by the regime.259 But then again, these professors are also probably a gang of rioters!

THOSE WHO OPPOSE DICTATORSHIP FROM THE DICTATORS’ VIEWPOINT These ulama in Tehran who, according to reports received today, intend to refrain from attending congregational prayers as a form of protest, and also those at the theological center of Qum, which is presently closed down and has been brought to a standstill, these are all a bunch of rioters who have crossed over the border into Iran by using forged passports! And all of the people of Azerbaijan- those who have conducted such an uprising, the likes of which has rarely been witnessed before, and who have engaged in such an unprecedented shutdown260 - these too were a bunch of hooligans! The same goes for the people of Yazd261, and for Iran as a whole. All the people of Iran are a ‘bunch of hooligans’, to quote them, “Who don’t understand what they are saying”! According to the regime, those who oppose dictatorship, those who oppose the traitors to Islam and those who have betrayed this nation, those who oppose such things are but a bunch of hooligans who have come from abroad! Even now, in spite of the set-up that has come about in Iran, and in spite of all this opposition to the regime from thirty-odd cities as well as villages- yes, in spite of all these issues with which the regime is confronted, whenever he (the Shah) speaks, he in no way stands down from his initial claim that: “The entire nation of Iran is with us! All of the various guilds are with us”! Only last night we were all told of how the heads of a hundred and twenty-odd various guilds had said that they remain loyal to the regime, that they are behind the Shah-People Revolution, and that they object to these rioters and have asked the government to punish them!262 Are these a hundred and twenty-odd guilds outside Iran? No, they must be in Tehran and probably

259 In April/May of 1978/Urdibehesht, 1357 SH, the majority of the country’s universities closed down and university professors stopped attending their lectures. On May 13, 1978 (Urdibehesht 23, 1357 SH), the Kayhan newspaper wrote: “In a letter addressed to the head of the university, one hundred and seventy professors from various faculties of Azerbaijan University have expressed their regret with regard to the recent predicament (the regime’s attacks on student demonstrations and its turning a deaf ear to the students’ requests) and have warned that should this state of affairs continue, then they, the lecturers, will refuse to attend lectures”. 260 On February 18, 1978/Bahman 29, 1356 SH, which corresponded to the fortieth day following the martyrdom of those killed in Qum, the clergy of Tabriz declared a general strike. People intended to gather at Haj Mirza Yusuf Aqa Mosque on that day, but the regime’s agents closed the mosque doors on them. When confronted by the people’s severe reaction, police troops opened fire, and in response people then charged toward the officers causing them to flee. Then, a crowd of people who were carrying the corpses of martyrs and shouting” Death to the Shah”, took to holding a demonstration in the high streets. As they walked, they demolished a range of buildings: those Saderat banks which belonged to Bahai capitalists; the Rastakhiz Party’s central headquarters; a statue of the Shah which stood in Khaqani Square; the Bahai-owned Pepsi Cola factory; and many cinemas and liquor stores. They also set several of the officers’ vehicles on fire. For a few hours the city lay in the hands of the people, but fresh governmental troops as well as military forces resumed their attack and reclaimed the city having killed and wounded hundreds of people. By the end of the day, Tabriz had taken on the appearance of a war-stricken city. 261 Following the Tabriz uprising, the ulama and clergymen of Iran declared the fortieth day after the martyrdom of those killed during that event, a day of public mourning. In the majority of Iranian cities, people assembled and engaged in anti-Shah demonstrations. On March 30, 1978/Farvardin 10, 1357 SH, once the splendid mourning ceremonies held by the people of Yazd in Rawzah-ye Muhammadiyyah Mosque had drawn to an end, military troops surrounded those who had poured into the streets, killing and wounding a number of them. By way of retaliation, the enraged people then broke the windows of governmental offices and the headquarters of the Rastakhiz Party, and overturned a statue of the Shah. 262 On May 13, 1978/Urdibehesht 23, 1357 SH, the Ittila’at wrote: “Following the statement issued by the government concerning punitive measures to be taken against the rioters and saboteurs, the leaders and representatives of one hundred and forty-five trade unions in Tehran have today issued a statement in which they express their disgust with regard to the recent incident involving riots and disturbances

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in the bazaar of Tehran. But if they are indeed in Tehran and in its bazaar, then how come they say that this bazaar has now been closed for four days? I don’t know about now, today, but for the past four days they say it has been closed. These people in the bazaar were in protest. Indeed, it is usually the case that social uproars initially emerge from the bazaar. The source of the outcry is the university and the bazaar. Have those in the universities come from abroad?! And those in the bazaar of Tehran, have they come from abroad too?! These a hundred and twenty-odd guilds that have all allegedly expressed their loyalty to the regime are, it seems, located beneath the ground! We who are abroad cannot see them! Anyone who is right-minded and upright cannot see them! These guilds all support you!! The entire thirty-odd million population of Iran is behind you!! Only a few thousand, only a few in numbers oppose you! Initially it was said that the number of the opposition could be counted on one hand. Gradually they increased this figure somewhat; and now it has reached the thousands- those who oppose the regime now number two or three thousand! Millions of the remaining population are all in favor, and support the regime! But where exactly these people are, we don’t know! Are they in Yazd? Are they in Qum? Are they in Tehran? Are they in Mashhad? Are they in Azerbaijan? Are they in Kurdistan? Are they in Ahwaz? Where are they? Where is this place that is beyond the reach of this present-day population of Iran?

COUNTRYSIDE ERUPTION, CONSEQUENCE OF HALF A CENTURY’S STUBBORNNESS However, the people that now live in Iran are well aware of what is going on. Those reports which ought to have been made by news agencies concerning the present situation in Iran have indeed been made. These reports have cited some twenty-odd Iranian cities- some have said twenty-five, others thirty-three- as being on strike. People in these cities have all demonstrated against the Shah. Even radio reports attest to this. It is said that these, the Shah and his government, hold a certain theology student (talaba) - meaning myselfresponsible for all this; but I say it is all his own doing. All of these thirty-odd cities which have risen up have done so as a result of his own provocative behavior. Were a thief to say that a judge has severed his hand, he is to be told: “No, you yourself have severed your own hand. You are the one who thieved; and whoever thieves loses his hand.” Just give it some thought; that is, if you still have the ability to think. You are actually witnessing your fall with your own eyes and so you have lost the ability to think straight. Just think of what you and your father brought upon this nation over the last fifty years; of what this nation went through, firstly because of your father and afterwards because of you. Think of what you did to this nation; of all the pain which sits in the hearts of the parents of those killed by you throughout this period; from the time when that villain, may Allah’s curse befall him, perpetrated that crime in Goharshad Mosque, until today, when we see the same crime being committed by you yourself. Do you expect the nation not to erupt? Does it take someone to act as the detonator before the eruption can take place? This country is presently a tinderbox on the verge of

in Tehran and other cities; and they have requested that the government immediately silence and punish the rioters.” In acknowledgement, a written statement released by the government read: “The guilds of Tehran are unanimously and firmly prepared to make any kind of offering or self-sacrifice in order to silence the saboteurs and to crush the enemies of this land and frontier. Each of these guilds constitutes a stronghold for the protection and safeguard of the monarchy, the Constitution, and the Shah-People Revolution.”

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erupting anyway. Do you think that this eruption can be prevented by these profligate acts whereby one day a ‘Revenge Group’ is formed and another a ‘Paykar Committee’ is formed and other such absurdities?263

FLATTERERS TAKE THE SEAT OF MUDARRIS THE CHAMPION When you attend their parliamentary sessions, just listen to how these four wretches talk in order to ensure their re-election to the Majlis next year- a matter concerning which even they themselves have spoken of. Even the Member of Parliament for Azerbaijan itself says: “These people are not from Azerbaijan. That anyone from Azerbaijan would oppose the Shah is impossible.” So where are these people from then? Where are the people of Tabriz from Mr. Member of Parliament?! That is the state of our Parliament and the deterioration that has come about therein. One day it is Mudarris who is in the Majlis, and another day it is these that you see for yourselves. One day it is Mudarris who stands before all those present and speaks in opposition to Reza Shah- of course they eventually killed him but he stood in opposition until his last breath- and another day it is these, who, for the sake of being re-elected to Parliament, say the sort of things that they all know themselves to be lies, that others know to be lies, and that they themselves know that everyone knows to be lies. They say them nevertheless. In order to further their own interests and to secure the approbation of Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah, they incur the wrath of Almighty God. This is the state of our Majlis; that is the state of our religious laws; that is the state of our bazaar; that is the state of our oil; and that is the state of our independence.

ORDER TO OUST THE SHAH AND AMERICA God is my witness to how deeply grieved some of these high-ranking officers are who sometimes come to see me incognito. They are grieved by these American advisers who, every so often, come here to Iran in fresh troops to play such havoc with us; and they are grieved by the deals these good-for-nothings strike with them. And I don’t know, it is truly beyond me why these high-ranking officers of ours are so incompetent. Why are they so incapable? Why have they remained seated at home and taken no action thus allowing others to impose upon them so? Why do they allow these American advisers to treat them as they do? Why don’t they kick this reprobate out?264 They said to us: “Well, if he (the Shah) were to go, who would replace him?” I told them that if he were to go and even ‘Ubaydullah265 were to take his place, then that would be better than him staying, because whoever were to replace him would at least pay this country some attention. He has now become worn out. He is reaching the end of his life and has become neurotic and mad. He has lost all self-control, and continues killing people; and God only knows where it will all 263 Having sensed its impotence vis-a-vis the people’s strength, the regime sought to terrorize people and to oust them from the field of combat by planting bombs in various parts of the city and conducting secret attacks. To this end, agents of the regime and SAVAK members coalesced to accomplish these operations by forming clandestine groups called “The Underground Organization of Revenge” and “The Paykar Committee”. Included in their operations were the planting of a bomb in the homes of Dr. Matin Daftari and Daryush Furuhar, and the attack made on a high school in Najafabad in Isfahan. This underground organization asserted that its prime objective was to protect the country’s open political climate! See the Ittila’at newspapers of May 1- 2, 1978/Urdibehesht 11- 12, 1357 SH. By terrorizing well-known figures, this organization aimed on the one hand to intimidate the combatants and to oust them from the field of combat, and on the other hand it aimed to draw public attention toward those who had been the victims of the regime’s aggression and hence to divert public attention from the true leaders of the movement. 264 The Shah. 265 It refers to ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufah during Yazid’s caliphate. It was because of the former’s acts of conspiracy and his direct involvement in affairs that the tragedy of Karbala came about.

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end. If he goes however, people will be granted a respite, no matter who his replacement may be. But not even one hour of relief can be had while he remains. If he goes and someone else takes his place, at least the people will be at ease for a while. Don’t imagine that if he goes then the world will come to an end, for his going will upset nothing. Where are these high-ranking officials- General so-and-so, Lieutenant General so-and-so, Major General so-and-so? These titles are mere words. These people are just like Members of Parliament who keep bragging that they are the representatives of such-and-such a place, and that they each speak “on the nation’s behalf”. This good-for-nothing stands alone, and then he talks about “myself and the entire nation” as if the two were united!

AMERICAN REVOLUTION OR “THE SHAH-PEOPLE REVOLUTION” How can it be said that this nation, a nation which has now risen up against this reprobate, a nation which can see how this person has given away and destroyed whatever it had, a nation which sees how he has corrupted its youngsters and how he wants to corrupt its girls, how can this nation be said to fully support the idea of the revolution- the “Shah-People Revolution”?! Yes, despite everything they still have the audacity to talk of the Shah-People revolution!! Why not call it the American revolution and come right out with it? Why not speak of American commands, of the American revolution? What a state to be in! As he (the Shah) himself stated in something he wrote: “They (the foreigners) thought it fitting that I should be in control of affairs”. May God curse those who took it upon themselves to consider such a thing fitting for us.

LAST DAYS OF THE DYNASTY Qum is now under martial law, and from what we hear so too is Tabriz and Mashhad, or rather they are under something even worse for this surely does not constitute martial law! Martial law is a kind of social order whereby certain social intercourse and social gatherings are contained. But is bursting into people’s homes martial law?! Bursting into people’s homes to conduct searches, is that martial law? They say that government agents have surrounded the entire city of Qum and are busy conducting searches there. They are looking for arms. They are afraid of their own shadows, the poor wretches! Don’t be fooled by such acts of violence. Don’t let it intimidate you in any way. These agents right now are frightened of their own shadows. They are so beset by fear that just like a cat which, when all else is lost, attacks everything in a fit of panic using its paws, claws and anything else it can use, so they too, having reached that stage, now attack the people using hands, arms, legs and all kinds of things such as machine guns, tanks, artillery and the like. They attack the defenseless people. In Qum, they are searching homes, and they have said that they intend to do the same in Azerbaijan; indeed, the whole of Iran is to be searched by them.

THE ROOTS OF ERUPTION AND REVOLUTION He (the Shah) himself is the one who has provoked all this; not I. I am a mere theology student (talaba), who, like other honorable religious students, likes others in other cities, voices grievances about the regime. The one who lies at the heart of the matter, at the core of this revolution and these outbursts is he, the Shah himself. He is the very person who plays a central role in all this. It is a mistake for the one who is committing treason to believe that when the people shout out against this treason then a third party must have provoked them to do so. You yourself are the instigator. You provoked the people with your acts of treachery. You are the one who betrayed this nation, and in return, people have risen up and raised objection.

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There is plenty about which to object. What do you expect these poor people to do? You have marred and destroyed whatever reputation this Islamic nation had, and now you are busily engaged in bringing further loss and ruin. People have now been driven to extremities; they have been driven to lay their lives on the line. Youngsters are killed and their parents then step forward to take their place in the struggle. The regime’s agents kill people in Qum, and these people are then replaced by others, both young and old, from other parts of the city. People are tired of living. They are now tired of this situation, of this state of affairs that you have brought into being here. For whom is there any comfort? Who can be at ease for a day or even an hour, let alone have some kind of a life? People prefer not to have an existence in this world rather than to live this kind of life. So the blame lies at your own door and there is no longer anything that you can do to put things right.

THE NATION REJECTS RECONCILIATION Your repentance means nothing to the nation. You may well truly repent and give people that which is rightfully theirs and attempt to make up for all the crimes you have committed. It is possible that God may accept your repentance, for He is Magnanimous, but the nation will not. We cannot accept your repentance. Your repentance spells death. The repentance of a wolf spells death. Now, at this late hour, he has resorted to claiming that he has issued orders for the people not to be treated so badly. Only last night he said that he had instructed so-and-so to no longer maltreat the people and so on. And so there you have the wolf’s repentance of which I just spoke. Doubtless, you (the Shah) are now employing other means to try to pave the way for further crimes to be perpetrated; for there is no way that you would ever give up committing crimes. You are someone whose nerves have been truly shattered and destroyed, and who can see that the entire nation is against him. Moreover, you fear that a prolonging of the nation’s opposition may mean a withdrawal of your masters’ support of you, and God only knows that this iniquitous America would leave nothing behind for you should it one day withdraw its backing. Under such circumstances your associates would devour you.

THE WEAPON OF FAITH, THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON But what is the nation to do now? Foreign advisers have poured into the country and everything is in their hands. They are the ones who hold the power; the nation is powerless. These people who rant about human rights are the same people who have dragged our nation into such a mess. What is a powerless nation which possesses neither arms nor anything else to do? However, no weapon can compare to faith. No weapon can present a challenge to the nation’s uprising. Today, no matter how many people they may kill, no amount of weapons can present a challenge to this popular uprising. As you now see, every city is beset by misery. Every day the people of these cities are harassed by the police, or harassed by soldiers and the military with tanks, artillery and guns; or they have to put up with a certain group of people who come and stage demonstrations shouting “long live this” and “up with whatever”. A certain reprobate actually entered the homes of some of the maraji’, drew his gun and threatened to kill everyone present unless they cried “long live such-and-such”. And from what I hear, those present did not comply but instead put him in his place good and proper. This is what they have to endure- having to shout “long live whatever”. But does shouting “long live” something actually afford that something a long or eternal life? Things have gone too far now; he ought to leave well alone and look out for himself. If he can save himself from being killed by this nation,

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then he ought to run away secretly. He unduly cancelled his trip abroad thinking that he could control affairs himself266 - supervise the killings personally- only too aware that were he to go away, someone else might replace him. But whether you go or not, you are all washed-up, you poor wretch. And this is of your own doing. We didn’t do it. The nation didn’t do it. You did it yourself; you sowed the seeds. Would this situation ever have arisen if the government was a legitimate government, a legitimate power and a legitimate administration- if it showed sympathy and concern toward the nation and toward Islam? Would such a situation ever have arisen? Would the people have demonstrated against you? No; in no way would this have happened. So you should realize that these affairs and this unanimous and unidirectional demonstrating that you witness against you are of your own making; you yourself have brought all this about. These are disasters and yet glad tidings for us. Glad tidings can be found in all of these affairs: the glad tidings of the nation’s ultimate victory; the glad tidings of the severance of foreign influence, God willing; the glad tidings of the overthrow of this (Pahlavi) dynasty and of their departure from this country or from this world. This is all good news, and people must be strong, optimistic and fearless.

ISLAM THE RELIGION OF OPPOSITION AND RESISTANCE Certain factors are intrinsic to any Islamic revolution. Killing and suffering are integral parts of an Islamic revolution. We are to discover how Islam in fact came about. This religion of Islam, and this Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him and his family, suffered all kinds of calamities while reforming the community. When it became possible to rise up against polytheism, atheism and injustice, what great battles were engaged in by the Holy Prophet, what numerous lives were lost, to what great lengths the Prophet himself went and what wounds he bore. From the advent of Islam, from that day when it was declared that henceforth one must rise up against tyrants, such as these we now face, the Holy Prophet followed a policy of fighting, killing and being killed. He did so for the sake of social reform and in order to sever the hands of these thieves and traitors and to put an end to their lives, for such people are harmful to society. Those members of the tribe of Quraysh, who owned gardens and caravans, were harmful to society; they had to be annihilated. So in fact, in the beginning this was the approach adopted by Islam. By the time it reached you and me however, Islam had become transformed whereby we now do nothing other than study literary works and desist from advising the people to do anything about their situation. God knows how much I lament the state of the theological centers. I feel grief for the theological center of Najaf which is now losing its good name; it is losing its reputation before the Muslims. I truly regret this. A theological center which is one-thousand-or-more years of age is losing its good name. Just take note of how, throughout this whole affair, in all of the statements made, be they from religious, intellectual or academic fronts, no mention is any longer made of Najaf. Najaf is falling into oblivion. O you honorable members of the clergy, come to the rescue of this theological center at Najaf!

266 The Shah had intended to make an official visit to Bulgaria in May of 1978, but the expansion and intensification of the revolution led him to dispense with this plan. Thus, on May 11, 1978, it was announced that the Shah had postponed his official visit to Bulgaria due to his having caught a cold. With tongue-in-cheek, Parviz Raji, the Shah’s last ambassador in London, writes in his book: “Everyone suspected that the germs which had caused this cold had probably come from Qum”!

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QUM THEOLOGICAL CENTER IS ALIVE The theological center of Qum however, is a center which is alive. It gives lives, kills and gives more lives. Presently it is under pressure but nevertheless it is alive; it has risen up in spite of everything. The religious students from Qum have arisen, natives of Qum have arisen, the community of Qum as a whole has arisen. Qum takes the blows but it continues to stand up in confrontation. The religious student of Qum loses members of his family, but he continues to stand up in confrontation. Thus, he is alive. In fact, people believe that Qum is all that they have. Yes, I feel regret for Najaf. I myself belong to the city of Qum but I feel regret for Najaf. I and others like me feel attached to all such centers. We feel attached to a theological center such as this which is over a thousand years of age. Don’t allow this center to be destroyed. Don’t allow this theological center to fall into oblivion.

INSISTENCE ON ORGANIZING THE MOVEMENT Now that the people of Iran have risen up, may God grant them divine guidance, this uprising must be organized; it must not lack organization. There must be links between the theological centers of Qum, Tehran and all other cities. Links are needed; you must give this movement some organization. This movement must not be something dispersed. It must be well organized so that if the people of Qum rise up one day, then the entire nation will rise up with them. Don’t be dispersed. Different fronts must all unite together.267 Some fronts are mistaken in no longer making mention of the clergy, which is in fact the case according to reports which have reached me today from certain clerical figures. These fronts don’t realize. They don’t know that without the clergy they are of no worth. If it is not the case that a dirty hand is involved which has forced these fronts to dissociate themselves from the clergy in whatever they write, and if it is not the intention of these fronts to create differences or divergences between themselves, but rather their actions are due to ignorance, misconception, or selfish motives, then they are to reform themselves and to put themselves right. All of the various fronts must unite. The organization must form an alliance; it must be a religious party which stands in opposition to the Rastakhiz Party.268 Everyone must unite in the Party of God, ‘Hizbullah’.269 Everyone must speak out together. Everyone must rise up together. Everyone must follow a policy of passive resistance together. It is wrong under the present circumstances for each group 267 Both nationalist and religious groups and parties. 268 The Shah had ordered for various parties to be formed such as the Mardom Party, the Milliyin Party and the Iran Novin Party. In 1974 (1353 SH) however, he announced that the Rastakhiz Party was to be regarded as the country’s only legitimate party and he made membership of it obligatory. He demanded that anyone who was opposed to this party should leave Iran! The Rastakhiz Party was established on the basis of three principles: allegiance to the constitutional law; allegiance to the monarchical regime; and allegiance to the Shah-People Revolution. Hoveyda, the Prime Minister of the day, was elected as Secretary General of the Rastakhiz Party and ‘Rastakhiz’ became the focal attraction for those who sought power or influence. No sooner had this party been established than Imam declared its illegality according to religious law. He thus issued a religious decree forbidding anyone to become a member of this party and he argued that to demand compulsory membership was a violation of the Constitution. On the party’s first birthday following its establishment, the regime announced that this party enjoyed a membership of twenty-three million people; the total population of Iran at that time was thirtythree million people! The Shah forbad the party’s members to discuss or hold meetings about oil, the White Revolution, the procurement of arms and equipment, and the country’s foreign policy. Six months after its establishment, high-officials of the American embassy in Iran reported to Washington that this party played no practical role in the politics of Iran. Refer to Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran, p. 257. 269 It refers to Surah al-Ma’idah 5: 56: “Then surely the party of God are they that shall be triumphant”; Surah Mujadilah (The Pleading One), verse 22: “Know that surely the party of God are the successful ones.” Imam Sadiq (pbuh) said: “We and our followers are the party of God and the party of God is victorious.”

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to act independently and to make separate demands for itself. The clergy must be united with these groups, and they with the clergy; those in the universities must be united with you, the clergy, and you must be united with them; those in the bazaar must be united with everyone else; the workers must be united with everyone else. All of you are experiencing the same hardship. All of you are troubled by the same suffering. The suffering among you is a common suffering. We have all been overtaken by a great misfortune. It is not something which pertains exclusively to the clergy, or to the various parties, or to those in the universities. This is not an exclusive matter which involves any one particular group. If they take the country’s oil, it is everyone’s oil that they are taking. If they foolishly bring a load of scrap iron270 into the country, this is something which affects us all; it is a disaster for everybody. Bringing American advisers here is a disaster for us all, and not just for a few of us. If they establish a military base here for America, this is something which affects us all. If they (the regime) betray us, or betray the nation, it is everyone’s concern. Everyone join hands together. It is wrong for everybody to set up his own outfit. Looking out for oneself is wrong; it means defeat. Organization must be given to this uprising, to this movement which is already under way. Those who lead the people, those who are judicious among the people, they must give this movement organization. That is to say links must be established between all of the various fronts. There must be links between all of the small provinces. Meetings held in these different provinces must be held on the same day. Links must be established like those that I previously sought to establish in Qum but which they prevented from materializing, may God guide them on the straight path. My intention had been for meetings to be held throughout Iran on a specific day, so that, for example, on a Friday or Saturday evening a meeting of learned people would be held in Tehran, and the same in Khorasan, and in such-and-such a village and such-and-such a place. This is what I mean when I talk of organizing the movement. But they prevented it. They didn’t understand.271 Now it is time to wake up gentlemen; it is time to be vigilant. Your adversary remains formidable. He has now brought knives to the fight; he has now introduced tanks and guns into the contest. But you are not to be afraid of these guns; guns are nothing. You are on the side of Truth. You are in the right and Almighty God is with you. Organize this movement which has now emerged in Iran. You must liaise with each other. The honorable clergy must liaise with all other fronts and all other fronts with the honorable clergy. The entire nation must cohere together. Leaders of the people must hold meetings together at a given time, so that if one day an announcement is made from a certain quarter, then all leaders would speak out in unison; all Iranian citizens would act in unison.

270 Guns and military equipment. 271 In 1964 [1343 SH], just after his release from prison and subsequent to the events which took place in 1962, Imam Khomeini proposed that weekly meetings should be held by the clergy nationwide on a specific day in order to analyze political issues and review interrelations between the theological centers. However, because of a lack of foresight on the part of the maraji’ and the ulama toward the positive outcome which could have been achieved from acting upon this proposal, and due to a lack of support, and even in certain cases, a show of opposition by these members of the clergy, by and large this constructive proposal was not heeded; and when Imam went into exile it was totally forgotten.

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GLAD TIDINGS OF VICTORY I give all of those fronts which have risen up for the sake of Islam and for the sake of establishing the truth, the glad tidings that, God willing, ‘Inna’s-subha laqarib’ is near.272 God willing, you will triumph, but only on condition that heterogeneous elements are not involved, and that selfish desires- snatching this for oneself and snatching that for oneself- do not intrude. We are all each other’s brothers. I am a mere religious student (talaba), you are an honorable clergyman, he is a merchant, he is from the university, he is a doctor, he is an engineer, he is an intellectual- we are all suffering from one and the same misfortune; we all have to sit down and grieve together. May God grant success to all of the opposition fronts. May He bestow good health on us all [Amen]. I pray to God that He foreshorten the arms of foreigners from this Islamic country [Amen]. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

26th Speech Date: May 31, 1978/Khordad 10, 1357 SH/Jamadi al-Thani 23, 1397 AH Place: Shaykh Ansari Mosque, Najaf, Iraq Subject: Religious duty; to rise up against the Shah Occasion: The arrival of the anniversary of the bloody uprising of Khordad 15, 1342 SH Addressees: Religious students, clergy and a group of Iranian residents in Iraq I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, t he Compassionate, the Merciful Iran is an exemplary country; and I think it unlikely that another country like Iran or another nation like the oppressed nation of Iran can be found to exist among all countries of the world, or that there are many examples of such a country even ever having existed at all. It is recorded in history how Genghis (Khan), despite his savage and barbaric temperament and all the bloodshed that he caused, governed according to a system of law which was known by others as ‘the great code of laws’273 - a code which neither Genghis nor any other Mongol ever violated. Some have even suggested that the respect held by the Mongols for their law was like that held by the Muslims for the Qur’an at the advent of Islam; for the Mongols to violate their law meant death. So we see that even a people like the Mongols and a man such as Genghis abided by some kind of law. But let us now see, in this present day and age in which we live, which law can this regime of Iran, this Shah of Iran be said to abide by? Is there any law at all governing Iran? Does any law actually command respect? Does this regime and those who run it hold respect for the various social sectors 272 This refers to Qur’an, Surah Hud 11: 81: “Is not the morning nigh?” 273 “The code of laws” was a set of laws devised by Genghis Khan which were implemented in his name by Mongolian kings. According to this set of laws, offences such as adultery, theft, pederasty, bearing false witness, and witchcraft, called for the death penalty. Those offences which were severely punishable were the showing of disrespect towards parents; exhibiting ascendancy over or disobedience and distrust towards a spouse; and refusing to help the needy. Furthermore, war regulations demanded that the various Mongolian tribes come to each other’s assistance during battle; and each individual soldier was allowed to take those spoils he had obtained from war for himself.

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in the country? Let’s consider these questions one by one. Let’s see whether Iran and this regime of hers abides by the law of Islam. They say that throughout the city of Tehran liquor stores outnumber book stores, and that these stores carry on their business in safety and freedom, doing as they please. If one voices objection to this situation then he is denigrated and penalized.

THE REGIME’S DISRESPECT TO ISLAM AND THE CLERGY Which of the laws of Islam is presently enforced in Iran and within its system of government? Much mention is made of oppression in the verses of the Qur’an and in the ordinances of Islam, and the same goes for those who oppress, but all the same can Iran and the Iranian regime be said to be guardians of justice?- of social justice?- of Islamic justice? Are they fooling themselves or are they trying to fool the nation? To what extent do the Shah and his gang value the Qur’an? Does holding respect for the Qur’an mean having it printed and then distributing it to the people in order to fool them274 - like the kind of respect shown by Mu’awiyah when he fixed the Qur’an to the end of a lance pleading that everyone should act according to its teachings? Can such people be said to hold respect for the Qur’an? Do they hold respect for the clergy? Just consider the extent to which Islam has praised and singled out the clergy as people worthy of respect; yet are they actually respected and held in high regard by these people? Do they respect the maraji’ of Islam? Indeed, it was only a few days ago that they stormed the homes of the honorable maraji’, breaking the doors and windows, killing people and brawling. Even now commandos are in the homes of some of these honorable gentlemen. They tell us that commandos are present in these homes in order to monitor the activities of the maraji’. What have the honorable gentlemen done to deserve to be treated with such disrespect? Do they (the Shah and his regime) act in accordance with the constitutional law? Even Genghis acted according to the ‘code of laws’, and so did others like him and the Mongol people themselves. Does this present-day Genghis275, do these Mongols respect the constitutional law? Do their elections comply with legal standards? Do their parliamentary candidates meet stipulated criteria?276 Is their Majlis one which obeys the law?277 Which of their affairs can be said to be remotely in accordance with any law, be they religious laws or secular and constitutional laws? 274 In order to promote his popularity, the Shah would sometimes put on a false show. Thus for example, he would make pilgrimages to the Holy House of God (Ka’bah) and to the shrines of the Immaculate Imams; he held discussions with certain religious figures; he organized mourning ceremonies sponsored by the Imperial Court; he formed the Religious Corps and promoted religious programs on both the television and the radio; and he renovated places of pilgrimage. The printing of the Aryamehr Qur’an was another such act of deception to which he resorted. 275 The Shah. 276 The majority of Majlis representatives were not elected in accordance with legal criteria or via the electoral system, but rather most of them were imposed upon the people. These very representatives were the ones who carried out the Shah’s orders. Members of Parliament would go to Muhammad Reza Pahlavi on specific days to ascertain where the Shah stood on certain issues in order to be sure of which way to vote in the Majlis. Many bills which contravened the constitutional law were in fact passed in Parliament due to the fact that these representatives used to allow the executive council to have a say in those affairs which concerned the legislative council. Refer to Tarikh-e Siyasi-ye Mu’assir-e Iran, vol. 1, p. 121; the article entitled: “Qanun-e Asasi-ye Iran ba’d az Tawallud Teror Shud,” in Kayhan, October 10, 1978/Mehr 18, 1357 SH; and to the interview held with Mazhari, a Majlis representative, in Kayhan, October 9, 1978/Mehr 17, 1357 SH. 277 In a confession printed in the Ittila’at newspaper of October 23, 1978/Aban 1, 1357 SH, Mazhari, a Majlis representative, stated: “The Parliamentary Speaker conducted the entire Majlis proceedings in such a way as to leave no time for questions to be raised and discussed. That is to say that the government, in accordance with the Majlis’s internal regulations, would announce its readiness to answer questions, but the agenda prepared by the Speaker of the Majlis would be so heavy that there would not be enough time to actually raise any questions.

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Do they have any regard for our education system?278 If they do, then why are the schools in Iran either totally or partially closed? And why do the university lecturers suspend their lectures? It is because the government won’t leave the university alone. What have these students done to deserve being deprived of education?279 What kind of respect does this regime show for education? What kind of respect do they afford the army? Those who mistakenly regard the army as a part of their own outfit, just what kind of respect do they afford it? We have an army which serves under American advisers- the latter being granted immunity whilst the former is placed under their command! Why humiliate the army in this way? Do you realize what an affront this is to the Iranian army- how humiliating this is for the army of Iran- for its commanders? Why do these commanders allow themselves to be humiliated so? How come they don’t wake up and see to this man280 sending him to where he belongs? Just what do they hold in respect? What law do they abide by? At least let them abide by a law like that of Genghis when dealing with us; at least let them act according to some kind of principles; let some law come into play somewhere. Anarchy! Iran is currently in a state of anarchy. Arresting people for fear of Khordad anniversary! It even reached the stage where the most well-known Member of Parliament warned that whoever should raise a question in Parliament would not find himself as a parliamentary representative in the future, since it was the regime which made decisions about the government and the political parties.” Abbas Akhbari, another Member of Parliament, said: “On one occasion when a car tax bill was under discussion, Riyazi declared that the bill pertaining to this tax had been ratified, in spite of the fact that only a few representatives had actually cast their votes! When Rastam Raf’ati voiced objection asking how the bill could have been ratified when an insufficient number had voted, he was told: “Don’t come out with wisecracks during an open parliamentary session”! 278 With regard to the damage caused to national and religious education in Iran by the Pahlavi regime, Imam Khomeini, in his religio-political last will and testament writes: “One of the imperialists’ major intrigues concerns taking control of the educational institutions and especially the universities, for a country’s destiny lies in the hands of those who graduate from the universities the plan is to turn the youngsters in universities away from their own culture, customs and values, and to draw them towards the culture, customs and values found in the East and the West. The imperialists plan to select those who are to run the country from among these youngsters, placing the latter in strategic governmental positions. In this way, the imperialists will be at liberty to do whatever they like by means of these hand-picked stooges An example of this are those plans which have regretfully had a great impact on our own dear country as well as on other countries plans which entail the self-alienation of those countries which have been smitten by imperialism, and the resultant infatuation of these countries with both the East and the West. These plans have succeeded to the extent where those smitten countries now see themselves, their culture, and their own capabilities as worthless, whilst regarding the East and the West- the two ‘superpowers’- as a superior race with a superior culture Those nations which have suffered oppression under foreign rule have been held back by the imperialists in all things, whereby they have been turned into consumer societies. And they have made us so afraid of their achievements and their demonic power that we daren’t attempt to our own initiative in anything. We submissively obey their every command, having surrendered whatever we have to them, and having entrusted in their hands both our own and our country’s destinies. This forged intellectual void has led us not to rely on our own ideas and capabilities in any of our affairs; and it has meant that we blindly follow the East and the West. Whatever culture, customs, technology and initiative we may have possessed, have been mockingly referred to as worthless by those writers and broadcasters who themselves lack knowledge and understanding, and who are infatuated with the East and the West; and they have presented and continue to present our way of thought and our national strength as all washed up. Furthermore, they have promoted foreign customs, however trite and disgraceful, by the things they do, say and write and have passed these customs on, and continue to pass them on, to each and every country, making them out to be truly praiseworthy.” 279 As a consequence of the disturbances which occurred in 1977 [1356 SH], the universities were closed as if on strike. During the 1977- 78 academic year, lectures were boycotted by the students. Many universities, such as Tabriz University, Tehran University and Sharif University of Technology (formerly Aryamehr University) announced that they had prematurely ended their academic term. Towards the end of the year, the crisis in the universities became so intense that on May 8, 1978/Urdibehesht 18, 1357 SH, severe clashes broke out between the security guards and students of Tabriz University. At Sharif University of Technology, members of the academic staff came out on strike and likewise, students boycotted lectures in support of their professors. See the article in Kayhan, October 5, 1978/Mehr 13, 1357 SH, entitled: “How calm is maintained in the universities”. 280 The Shah

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Khordad 15 has not yet arrived, but even so, well in advance, well before this day approaches, they are busy making arrests for fear that on Khordad 15 a few people might speak up and voice some kind of objection with regard to the killings which occurred on this day (in 1963) - that they might speak of the crimes that were perpetrated and murders committed on the orders of the Shah himself, the very one who commanded the troops during these killings. They have already arrested a number of people in Tehran. In Qum a large number of religious students have been arrested as well as ordinary people and even youngsters, children. They arrest anyone they come across- or so it is said- and the governor-general’s prisons in Qum are so full of people that there is no room for any more; they’ve become absolutely chock-a-block.

BASELESS CLAIMS What state of affairs is this that we now see in Iran? What kind of freedom is this that His Imperial Majesty has granted us?!281 Indeed, is freedom something to be granted?! To say that it is, is in itself a crime. To say “we granted freedom” itself constitutes a crime. Freedom belongs to the people. The law has given freedom to people. God has given freedom to people. Islam has given freedom. The constitutional law has given freedom to people. What on earth is meant by “we granted” (freedom) ? Who the deuce are you to do the “granting”? What the dickens had it got to do with you anyway? “We granted freedom to the people”!! The granting of freedom means this that we now see; it does not in truth concern freedom at all but instead concerns what we are now witnessing- it is something to fool the people.

AMERICA THE PRIME CRIMINAL, THE SHAH THE SECONDARY ONE The regime, after deliberation, has formed a group from within its own gang which is to write something every now and then to give the impression that there is in fact freedom of the pen; that people are free to write what they wish. Of course there are some honorable people amongst those who write, who come from all different walks of life and who continue to write despite the dangers facing them. A great number of scholars and academics in Qum write about the tragic events which occur here, may God always assist them, and more or less all of the religious students also write reports of these events, which they then sign and publish. Again such writers can also be found within political groups and associations who bravely document what is going on and publish their work, although in so doing, they subject themselves to danger and harassment. Of course amongst these, within these so-called political fronts, there are also those who wish to draw a red herring by diverting attention from the main culprit to these lesser mortals; to those in the government for example. The regime would like nothing more than for the blame to be placed on the government, for anyone to say whatever they like about the government, and for His Imperial Majesty to go unnoticed; for the real culprit to be overlooked. On one occasion when I had intended to speak out, they sent someone to tell me that I was not to speak of the Americans, but that apart from this there would be no objection to my speaking of anyone else, even the Shah. I told them that all of our problems are due to Americans; all of the misery we suffer is America’s doing. Are we to leave the main culprit alone and to turn our attention to the henchmen and stooges instead? Right now in Iran, it is America that is the prime

281 Following the uprising in Tabriz, the Shah, finding himself under tremendous pressure, made the decision to “grant political freedom”; and in an address made in Esfand 1356 SH [February/ March 1978], he said: “We have decided to give people as much individual freedom as possible. It is likely that some may wish to take advantage of this freedom and pull out all the stops, but no matter what they might say, it won’t have the slightest effect on the resolute nation of Iran.”

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culprit while this Shah of ours plays a secondary role. We are now suffering at the hands of this lesser culprit and the rest of those who are involved are not worth considering! Neither does his Prime Minister deserve mention, nor do his ministers and Members of Parliament; none of these are in any way worthy of mention. He himself is not worth talking about either, but we have no choice but to speak of him. The ulama of Iran are now suffering. Indeed, the Iranian people as a whole are presently suffering. They are not allowed to breathe. At present the streets of Iran are swarming with commandos. Two or three days ago, some people told us that commandos are within the homes of the high-ranking clergy, and that they are amongst the people too; and they say that the streets are full of guns and tanks and the like. What has happened? What has this nation done? Has it done anything other than to say let us breathe?

SLUM-DWELLERS IN THE CAPITAL OF ‘GREAT CIVILIZATION’ This Mr. Gateway to a Great Civilization!282 He has not taken a proper look at Tehran and its various districts. Written reports made by certain gentlemen tell of forty-odd districts (in Tehran) in which one finds these slum-dwellers, these tent-dwellers, who either have no home at all, or have made some kind of tent for themselves, or again who have found a hole in the ground and thus live like animals, the poor souls. A great number of districts, forty-odd in all, have been named in the reports. I have the list in front of me right now. This Mr. Great Civilization has not taken a look at this city of Tehran with its forty-odd wretched districts, where they are deprived of whatever civilization has to offer. They have no water or electricity, and there is no trace of such things as tarmacked surfaces; they have absolutely nothing, the poor wretches. They drove these poor souls out of the villages appropriating the land there for themselves; and as a result the villagers came to Tehran. And this is now the state of Tehran, with its forty-odd districts and its slumand tent-dwellers who are living in pain and misery, who are living in a desperate state. The reports state that in order to obtain water, these poor women have to climb a hundred steps or more to where a water tap is situated. Just imagine having to carry a water jug all this distance, and having to descend all these steps, especially during the winter. Imagine how often they must fall down and what pains they must take for the sake of obtaining a drop of water for their children. Can this Mr. Great Civilization see all this from where he is sitting? Is he really unaware of these things or does he turn a blind eye to them? Only three or four days ago, he visited the holy shrine in Mashhad where, as usual, he went through the motions of devout worship. Afterwards he came and spoke of a great civilization before a group of poor people who had been assembled there by the regime’s agents. He spoke of what we will have achieved in a few years’ time, and amongst other remarks made he stated that in the near future Iran’s population will have reached sixty-five million and its oil will have run out.283 Who on earth is exhausting our oil supply? He repeatedly 282 The Shah 283 A report which appears in the Ittila’at on May 29, 1978/Khordad 8, 1357 SH concerning the previous day’s visit by the Shah and Farah, reads: “... Beneath the blessed propylaeum of the holy shrine’s oratory, where the Shah was welcomed by a group of clergymen and ulama, Mr. Nawqani, having given a welcoming address, stated with the utmost deference: “Moreover, the spiritual effects which emanate from Your Royal Highness are also in evidence in other Islamic countries of the world; and everywhere shines alluringly with the august name of Shahanshah! Your Highness King of kings whatever we behold compels us to say: may you continue to reign ever glorious, for now is but the dawn.” In response to Mr. Nawqani, 7ryamehr, the Shahanshah, made the following comments: “You are all aware of my own personal faith in the true religion of Islam and of the way in which I run a country. Twenty years from now, the time will have come when this nation’s population will have more or less reached its peak- that is to say, it will have reached sixty-five million people- and that is also the time when our oil will have run dry.”

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says that there is no oil. But there is oil and it is you who is sucking our oil supply dry. You are pumping oil down the throats of America and other countries. It is not that there is no oil. We have many oil reserves, but you are using them up such that in a few years’ time they will run dry and people will be left in despair. After this he intends to use solar energy! Why, for goodness sake what on earth are you talking about? Be ashamed of yourself! You want to use solar energy?! Will we have no need for oil later?! Are we to use other sources of energy?! For whom are you saying these things? At least tell them not to say these things over the radio. Let them say these things to the peasants but not over the radio where people and even those in Najaf can hear them, and where those in Europe can hear them and laugh at them. I now have in my possession the names and particulars of the forty-odd districts of Tehran which they listed and brought to me- Tehran, a city which stretches all the way from Hazrat Abdul-Azim (in the south) to Shemiran (in the north). Such far-off districts as these are all a part of Tehran. And there are places which are even worse than Tehran. Certain gentlemen, certain honorable merchants who came to see me, spoke of a place other than Tehran saying: “Permit us to add something to the charitable tax which is demanded of us by Islam, and to use this money to make a water tank for these poor souls whose wives have to travel a distance of six kilometers- I believe that was the distance quoted if my memory serves me right- to find water to bring back for their children and families to drink”; and I accordingly gave them permission. Whether they have now made the water tank or not, I don’t know. It is the same in every district. Don’t imagine that group of people who are loyal to the regime and who lead a prosperous life are typical. When certain people who know no better see the kind of lives these people have, they think that Iran is a prosperous country, and that everyone is fortunate enough to own a car, a garden and so on. The people who own these kinds of things are in fact the very members of his (the Shah’s) own gang; they are the very plunderers who are fleecing the people. Can the ordinary people ever hope to enjoy a life like theirs? Go and take a look at the slumdwellers. Go and look at the tent-dwellers. Go and look at the south of the city. Such deprivation can even be found in the north of the city too. Eisenhower Street is another of the places where slum- and tentdwellers can be found.284 Go and take a look at these people and then talk of progress made and of how we are about to reach the gateway to a great civilization- for which occasion we are in fact about to hold a commemorative celebration!

NATIONALIZATION AS COVER UP IN STEALING THE COUNTRY’S RESOURCES That is how things stand on one front, with regard to the slum-dwellers and the down-and-outs in Iran. On the other front however, the regime has handed wherever and whatever is of value over to large American, Zionist or British companies; and they have done so in the name of nationalization. They have handed over our forests, pastures, water sources, rivers, subterranean waters and so on. I have a copy of a report which explains how these grazing pastures had been such that during a visit to Iran by the Queen of England’s husband, the latter, after merely seeing the Arjan Plain285, had remarked that this was the finest place in the world, the best pasturage for the farming of any kind of livestock. Yet they nationalized this land and

284 Today’s Azadi Street. 285 The Arjan Plain is a vast plain situated in the rural outskirts of the small province of Kazerun. Embraced by a mountainous range, it is the repository of the water of numerous streams which runs into it from all sides via waterfalls, forming a lake of clear water in its centre. The lush, verdant land of Iran, like that in Kazer1n, was given over to the British to do with as they pleased.

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afterwards gave it to the British. And now, according to the written report given to me, the Queen of England along with some of the British plutocracy and British companies, are doing something or other with the animal husbandry carried out on these pastures in order to produce meat. Now whether they are producing meat for export abroad, or whether they also intend to give a little of it to us, only God knows. They say that the ‘Umran Plain286, situated on the outskirts of Qazvin, is the best place for cultivation. They have forced the people there to migrate elsewhere and have handed this land over to the Jews, the Zionists. Yes, they have given it to the Jews who are now using it to their own ends, American and Zionist companies reaping the benefits. These pieces of land which are second to none are now theirs to farm and cultivate whilst this poor, downtrodden nation still goes hungry. This nation remains in a wretched state and is at a loss as to what it should do about it. This is our ‘great civilization’ for you!! People haven’t got bread to eat but the gentleman (the Shah) speaks of civilization! He speaks of our enjoying a great civilization; of wanting to take us to a great civilization! The Mughan Plain287 is yet another of the plains which they have nationalized. Its people have been driven away and its farmers ruined. And again they have handed this over to yet another group of foreigners. Similarly, the Dez Dam288, which cost seven hundred million to build and on which they spent one billion two hundred million dollars- or perhaps tumans, I can’t remember- in order to build a canal system which would feed water into the dam: this too is another gift which has been graciously presented to His Imperial Majesty and his gang. One hundred and fifty villages have been brought to ruin. They have destroyed these villages and have nationalized the land there, which ought in fact to mean that this land is for the whole nation, but instead it is owned by His Imperial Majesty and his gang only. These are the things which have been documented and spoken of and which can be verified by witnesses.

KHORDAD 15 MUST BE KEPT ALIVE This is the kind of life we have and this is the kind of great civilization we enjoy where our youngsters are arrested and detained before the arrival of Khordad 15. I doubt whether even the law of the jungle is like this. Indeed, the Mongols were not, for they at least had their ‘code of laws’; they at least had a law by which to abide. But in Iran, according to which law is so-and-so to be arrested? According to which law must so-and-so be killed? Which procedure must be followed and according to which law? As for you (the Shah), you kill people and illegally enter the homes of the ulama of Islam. Should someone speak up proclaiming the people’s innocence, he is beaten and killed by some reprobate or other; and there is no one to speak out and ask why!

286 Situated in the north of the Bu’in Zahra region, the ‘Umran Plain (Qazvin Plain) is one of the extremely fertile plains of the Zanjan province. The Shah agreed to give this plain over to Israel where it could establish modern agricultural organizations. See Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar, p. 495. 287 The Mughan Plain, one hundred thousand hectares in area, is situated alongside the Aras River in the province of Azerbaijan. This vast, flat plain is one of the most favorable grazing pastures on which to raise cattle. Mughani sheep, one of the best and purest breeds of sheep, are bred by the Shahsavan tribe who take their flock to the Mughan plain to graze during the winter season. See Jugrafiya-ye Mufassal-e Iran, vol. 3. 288 The Dez Dam was constructed on the River Dez, fifteen kilometers north of Dezful, and was put into operation from the year 1962 [1341 SH]. Ibid., vol. 3, p. 218.

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It is unlikely that history has ever before witnessed such events as the crimes committed by that man (the Shah) on Khordad 15; and if it has then they have been very rare cases. They just mowed down innocent people at random. Those who were witnesses to this said that these military trucks just kept coming; these armored vehicles just kept mowing the people down, leaving them lying in the streets. The regime won’t allow anyone to make the slightest murmur with regard to Khordad 15; but the nation of Iran must not allow Khordad 15 to fade from their memory. Khordad 15 must be kept alive.289 This event constitutes a crime whose imprint must not be allowed to fade away. Now, thanks be to God, they themselves are causing this day to become revitalized to a certain extent because these preventative measures and these arrests and other such steps taken by them, infuse Khordad 15 with a new life and vitality. The nation of Iran must not allow Khordad 15 to fade from their memory, nor must they allow any of the crimes which have been committed subsequent to Khordad 15, or those committed prior to it by the Shah’s father, to be forgotten. These crimes must serve as a portrait of what went on during the Pahlavi reign so that there is no chance of any misconceptions occurring, and so that it is well understood that these affairs were the doing of the heads of the Pahlavi family. People must preserve the memory of Khordad 15. If possible they are to do so by raising a hue and cry, creating uproar and holding demonstrations; if not, then they are to do so by passive resistance and by staging sit-ins in their homes. If the regime’s forces are seen to make a savage wolf-like attack against the people during demonstrations with the intention of arresting the youngsters, then the people are to remain in their homes. Let them show the abhorrence they feel towards this regime and this person (the Shah) by remaining in their homes by way of protest. If possible then, they are to hold demonstrations; but whatever happens this day must not be forgotten; it must stay alive and, God willing, so it shall. At the same time, it is important for all of the various groups, whichever groups are in the country, to consult each other, be it the scholastic and clerical front or the military and merchant fronts; the academic and university fronts, or the nomads and those who live in shacks- all of these fronts must consult each other and take each other into account.

UNITY A RELIGIOUS DUTY Furthermore, the leaders of the various groups must liaise with each other; they are not to go their own way. Now is not the time for you to act in isolation. If you lack solidarity then not only will your lot remain as it is now, but it will become even worse. It is a bounden duty, a sacred duty, for you to be united. The senior members of these fronts must establish secret links with each other. These links must not be open but rather must remain underground. But in any case, these members must liaise with each other so that should they decide to make some kind of statement, then they all do so together; should they decide to stage an attack, then they all do so together; should they decide to remain silent, then they all do so together. They must act in unison and not in isolation. It is wrong for one person to want to form a party, whilst another wants to form whatever else. We must all unite as one. Muslims must all form a corporate body. If the Muslims were as one then no one could stand up to such a multitude of people; there isn’t a damned thing they could do about it. Not only these here, but large powerful countries wouldn’t be able to do a damned thing either if

289 Imam Khomeini, in an address delivered in 1979 [1358 SH] in commemoration of Khordad 15, said that he regarded Khordad 15 of 1963 as the day when the Islamic Revolution got underway; and he declared each subsequent anniversary of Khordad 15 to be a day of public mourning.

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the Muslims were to unite. However, the regime sows discord between the various fronts and we mistakenly believe this discord to be genuine. But we must stop being taken in so easily. We must stop believing in their ostensible propriety. We must consider what Hazrat Reza (as) would say to this person, who, in a sham of piety visits Mashhad once or twice a year and stands before the tomb of the Hazrat . God knows that if the Hazrat were alive he would not allow him to enter his shrine. How could Hazrat Reza possibly permit a libertine debauchee to enter his shrine? However, the Hazrat is not here with us now. They bring some akhund or other to eulogize, depicting him (the Shah) in glowing terms and declaring the sincere love and devotion felt towards him by the people. Yet just look what he has been up to elsewhere! Just look at the things he has said! There must be a liaison between you, your activities being undertaken in an organized way via an interrelated network and based upon certain criteria. Muslims must act according to a program. The various parties must join together. It must not be a case of every party for itself. They must point out who the murderer is, if possible directly, if not then indirectly, and if this too is not possible then at least they are not to pin the crime on someone else. To relate these crimes to anyone but the Shah is in itself a crime. Supposing you were to say: “The government has done such-and-such a thing”, what is the government anyway other than the Shah’s mouthpiece? Or again supposing you were to say: “The police have done such-and-such a thing”, what is the police force anyway other than a tool at the Shah’s disposal. It was only yesterday that certain clergymen told me of how seventeen of these officers- or maybe they were both officers and some other kind of functionaries- had been brought to Qum to commit some kind of felony. All seventeen of them have gone into hiding taking their weapons with them; and according to the aforementioned clergymen, this search which is being conducted in Qum and this comprehensive inspection which has been carried out, have in fact been in order to trace these arms which the officers have taken along with them. This is the present state in which our army finds itself. Do you think that the army is fond of these peoplepeople who have handed over control of the entire army to a few Americans, a few American advisers in whose hands the whole world lies and as a result of which those in the army receive harsh and unfair treatment? Are those in the army fond of these people? This could only be the case if these servicemen had no sense of honor; for there is no way that anyone with a sense of honor could feel kindly towards them. As with the other fronts, those in the army must not remain silent either. They too must liaise with others.

CLOSED IS THE PATH OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE SHAH AND THE NATION There must be links between the various parties and those in the army, and between the latter and the clergy. Everyone must liaise together and mark out a course to bring about this person’s downfall. The Muslim people and the nation of Iran will not become reconciled with this person. If someone should speak of reconciliation, know that he is a traitor. There can be no reconciliation with him. The door to reconciliation is now closed. How could there possibly be reconciliation? Which doors have they left open for him that would make reconciliation possible? Can one still talk of reconciliation after all those youngsters of ours have been killed? Can one still talk of reconciliation in spite of all that profanity towards that which we hold sacred? Forget it! There is no way that we could consider reconciliation. The claim that the clergy spoke of reconciliation is but a lie. No one is prepared to consider reconciliation with this regime.

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It is preposterous to imagine such a thing. How could this nation possibly become reconciled with a person who has thrown away everything it ever had, including its honor and whatever it had of spiritual or material worth? A prominent diplomat was right when he said that Muslims, Iranians, can choose one of two options: either freedom, or permitting him to remain.290 They must either choose to allow him to stay, and therefore remain in a state of suppression for ever more, or they must opt for freedom and therefore get rid of him. And since they are sure to opt for freedom, then they are sure to get rid of him, God willing. Indeed, it is a solemn duty for us all: a solemn duty, a sacred duty. A nation has been and is still being divested of all it possesses, yet striving to ameliorate the affairs of the Muslims is amongst the most pressing of religious obligations. You must pay due attention to this ordinance, otherwise wa illah fa laysa bi Muslim.291 This is one of the commands which applies to us all. We are all obliged to ensure the continued existence of Islam in Iran. This person neither favors Islam, nor the Qur’an, nor Hazrat Reza (as). Someone who inclines towards Islam does not act with such impertinence towards it. It is the duty of us all to rise up against this person, be it by the written word, by word of mouth, or, whenever the situation demands, by armed revolt. When that time comes, I will be the first to shoulder arms. But whilst armed revolt is not possible we shall revolt by speaking out.

PLOT TO DESTROY AGRICULTURE After causing us to lose all our prestige and after bringing about the destruction of our pastures, reports state that almost forty thousand aqueducts have dried up in Iran due to their having closed the dams or whatever it is they have done. Naturally, when the aqueducts dry up, the land cannot be cultivated; and when the people there cannot cultivate the land they migrate to Tehran or some other city, where they fall into a state of poverty and misery. This constitutes a deliberate measure to move people to the cities in order to ensure that no insurgence breaks out in the villages where it is difficult to keep the people in check. Anyone with the slightest political awareness can tell that the idea is to force the villagers to migrate- those who live in mountainous regions, such as the Bakhtiaris, or the Baluchis, who are to be found in both mountainous and desert regions- they want such people to migrate to the cities where they can be controlled and monitored more easily. That is to say that should these people ever be about to voice opposition to the regime then they could be brought under control by deploying guns and tanks against them. If these people were in the highlands however, it would be impossible to bridle them there. But the time will come when people from all sectors of society will rise up in opposition to the regime, and this uprising will then spread throughout the country. So far we have dealt with one aspect, but there is another aspect which concerns

290 It refers to Mahdi Bazargan. In reply to a question posed during an interview with a reporter for Belgian television asking whether the current practices of the regime could coexist with freedom, Mr. Bazargan replied: “No! One of these two must be sacrificed for the sake of the other. Iran will not taste freedom while His Imperial Majesty remains in this country.” Refer to Tarikh-e Siyasi-ye Mu’assir-e Iran, vol. 9, p. 229. It must be pointed out that Mr. Bazargan’s demand for the Shah’s dethronement and the toppling of the monarchy, did not carry the same resolve and immediacy as that made by Imam. In an interview with Hamid Algar, Mr. Bazargan confessed that he and his sympathizers (both among the clergy and elsewhere) felt it unwise for the Shah to be dethroned straight away. Refer to Khat-e Sazesh, p. 102, and read the introductions to those speeches delivered by Imam in Paris. 291 In relating a tradition of the Holy Prophet (s), Imam al-Sadiq (as) said: “He who arises in the morning and gives no thought to the affairs of the Muslims is not a Muslim. And he who does not respond when he hears the cries of a man pleading for assistance from the Muslims, is not a Muslim.” Usul alKafi, Chapter “Al-IhtImam bi Umur al-Muslimin.”

SECTION 2: Speeches in Najaf, Iraq

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profit-seeking: their handing everything over to the plunderers in both the East and the West- everything, whatever there is to give.

EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLES OF CRIMES AND LOOTING OF THE COUNTRY Iran has never before experienced the situation in which it finds itself today. That is, there may have been crimes, murders and the like in the past, but you cannot find another time when Iran’s resources have been given away to such an extent. You can go back to foregone eras and work your way as far back in history as you like, but you will not find a time when all of the good pastures in Iran had been given over to outsiders and foreign companies as they now have. All of our fisheries, all of Iran’s fisheries in both the north and the south, have been taken from the people and are being run by foreign companies. The report states that seven thousand people were killed in the north of Iran before the government was able to ‘nationalize’- to use its own words- the fisheries, which it then appropriated and handed over to giant companies.292 Just consider our oil, our fishing industry and fisheries, our pastures, our bountiful forests. People were under the impression that the forests had been nationalized, that is, that the forests were now for the benefit of the nation! But this is mere rhetoric. “Nationalization” is like that gateway to civilization that he (the Shah) talks about; these also being mere words which the regime comes out with, but which bear no truth. They have given some of those splendid forests, with their fine-quality wood, to a Romanian company; and the latter is now enjoying the returns on them.

SHAH’S CLAIM OF “SAVING IRAN” He had said in a speech that at one time, some years ago, Iran had been divided into two regions: one belonging to Russia and the other belonging to Britain, and that he had done this and that to free the country. Well, it’s really beyond me how he hasn’t got more sense than to say such things! Or maybe he does know better but he is trying to fool a certain few. If this is the case however, why does he say these things over the radio? “We rescued Iran from its divided state”! Very well, so how exactly did you rescue Iran- you, whose pastures are in part serving to feed the English lady293 and her gang, in part the Americans and Zionists, and in part yourself and your offspring? What kind of “nationalization” Do you call this?! What kind of rescue is this which entails us handing over all our national resources to them and being their servants again? Is our nation to serve others and to surrender whatever resources it may have to them, be they physical or intellectual “We rescued Iran”! In what way did you rescue Iran? You have given Iran and all it has away to others; you have completely ruined the education in Iran. Nowadays, if we need the

292 In order to secure exclusive fishing rights and to be able to assure the safety of profits made by foreign caviar-producing companies, the regime had set up a security guard called The Fisheries’ Coastguard. This guard had its own information network and was given a free hand to kill poachers. As a result trouble would sometimes arise between the coastguards and those local fishermen who had no choice but to turn to poaching to earn a living. On one particular night, coastguards fired at a number of fishermen, who, along with their wives and children, were sailing out to sea in the north of Iran to cast their fishing nets. A large number of these people were killed as a result. SAVAK even prohibited the survivors of this incident from holding a mourning ceremony for those killed. See Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar, p. 56l. 293 The Queen of England, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (1926 – 8 September 2022) also known as Elizabeth II. The expenses of her monarchy and her lavish funeral ceremony were paid by the taxes collected from the citizens of England. Recent eruption of public protests against monarchial system of government in England show general discontent of citizens of England against so-called democracy that is under tight control of Queens, Kings and the Royal Family.

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services of a physician, we have to go to England. Every few days someone heads for England for medical treatment. But if we had doctors of our own then why would we need to go to England? The universitiesthese too have been destroyed by you. We no longer have universities. On the face of it there are universities, but you won’t even allow this semblance of a university system to go unthreatened. What are the poor university students and professors to do about these monstrosities (the Shah and his regime) ? Whatever Iran stands for has now become a mockery. This person has destroyed whatever dignity Iran had, and has made a mockery of it. He has given whatever is of any use to giant companies, he and his select circle of followers having permission to feed from the small shares apportioned to them. As for those poor souls who once lived in the villages, and whom they claim to have transformed into farmers, they have been forced to migrate to the cities. The tent- and slum-dwellers now living on the outskirts of Tehran were those very same farmers, poor souls, who used to raise cattle and supply the country of Iran with wool, oil, meat etc. Now, all of them have been lost. Whatever we need has to come from abroad. Meat has to come from abroad. Wheat has to come from abroad. He has completely destroyed our agriculture. He has destroyed our education system. He has destroyed our army; our army’s honor. And he means to destroy our religious establishment, but, God willing, he will not succeed in this.

UNITY OF EXPRESSION IN OUSTING THE SHAH The immediate duty of all Muslims now must be to speak with one voice, and that which must be pronounced by them before all other unanimous statements made is: “Let us get rid of him first, then we can sort ourselves out afterwards”. And should anyone fail in this duty, then he has betrayed Islam. If you should read anything written by some party that suggests we are demanding nothing more than the implementation of the constitutional law, then this is as good as saying that he (the Shah) must remain, and this therefore constitutes perfidy. As for those who call for an observance of the constitutional law and human rights,294 they must press for a constitutional law from which those articles included therein by force have been expunged. I myself witnessed how these articles which sanction the present evil monarchy were introduced at bayonet-point- that is, at the point of Reza Khan’s bayonet. It is not the case that people had a say in this or were involved in any way the people had no say in the matter. These undertakings were accomplished at bayonet-point. These are articles which are unacceptable to the people of this country. Hence, these articles which have given legal sanction to this regime must be done away with. We too have no qualms with a constitutional law which has been amended via supplementary constitutional laws, but it must be an amended Constitution. You must be aware that he who advocates constitutional law without stipulating that it is to be an amended Constitution- or even if he does make such a stipulation but he does so in ambiguous terms- is either following a misguided path or does not appreciate the situation. Now that I have clarified the situation however, there is no longer any excuse for him not to understand the situation.295 294 Those in favor of the constitutional law included the majority of hardline politicians in the National Front; the senior members of the Freedom Movement; all of the groups, parties and societies which eventually broke their long-held silence during the last year of the Shah’s regime; the moderate clergy front; and others such as Mr. Shariatmadari. 295 Mr. Sayyid Kazim Shariatmadari (1906 -1986 AD) was an ex-Iranian Ayatullah who was defrocked from his position as marja’ and mujtahid in 1982. In April 1982, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh (ex-Foreign Minister after Revolution) with the help of few military officers conspired with Shariatmadari to bomb Imam Khomeini's home and overthrow the Islamic government. Ghotbzadeh was executed and Shariatmadari

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THE NEED FOR LINKS BETWEEN THE ULAMA AND THE PARTIES IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AN ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT We all have a duty to liaise with each other. There must be links between ourselves and those abroad; between active groups at home and active groups abroad; between the ulama of Islam and other ulama; between eminent religious figures in major Islamic centers and the ulama in the provinces; and between the ulama of Islam and the various parties. Now is not the time for parties to act in isolation, nor for the ulama to act in isolation. A party cannot achieve anything in isolation; and as for the ulama, they too need the various parties to be involved in affairs. It is up to these two communities to bring Muslims together. They are to ensure that Muslims in Iran enjoy solidarity, and that all groups liaise with each other whilst also having links with high-ranking governmental officials. Relations must be established with those officials in top governmental positions who have not lost their sense of honor and who remain men of integrity. Many such men are still to be found in the governmental sector. There are many such men who are pained by this wretched state of affairs. Relations must be established with these men so that the day will arrive when we are able to rise up, and by so doing get rid of this person, set up an Islamic government, and, God willing, start putting the laws of Islam into practice, for at the moment there is no trace of such laws in Iran. Do divorce proceedings under the present system conform to the laws of Islam? Do the present marriage proceedings conform to the laws of Islam? Do business transactions conform to the laws of Islam? Just what is in accordance with Islam? Does going on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Hazrat Reza (as) make everything alright?! Can an act of hypocrisy put everything right?! Do you think that you can continue to fool the people?! I pray that God may awaken the Iranian people [Amen], and that He may increase their present awareness [Amen]. May He preserve the theological centers [Amen]. May He foreshorten the arms of the foreigners and their agents from this country [Amen], and grant unity to all the Islamic countries [Amen]. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

was defrocked. Shariatmadari favoured the traditional Shiite practice of keeping clerics away from governmental positions and was a critic of Imam Khomeini, denouncing the taking hostage of American diplomats at the US embassy (Den of Spies) in Tehran. He, when enjoyed power and influence as a marja’ al-taqlid, would have been content with the implementation of the statutes contained in the constitutional law of 1906: statutes which gave the clergy a say in those laws ratified in the Majlis. He asked for nothing more than this. For details of this person’s underhand dealings with the Shah’s agents, SAVAK, and foreign elements, and of the acts of sabotage in which he engaged during the most critical stage of the Muslims’ struggle in Iran, refer to “Shariatmadari dar Dadgah-ye Tarikh,” in Daftar-e Asnad-e Inqilab-e Islami [“The Documentary Registrar of the Islamic Revolution”], 1982 [1361 SH].

SECTION 3

Imam Khomeini’s Speeches at his residence in exile at Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France These speeches were delivered at Imam Khomeini’s rented home in the village of Neauphlele-Chateau in the suburbs of Paris after he was exiled from Iraq to France in early October, 1978. Interestingly most of his speeches, totaling 64, were delivered during the short period of his stay (nearly 4 months) in France until February 1, 1979 when he left for Tehran.

27th Speech Date: October 9, 1978/Mehr 17, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 6, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Monarchial regime the source of all corruptions; glad tidings of victory Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents in France and other countries In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful From what some have said, it seems that a number of gentlemen had come to see me when I was not here, and that they kicked up a fuss somewhat, believing that this must be someone’s doing.1 However, this had not been the case. My present state of health does not permit me to remain here for any length of time, and because of this, a place on the city’s outskirts has been found for me where I will be able to rest. I came today because I heard that some gentlemen were going to come here to visit me and I wanted to be here to receive them.2 I am not used to formalities such as having someone act as mediator, a curtain, between myself and another person for example. This is contrary to the civility taught in Islam. Health permitting, I am at the service of all the honorable gentlemen; but there comes a time when one’s strength is taken from one. Fortunately you are all young but (God willing) should you reach old age then you will realize that an old person does not enjoy the same state of health as do young people. I have now reached the final stages of my life but I pray that I, along with you all, will be able to serve Islam; that we can serve the Muslims and our homeland.

“IRANIAN REVOLUTION” AS GOD’S PLAN Iran is now in a distressed state. It suffers a kind of distress which it has probably never experienced before throughout its entire history. If you take a look at history, you will see that there have been revolutions and other such things in the past, but they were not such that malevolent troops savagely attacked the people on

1

In this regard Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini writes: “Once Imam had gone to Mr. Ghazanfarpur’s house in Paris, it was decided that a home should be found for him. Mr. Bani Sadr said: ‘A friend by the name of Mr. Asgari has a house on the outskirts of Paris which I suggest we should look at. ‘ I went with Mr. ‘Asgari and Mr. Bani Sadr to see the house in question which stood fortytwo kilometers outside Paris in Neauphle-le-Chateau. The following day we again went there to survey the area with Imam, who subsequently gave his approval, firstly, because the house lay outside Paris; secondly, because his staying there would not inconvenience the owner, and thirdly because it was sufficiently large in size. Thus, having approved of the house Imam then remained there. The following day news that Imam was staying in Paris spread amongst the students who then made for Mr. Ghazanfarpur’s house; but when they saw that Imam was not there, they thought that Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, Messrs Bani Sadr, Ghazanfarpur and Qutbzadeh must have purposely taken Imam somewhere out of their reach. Word spread among the Iranian people who reacted badly to the news. The next day Imam returned to the home of Mr. Ghazanfarpur in Paris, where he announced that he had moved to Neauphle-le-Chateau. He stated that there was no danger of him being influenced by others and that all were welcome to visit him at his home, but that his age did not permit him to constantly be among his visitors.”

2

Three small houses in Neauphle-le-Chateau were provided for Imam Khomeini and his companions. Imam and his family-members resided in house number one which was an extremely small building. House number two, situated opposite house number one, was used for gatherings, for meetings with Iranian students, and for members of Imam’s staff- congregational and midnight prayers were also performed here by Imam. House number three served as a place in which those students and followers of Imam who had traveled from Paris could rest or sleep. Whoever traveled to Paris to visit Imam was allowed to remain in this latter house for a forty-eight-hour period.

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one front, whilst on the other, the people gave their lives and the lives of their children and stood up in resistance. Iran’s present state is such that wherever one looks one sees signs of a revolution taking placean Iranian revolution; that is. According to what they tell me, it is as if everyone, everywhere in Iran, is now a party to some kind of divine plan: everyone, from infants who have just learned how to talk, to adults, both young and old; from boys and girls to women and elderly ladies and gentlemen. Mankind does not have the power needed to awaken people in this way, whereby members of all social classes and age groups have such unity of purpose. This is something extraordinary, as if it were divinely inspired. It is the will of God, the Blessed and Exalted, that the Iranian nation should stand up in resistance (which, God willing, is indeed what they will do) by means of this movement that they have embarked upon and this unity of expression that they hold.

MONARCHIAL REGIME, THE SOURCE OF ALL CORRUPTIONS As for this degeneration that has come about in Iran, this is something for which the imperialist regime holds full responsibility. Throughout history, from the birth of the Iranian monarchy to the present day, whatever depravity prevailed was brought about by the imperialist regime. This has always been the case, but it has taken different forms depending on the exigency of the time. Each period has demanded a certain approach. The period through which I have lived, but through which I believe none of you honorable gentlemen have, is a period which has been haunted by Reza Khan. During this period the British stagemanaged a coup d’état and brought Reza Khan forward imposing him upon the Iranian people as their ruler.3 He was the one appointed to accomplish the aims of his masters, but in order to succeed in this, he realized that it meant having to silence and crush those sectors of society comprising the intellectuals, the ulama and the religiously devout.4 At the same time, his ability to net any profits also depended upon him taking this course of action, so he set to it, pouring any profits netted into his masters’ pockets. God only knows what miseries we suffered during the time of that father of his (the Shah), and the miseries we are all suffering now during the reign of this son: a son befitting of such a father. There can be no doubt that he is Reza Khan’s son; that is to say, whatever undesirable qualities were to be found in the father, are also to be found in him, with the added quality of him being a hypocrite. Reza Khan was a tyrant, who constantly bullied the people, and the nation at that time did nothing to resist him- or rather they did very little. Of

3

4

During the reign of Ahmad Shah Qajar, a contract known as “The Contract of Wuthuq ad-Dawlah” (the Prime Minister of the day) was concluded between Iran and Britain (1919), according to which Britain was obliged to pay a loan of two million pounds sterling to Iran and was to be responsible for organizing and administering the Iranian army. In effect, this contract rendered Iran a subject of British sovereignty whilst also serving to protect the country from Russia. Ahmad Shah Qajar, for reasons too lengthy to mention here, opposed this contract and thus the British government decided to remove him from their path- a task not too difficult for he was not very popular with the people anyway. Therefore, in 1920 [1299 SH], a coup d’état was staged by Reza Khan Mirpanj which not only resulted in Ahmad Shah’s dethronement, but also paved the way for the overthrow of the Qajar dynasty and the establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty; and indeed, shortly afterwards, it led to Reza Khan being placed on the imperial throne. The reign of Reza Khan was ushered in by repeated acts of intimidation and terrorism. If one of those who sought freedom opposed Reza Khan, he found himself confronted by the bayonet of Reza Khan’s officers. If a newspaper proprietor were to voice objection towards the oppression which prevailed and the illegal offences which were committed, he became the object of Reza Khan’s terror tactics. On numerous occasions Reza Khan was heard to have said: “I shall break the pen of those who oppose me!”; “I shall cut out the tongue of he who voices criticism!”; “I shall smash the teeth of those who oppose me!” During the very first week following the coup, a large number of political activists, intellectuals, clergymen and other people were arrested and sent to prison, such as Sayyid Hasan Mudarris, Shaykh Muhammad Hussayn Yazdi and Shaykh Muhammad Hussayn Estarabadi.

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course there was some resistance at that time, but it was minimal and unlike that which we are now witnessing today. But at least Reza Khan did not falsely adhere to Islam and the Qur’an and the true ordinances of Islam; at least he did not play the hypocrite.5 He was a spearhead who attacked and retreated. At least this much can be said for him, that although he battered the people with the bayonet, he did not kill on the same scale as this one (the Shah) does. Reza Shah was responsible for a massacre in Goharshad Mosque, a massacre which was carried out by a group of wicked people; but this gentleman6 has been responsible for several massacres in the past, and God forbid, should he be granted a respite by God, the Blessed, the Exalted, then he will be responsible for more massacres in the future.

THE SHAH’S PRO-ISLAM’S CLAIM While he has ruined our youth, leading them into corruption, at the same time whenever he gets the chance to speak, like two or three days ago when he spoke in the Majlis, he rants on about how the ordinances of Islam must be protected and so forth.7 But don’t you see you foolish man, it was you who only recently changed the official calendar of Iran, discarding the calendar which was based upon the history of Islam- a history which testifies to a nation’s glorious past- and replacing it with a calendar based upon another form of history; until you were delivered a blow in the mouth that is, after which you dispensed with the newlydecreed calendar.8 Freedom! The man continuously talks of freedom!9 With regard to the Rastakhiz Party, you have repeatedly stated in speeches that everyone is to join it, and that if anyone, through malicious intent, does not join it then you will come down hard on him, beat him and so on; or if not this, then you will provide him with a passport with which to leave the country, for you will have him kicked out.10 Freedom! Where in this country can freedom be said to exist? Do people enjoy freedom of the pen? Do people enjoy freedom of 5

6

It refers to the periods both at the height and towards the end of Reza Khan’s reign. During the time when he was commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces, he would make a public show of his religious faith and would sometimes take part in rawzahkhwanis (i.e. meetings held to commemorate the martyrdom of the Immaculate Imams, during which narrations are recited, often in verse). The Shah.

7

In Mehr 1357 SH [September/ October, 1978], during the opening ceremony of the National Consultative Assembly, the Shah said: “It goes without saying that in our endeavors to fortify the foundations of religious faith, the sublime mores and principles of Islam will always be our greatest source of guidance and inspiration. An outline of the resolutions which are to be passed during the coming year can be clearly defined from our overall objectives and proposed policy Obviously as a Muslim country, one of our prime objectives and aims is to strive for the advancement of the Islamic world and for its ever-increasing development and greatness”! Again, on the occasion of the seventy-third anniversary of constitutional government, he had said: “From the beginning of my childhood, religion and Islam were an integral part of my life. That is to say that I am a devout Muslim. And as the nation’s leader I state with conviction that a society needs to have a spiritual faith, and most essentially it needs to have a religious faith, for it is this which affords order and stability. So I, who have sworn to preserve the Constitution, to defend the country’s frontiers and boundaries, and to safeguard the twelve-Imami religion of Shi’ism, have certain obligations to fulfill- obligations which the people must also fulfill in another way”!

8

In August of 1978, following the tragedy at the Rex Cinema Abadan (August 19, 1978/Mordad 28, 1357 SH), Jamshid Amuzegar’s government was dissolved, and on August 27, 1978, Sharif Imami formed a new Cabinet. On his first day in office, Sharif Imami issued a statement in which he announced a change in the calendar whereby the officially-recognize basis of time calculation in Iran was once more to be in accordance with the solar calendar of Hijrah (calculated from the date of the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (s) from Mecca to Medina) rather than the imperial calendar (calculated from the coronation of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Iranian monarchy). Refer to the Tehran evening newspapers of August 6, 1978 (Mordad 15, 1357 SH- the Shah’s speech to commemorate the seventy-third anniversary of constitutional government), and August 19, 1978 (the press conference held by the Shah to mark the anniversary of the coup of Mordad 28). The Shah had said that whoever does not join the Rastakhiz Party clearly feels indifferent towards Iran!

9

10

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speech? What kind of freedom do they enjoy that he keeps on ranting about people’s freedom? Do they have freedom to observe the ordinances of Islam- the true religion of Islam and its ordinances? What on earth gives you the right to talk of Islam? What qualifies you to continuously rant on about the true religion of Islam. Indeed, you are the one who is causing its destruction.

PERPETUATION OF THE SHAH’S ATROCITIES, PRODUCT OF AMERICA’S SUPPORT This is the situation with which we are all now faced. Our youth in Iran are suffering at the hands of this corrupt regime; they are shedding their blood and losing their lives. Only a few days ago, a large number of our youth were killed in Kermanshah,11 and so too in Kurdistan; and they say the same has also been the case in other parts of the Kurdistan province. And you saw for yourselves what they did a few days ago in Tehran; what they did in Tabriz; what they did in Mashhad. The towns, in which they have conducted wholesale massacres and have gone on the rampage, are too many to enumerate.12 And now he is clinging on to power via military rule.13 If the military, if this God-forsaken America, were to withdraw their 11

12

13

A report carried in the Ittila’at newspaper of October 2, 1978/Mehr 10, 1357 SH, read: “On Sunday, October 1, 1978, over eight thousand people in Bakhtaran took part in demonstrations and rallies. At 4 pm of that day, the demonstrators assembled in Burujerdi Mosque and in the surrounding streets to protest against the house arrest of Imam Khomeini in the holy city of Najaf. At 6 pm this group then set off on a demonstration march while shouting slogans, their intention being to go to Jami’ Mosque. On the way however, they were confronted by government troops who opened fire on the innocent people bringing about a bloody tragedy which left thirty-four people dead or injured. Again, ceremonies held to commemorate the third night following the martyrdom of the aforesaid victims also resulted in fresh clashes breaking out between the people and government troops, in which yet further numbers were killed and wounded”. Newspapers of the day reported the holding of massive demonstrations in the major cities of Iran on August 31, and September 1, 1978/Shahrivar 9- 10, 1357 SH, in which large numbers of people were killed and wounded, and some arrested. Although demonstrations in a few cities were held without incident, according to reports, the majority of demonstrations held throughout the country resulted in scuffles and clashes between troops and demonstrators. The exact number of those killed was never ascertained, but newspapers of the time claimed that the death toll was in the tens. Cities which were affected included Tehran, Miyana, Shahriyar, Kermanshah, Ardebil, Tabriz, Babulsar, Mashhad, Amul, Abadan, Zanjan, Qazvin, Kashan, Shiraz, Hamadan, Kerman, Jahrom, Arak, Ilam, Rafsanjan, and Zahedan and in Tehran, Kerman, Mashhad, Shiraz and Tabriz many were killed, wounded or arrested during demonstrations which took place on Monday, September 4, 1978/Shahrivar 13, 1357 SH. These events led to the bloody event of September 8, 1978/Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH when thousands were left lying in a blood bath at Zhaleh Square. In the wake of this incident, on Wednesday, September 16, 1978, a number of people were killed and injured in Tabriz. On October 1 and 2, large demonstrations were held in a number of major Iranian cities during which violent clashes broke out leaving many killed, wounded or arrested. During these two days, in addition to the aforementioned cities, demonstrations were also to be seen in Zanjan, Ur’miyyah, Bana, Durud, Kashan, Semnan, Kermanshah, Aqlid and Arsanjan in the province of Fars, Dezful, Amul and... in which a number of people were killed and wounded. Isfahan was the first city in which martial law was declared. On Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11, 1978/Mordad 19- 20, 1357 SH, huge demonstrations and marches were staged in this city, which, due to the intervention of government troops, resulted in a vast number of demonstrators being killed and wounded and a number being held in custody. It was following this that on August 11, 1978, martial law was declared in Isfahan. The first statement to be made by the military governor of Isfahan (Major General Reza Naji), announced the imposition of a curfew which prohibited the circulation of people between 8 pm and 6 am, and declared the formation of any kind of social grouping in excess of three people categorically forbidden. The following day, Saturday, August 12, 1978, martial law was also declared in Najafabad. Due to the movement’s expansion and the continued demonstrations, on September 8, 1978/Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH, an official statement was issued which announced that in addition to Isfahan, martial law was also to be declared in Tehran, Qum, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kazerun, Abadan, Ahwaz, Karaj, Qazvin and Jahram. Between 2 pm on Saturday, February 9, 1978, and the morning of Sunday, February 10, the military governor of Tehran issued four different statements numbered 40, 41, 42, and 43. Statement number 40 specified that the hours of curfew were to be from 4. 30 pm until 5 am. However, word immediately spread throughout the city that Imam Khomeini had proclaimed the military governor to be without legitimate authority, and thus people were not to obey these regulations. On hearing this, people began to collect sand and sacks and by building barricades across the streets they in effect broke the imposed curfew. Some of these people carried side arms and were covered by a group of youngsters who were equipped with firearms, and who turned the streets into fields of combat during the hours of the curfew.

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protection of him for ten days, these royal guards of his would devour him. There would be no need for you, the people to do it. If America were to withdraw its support of him, those Royal Court attendants, the very ones who now guard him in the court, would put an end to him. His life is in no way secure. 14

THE SHAH’S TROUBLESOME CONDITION Believe me, you and I are more at ease than he. He is now knee deep in trouble. He has caused misery for the people, but now he is the one who is in such a sorry state that he cannot distinguish between day and night. He probably cannot sleep. Now whenever he speaks he trembles. He can’t put four words together coherently.15 This is the state in which he now finds himself, but at the end of the day, God willing, he will be in a worse state; and as for the Hereafter, things will be even worse still for him.

OUR DUTY OUTSIDE IRAN, ASSISTING THE MOVEMENT So much for the present situation in Iran. However, both we here and others who are presently abroad, we are all duty-bound. It is not a question of us having left Iran and therefore having no obligation towards it. We all have an obligation to fulfill- that is to say that reason, the conscience and religious law all tell us that we have a responsibility to meet. Wherever we may be, it is our duty to help this sacred movement of Iran both collectively and individually; both alone and as a member of a group. It is not good enough to say that although they are shedding blood on the battlefield, we are abroad and cannot therefore be with them. No- we too must engage in combat abroad. We too must all fulfill this obligation to the best of our abilityeach person, however much or to whatever extent he is able- by speaking out, by writing, by demonstrating. We now have a religious duty to perform for the nation of Iran. We are now under a religious obligation to help its people. We are indebted to them, for they are making sacrifices for the sake of Islam and the nation. We too are a part of the nation; we too belong to the nation of Iran. So they have in fact made sacrifices for our sakes, shedding their blood and suffering imprisonment. Just consider how many of our ulama are now in prison; how many of our ulama, our intellectuals, our doctors, our engineers, our students, our merchants, people from all sectors of society, are currently in prison. A number have been killed and a number are prisoners. These self-sacrifices have all been made for the sake of the nation, for the sake of Islam; and we who are Muslims and who are the fellow countrymen of those who have made sacrifices, we who belong to this nation, have a religious duty towards these people. We must do what our religion demands of us. I

14

Such as on April 10, 1965/Farvardin 21, 1344 SH, when one of the guards at Marble Palace fired at the Shah.

15

In his book Mission to Iran, William Sullivan, the last American ambassador to Iran writes: “On the day that I went to see the Shah he seemed to be extremely depressed... throughout the duration of our talks, the Shah was listless, dejected and disturbed, and unlike previous meetings when he had always tried to monopolize the talks, discussing the subjects of interest to him, his only verbal contribution on that day was to give short, confused and overlapping responses which were sometimes incoherent”. A reporter for the journal Der Spiegel, who was on intimate terms with the Shah, held an interview with the latter during the Shah’s final days in Iran. He writes: “The Shah, looking old and worn, with white hair, a haggard face and heavy eyes, managed with difficulty to bring a grim smile to his lips when he said that he was keeping himself going by taking drugs. The Shah said: ‘People are truly ungrateful and unappreciative; they neither have patience nor the ability to reason’.” When the reporter of the journal asks him about his friends, he replies: “Friend? Which friend? My friends left me months ago and went to America and Europe with stolen money. They are now enjoying themselves in the Champs Elysees and in California. My foreign friends have also deserted me. It is as if they have never seen or heard of me before. Whenever they see me they look the other way. I am alone, and have nobody other than a few distant acquaintances who have remained and who themselves have been left alone, without anyone. All those around me did all they could to take care of themselves. Even certain members of my family didn’t have pity on me either- stealing and plundering as much as they could and defaming myself and my poor wife. They ought to be hunted down and given what for!”

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as a theology student (talaba), fulfill my religious duty by writing, holding discourses like the one I am now holding with you, and by making statements and speeches. You, as students, regardless of your subject of study, must also fulfill the religious obligation you have towards these people of Iran- people who have been crushed under the boots of this regime. I pray that the Lord may crush them, and so He shall, God willing. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us all to show our concern for this nation and to do whatever we can for them. Obviously, there is a limit to what we can do, but we are to carry out our religious duty and to serve this nation and its people to the best of our ability.

THE SHAH’S SALE OF THE COUNTRY’S RESOURCES Indeed, besides this religious obligation, we too belong to this nation and we can see how all of our national resources are being given over to America and its comrades. If Muhammad Reza (Shah) were not to give our oil away so generously, then it would not dry up so soon; our reserves would not be exhausted within such a short space of time. But they have put our oil up for sale and are letting it go for a song. They are taking the lot, pocketing whatever there is- the British on the one hand16 and other parties on the other. As for the Americans, they are worse than any of them.17 The Russians too are involved.18 They have all borne

16

Iranian oil reserves were first discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century by the British who were the first to exploit these excessively abundant reserves. During the First World War the fuel used by British warships was changed from coal to oil, and Iranian oil became the most important source of fuel for these ships and constituted one of the reasons which drove the British to occupy Iran at the beginning of the Second World War. 1909 saw the establishment of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and oil extraction in Iran rose rapidly. Not only did the capital investment programs and the operations carried out by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company not result in the development of the Iranian economy and industry, but rather these programs and operations themselves were in part the cause of an economic decline and economic bondage which came about in Iran. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company sold oil to Iran at a higher price than that it sold to Britain, making a five-hundred percent net profit on the oil and oil products it supplied to the consumer. The plunder of Iranian oil during the reign of Reza Khan continued in such a way that within a thirty-nine-year period the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company exported 338 million tons of oil from Iran, paying the Iranian government a total of 118 million pounds, which on average worked out at 7 shillings per ton or 19 cents per barrel. The total amount of capital invested by the British Oil Company in Iran amounted to 21. 6 million pounds, in lieu of which company shareholders received 115 million pounds- a further 175 million pounds going to the British government by way of taxes. A further 400- 500 million pounds of the company’s profits went towards expanding the company’s installations and assets across the globe. Thus, Britain held a massive share of Iran’s oil reserves following the drawing up of a contract by the oil consortium: a consortium which took as much as 13.3 billion barrels of oil from Iran throughout an eighteen-year period!

17

Following the coup d’état of Mordad 28 [August 19], Iran’s oil was left in the hands of the consortium. The main shareholders of the consortium were American and British oil companies which, with each other’s help, took part in the extraction, processing and sale of Iran’s oil. In 1954 (1333 SH), the National Iranian Oil Company was established under the auspices of the consortium. In principle this company was responsible for running the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s administrative affairs and had absolutely nothing to do with the extraction and refinement of oil. The NIOC’s share in oil exports from 1969 until 1973 was 0.3, whereas that of the consortium during the same period was as high as 92 (!) (the remainder belonging to other foreign companies outside the consortium). Iran’s oil revenue in 1975/ 76 reached 17, 441 million dollars, 15, 867 million dollars of which came from oil exported via the consortium. The NIOC received 874 million dollars, 700 million dollars going to other oil company shareholders! A comparison of these figures reveals how the consortium, after nationalization of the oil industry in 1973, had more or less retained its powerful position, while also showing the extent to which America and Britain were busy plundering the oil reserves of Iran. In accordance with the fifteen-year contract which was concluded between Iran and the Soviet Union in 1967, Iran was to export gas to the Soviet Union via a gas pipeline which was to be constructed. The amount of gas piped was to have reached 10 billion cubic meters by 1975 meaning that the amount stipulated in the original contract would have to be doubled annually. The Soviet Union had undertaken to pay Iran a sum of 6 dollars and 6 cents in exchange for every 1,000 cubic meters of gas.

18

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down on this nation and have joined hands in order to keep this good-for-nothing in power so that they can carry on with their plunder.19

CHINESE LEADER’S SUPPORT FOR THE SHAH’S ATROCITIES You all saw how the Chinese Premier, the leader of one billion people, came to Iran to discuss the Chinese people, Communism and the nation of Iran! This villain came to Iran and met with someone who is responsible for several wholesale massacres. He flew over our dead by helicopter. They couldn’t drive him through the streets because people would have raised an uproar; all hell would have been let loose. The villain was aware of all this, it is not as if he was oblivious to it; and what a large body of escorts accompanied him. They flew him over our dead and took him there (to the palace) where he and the Shah shook hands and continued with their program of talks together in the most cheerful of spirits. He, this person, and others like him are deluding the people.20 At the same time, we saw how such a vast number of the Iranian people were killed on Khordad 15, and how afterwards in the Russian press, the Soviet Union expressed its support for the Iranian regime saying that those killed had been a bunch of reactionists or what have you, who had intended to do this and that. And now the Russians express their support for him (the Shah) again as they did then. As for America, well, its position goes without saying.

THE SHAH’S CLAIMS ON SOLAR ENERGY! They (the imperialists) want to take all of our national resources for themselves. And just what is this sorry nation to do once its oil has gone and its assets have been destroyed? God only knows what it is to do. This gentleman (the Shah) says that we must derive energy from the sun! You want to derive energy from the sun when you can’t even light a kerosene lamp? What on earth are you talking about? You only say these things to fool the people. This whole scenario is being set up by them to enable the imperialists to keep this reprobate in power.

“THE SHAH’S SHOULD STAY” MEANS BETRAYAL Within the country too, whoever says that he (the Shah) must remain or that it is better that he remains, does so because he is a traitor, for everyone within the country has seen what this person is doing, what he 19

Carter agreed to an audience with the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, in the White House, addressing whom he said: “Our friendship and alliance with Iran is one of the important bases on which our entire foreign policy depends.” As Carter congratulated the Shah for October 26 (Aban 4- the Shah’s birthday) he again pledged his support for the latter. During the critical days of 7ban 1357 [October/ November 1978], the National Security Council of America held a meeting after which William Sullivan was instructed to inform the Shah that the USA would give him their unlimited and unconditional support throughout the current crisis. Concerning the need to support the Shah, David Owen, the British Foreign Minister said: “True friends are those who think of each other in times of need. I believe we must make a choice, and my view is that we should back the Shahanshah of Iran. The toppling of the regime in Iran means a defeat for the ideals of human rights”! Hua Kuo-feng, the Chinese Premier, demonstrated his support for the Shah by visiting Iran during the final days of the regime, when he officially announced that he supported the Shah. Brezhnev, the Soviet Premier, also declared his country’s support for the Shah and offered his congratulations to the latter for his birthday.

20

On August 29, 1978/Shahrivar 7, 1357 SH, just when the movement was escalating, Hua Kuo-feng, the Chinese Premier, came to Iran by invitation of the Shah on a four-day visit. His stay coincided both with the dissolution of Jamshid Amuzegar’s government and the appointment of Sharif Imami’s government, and with the burning of the Rex Cinema in Abadan. The Shah boastfully sensationalized the fact that great nation states such as China still regarded him as a powerful sovereign and that they had pledged their support for him. Hua Kuo-feng, however, was hopeful that by accepting the Shah’s invitation to come to Iran, he would be able to gain further important concessions from her.

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has done to the people, what he has done with our resources, what he has done with our wealth. God knows what vast amounts of the nation’s wealth have been appropriated by members of this family, whereby abroad they now own villas and real estate and so on and so forth. These have all been paid for by the nation’s wealth.

RUMOR OF COMMUNIST PENETRATION Indeed, I was around when Reza Khan came to power: a mere soldier suddenly appeared on the scene and things led to the stage where now each of his descendants has become billionaires.21 This money belongs to the nation. These family members have shares in every company; they own a part of every established company in Iran.22 And as for oil, the Shah is just giving it to the imperialists ad libitum, retaining a small share which he then gives to them in exchange for ironware23 - something which is of no use to us at all. Yes, these guns are of no use to us but they are to him, for he can use them to beat and kill the people. Our nation can do without such things. A certain amount of the nation’s wealth also goes into the pockets of both the Shah himself and the members of his family, who then spend it on propaganda abroad- heaven knows how much they actually spend in this way. It is said that a budget of one hundred million dollars is spent abroad on propaganda for the regime- and what is propagated?- that it is vital to Iran that this man stays; that if he were to go then Iran would become a communist state.24 21

22

23 24

Reza Khan, who before the coup d’état had been a simple Cossack, became the owner of a vast fortune after having seized power. He founded a commission called “The Royal Estates Bureau”, and instructed it to buy the most coveted regions in the north of the country for him at a low price. He was prepared to commit any crime in order to take possession of the people’s property. At the time of his banishment from Iran his possessions comprised: 44,000 plots of inhabited land; 360 million dollars cash in foreign banks; 68 million tumans in deposit accounts at home; centers such as the silk-weaving factory at Chalus, several rice refineries, cotton-mills, stonemasonries, the textile factory at Ali abad, the hotels of AbAli, Gachsar, Ramsar, Darband in Shemiran, and Ferdowsi; as well as owning the villa complex at Mabarakabad, etc. A British Member of Parliament, who had been a close acquaintance of Reza Khan, wrote: “Reza Khan cleared the Iranian highways of thieves and bandits, and he let the Iranian people know that henceforth only one bandit exists in Iran!” See Zindagi nameh-ye Siyasi-ye Imam Khomeini, p. 88, and The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, p. 111. There was not one major economic organization in Iran- whether in the department of trade or in the areas of agriculture and industryin which the Shah and his family were not shareholders. Through “The Pahlavi Foundation”, “The Imperial Organization”, and “The Social Services”, the Shah was one of the major shareholders of ‘Umran Bank, Iranshahr Bank, Dariush Bank, The Development and Investment Bank of Iran, and Shahryar Bank, while he also held major shares in the Kurush Savings and Mortgage Bank and the Ekbatan Savings and Mortgage Bank. The Shah had substantial investments in companies and organizations such as General Motors of Iran, Iran Metal Industries Co., and Iran Aluminum Co. In addition, he was a major shareholder in companies which were involved in trade, production, industry, and distribution, such as: the Ahwaz Pipe Construction Company; the Bridgestone Company of Iran; Kiyan Tyre Manufacturers; Pars Paper Mills; the Darupakhsh Company; the Fars and Khuzestan Cement Plant; Abyek Cement Plant in Qazvin; Tehran Cement; Western Cement Industries; Tehran Plaster; Iranite; West Tehran Land Construction and Development Organization; Kish Development Organization; Atisaz Company; Eskan Housing Development Company; Karaj Cane Sugar Mill; Pars Sugar Mill; Marvdasht Company; Ahwaz Cane Sugar Mill and Refinery; Dezful Cane Sugar Mill; Shahabad Sugar Mill; Fasa Cane Sugar Mill; Kermanshah Cane Sugar; Luristan Cane Sugar; J3ruft Agriculture and Industry; Iran-America Agriculture and Industry; Ziyaran Meat Production and Packing; Karun Agriculture and Industry; Iran Dam Construction; Iran Sea Water Services; Afset Company and the list goes on. The Shah did not even overlook investments in hotels and restaurants! This unchallenged sovereign pocketed a huge share of the returns made from dozens of restaurants, casinos and night-clubs and from the following hotels: Babulsar; Vanak; Ramsar; Arya Sheraton; Chalus; Gamran; Bandar Abbas; Nowshahr; The Hayt in Khazar; The Hayt in Mashhad; and The Tehran Hilton! Furthermore, each member of the Pahlavi family was also involved more or less to the same extent as the Shah in commercial-business enterprises. For further information refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Vol. 1, p. 216. Guns and military equipment. The Shah and his agents called the revolutionary people of Iran communists! During an interview to mark Mordad 28 [August 19], in reply to a question as to whether a bunch of hooligans and the Islamic Marxists group had been responsible for recent events, the Shah said: “Without question! Islamic Marxists are undoubtedly to blame”! Eight days after the bloody event of September 8, Sharif Imami announced that” Undeniable facts and incontestable circumstantial evidence testify to the fact that the Marxists were the central cause of

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But why on earth should Iran become communist? The nation of Iran is a Muslim nation. The rallying cry of the Iranian people is Islam; the people call for religion. Why should they become communist if the Shah were to go? This continued propaganda campaign of theirs however, is to no avail. It is now said that the regime has recently arranged for a group of people to shout out communist slogans in the university when it reopens, in order for the people to believe that it is now the communists who pose a threat to the regime! But this is not the case at all. These people are members of SAVAK and not communists. The imperialists’ aim to keep him in power even if it means having to resort to every trick in the book; and this is because he serves them better than anyone else could.

IRAN IN THE HANDS OF IRANIANS From the very beginning our argument has been and still is that we have a country of our own which we want to keep for ourselves. We don’t want America to be our guardian. We don’t want all of the nation’s assets to be taken by America, or for the Soviet Union to take them away. We don’t want our gas to be taken by the Soviet Union and our oil to be taken by America. Tell me, is it an open house here where anyone can take whatever he wants!? We don’t want it to be like this. We are a nation in our own right, and whether you like it or not, we want to be the ones who benefit from our own land, from our own water, from our own oil and from our own resources, each of which are in bounteous abundance. Yes, we want to benefit from all of these resources and to drive away those thieves who continually eat them up and take them away. We want to drive this regime out too, and to administer our own country ourselves. We are not in need of a guardian. Whether we run the country badly or we run it well, at least we will have done it ourselves. This is the case we argue. Who has the right to say” No, someone else has to come and control your affairs”? What business is it of theirs? Whether we want to administer the country or are in fact able to do so is beside the point; our demand is that you all get out. As for what would happen once these have gone, once we have driven out these parasites and these gluttons for oil- the ‘superpowers’ being both parasites and gluttons for oil, and this Pahlavi family along with all those who have had dealings with this family over the past fifty years, being the parasites who are benefiting from the wealth of our very own country whilst our youngsters are paying the price with their lives- we argue that were we to drive these out, we would then be able to fully administer this rich nation of ours unaided. It is not that our national budget is inadequate; it is that those who partake of it are many! Paying for those public relations officers both at home and abroad to uphold the Shah’s regime and for others such as these advisers they bring in from abroad, takes a tremendous amount out of the budget. All of these people have poured into this country for our resources which they are now busy plundering and taking away. If we foreshorten the arms of these people, which indeed we shall, God willing, and if the nation which has risen up in revolt foreshortens their arms and drives out the main culprits- if we succeed in this, then we will have enough oil and will achieve autonomy. Who asked you or your agents to come and run our country anyway? Continuation of the movement till the severance of the hands of superpowers from Iran What do

the violence”. Moreover, Dr. ‘Amili, the regime’s Minister for Information and Tourism said: “We are in no doubt that a communist campaign is directing this movement, since the slogans used and procedure followed by those concerned are communist.”

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we want with all of these foreign advisers?!25 They are all here to keep him and his regime in power and to plunder us. They prop him up so that they can plunder. The regime must also be in favor of them plundering the nation otherwise the imperialists would get rid of him (the Shah) and replace him with someone better. It’s not that they are really keen on him, but it is a question of not being able to get rid of him. In any case, they would still have us to contend with no matter who they put in his place. Should they decide to stage a coup and install a military government, then he will have no choice but to kill or to leave.26 And in fact that is just how the situation now stands. He either has to pull the trigger and kill the whole nation, or he has to abdicate. Until the time when America leaves us alone, and these ‘superpowers’ take their hands off our country, our movement shall continue and so shall our slogans and activities; and God willing, we shall eventually triumph.

WORLD’S PUBLIC OPINION FOCUSED ON IRAN Do not be afraid of these ‘superpowers’, gentlemen. If ever we were to go to war with foreign countries we would lose because they would be in a better position than we; we are nothing, whilst they have everything. But there are times when a nation must speak out; when it has something to say- something which makes sense to the entire world. And now what we have to say is that we are a nation in our own right and we do not want foreigners to be in our country, to be in our home: so they must get out. No one can dispute this argument, and if anyone were to dispute it their challenge would inevitably be short-lived anyway for they would have to take on world opinion, which is something no power can challenge. We have now managed to draw the world’s attention towards Iran. Iran is now the centre of everyone’s attention. That is to say everyone is busy researching about Iran; they are probing into it. They do so however, for the purpose of making inroads into the country, although it is true some intentions may in fact be honorable whereby research is conducted which asks questions about the nation’s make-up, and about what has happened there and why. In time, once everyone has become aware that the people of a nation have risen up to demand what is rightly theirs, and not to demand that which belongs to others, then inevitably they will lend their support to this cause. If you join hands together as you have done so far, pushing differences aside and getting on well with each other, if you remain united, then I give you the glad tidings that, God willing, you will pull it off: you will get rid of this regime and the foreigners and the country will become yours.

THE NEED TO RESOLVE PETTY DIFFERENCES There is just one more thing that I would like to say to you Iranian gentlemen who are not in Iran, and that is I sometimes hear of there being some trivial differences, some petty grievances between you- I sometimes 25

26

An American researcher writes: “24,000 Americans were reported to have been working in Iran in July 1976, and even then this figure was rising. Some of these, such as the 1,700 American workforces at the Bell helicopter manufacturing company, worked directly under the supervision of their own American bosses, and had little contact with Iranians. The majority of Americans however, worked with Iranian officers and workers, whether they were employed in military organizations or in technical and administrative sectors; and here the difference in the salaries, fringe benefits, and material comforts enjoyed by the Americans was a cause of Iranian discontent”. A report made by the Foreign Affairs Committee in the American Senate, stated that the number of American residents in Iran was expected to rise from 24,000 in the year of the report (1976), to 50- 60, 000 in the year 1980”. The staging of a military coup and the enforcement of a military government was among the solutions discussed in political circles- a solution which was reached by the Shah’s supporters during the final months of his reign to combat the popular demonstrations and the Islamic Revolution. However, both the Shah’s mistake in imposing a military government under General Azhari, and Imam’s timely warning that “A military government amounts to nothing less than a military coup”, denied this policy a chance of working.

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heard of such things whilst I was in Iran, and I may well have heard of them here too. If this is the case then I believe something is amiss. 27You are all each other’s brothers. Why, and over what do we differ? We must all join hands together to destroy he who is the common enemy. If we are going to be at variance among ourselves he will remain comfortably seated on the throne and our energy and efforts will be wasted. This is yet another of the tricks that they (the imperialists) have always had up their sleeves and that is to create divisions between the different segments of society. They create two parties with two different names, sow discord between the two and thus render the people inert; or, for example, they may build someone up to be the centre of attraction and place him in the spotlight, thus causing the people to become preoccupied as they enter into debates with regard to this person. As a result their energies become dissipated whilst the imperialists sit back and take advantage of the situation. You gentlemen who are currently outside the country must be each other’s brothers. Resolve your differences. If you have seen a brother doing something which troubles you, then you are to approach him in a brotherly manner and tell him that he has done something to upset you. Let the matter be settled. I pray that God, the Blessed and Exalted, grant you all success. May you complete your studies here having attained honorable results and then return to your homeland. And may the time come when our country’s affairs are handled by accomplished, righteous people. And I pray that all of you, all of us, may serve our people, our homeland and Islam. I must also add that my health as it is at present doesn’t permit me to come here every day. Even before speaking to you here today I felt a little tired, but having come here I saw there was no alternative but to speak with the gentlemen present. I must apologize for not having been able to come here sooner. However, let me first of all say that from the time that I first became involved in this struggle I never allowed anyone to interfere in my affairs, including those closest to me. I was independent in whatever I did. I did or didn’t do things as I saw fit and I acted according to my own reason and discretion. Don’t be mistaken in thinking that my coming here must be due to some sort of special relationship between myself and someone else for example, or that there is someone who influences what I do and whose judgment I accept unquestioningly. This is not the case. Don’t take offence for example because I may have gone out somewhere for a welcome rest, believing that this must have been something planned in order for me not to welcome and speak to the gentlemen visitors; for me not to be available for them. I am always available for the gentlemen and the door to my home is open to them all. Whichever of them would like to come to my home is welcome to do so. However, as far as my coming here to stay or my traveling here every day is concerned, I am sorry to say that the state of my health just doesn’t permit me to do these things. I have to return to where I am staying in order to rest and, God willing, to make myself fit enough to be at the service of all of the gentlemen who wish to see me.

27

Due to an absence of governmental pressure, political differences outside the country were far greater than those within it. Disagreements existed between the various groups such as the National Front- to which Bani Sadr paid allegiance- the European branch of the Freedom Movement Abroad, the American branch of the Freedom Movement Abroad, and other religious and non-religious groups. The most serious disagreements however, existed in Europe between Messrs Qutbzadeh, Bani Sadr and Dr. Yazdi. It is to these disagreements that Imam refers here.

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EXTENT OF HIJAB One of the ladies present at the gathering: [With regard to the issue of women’s Islamic covering [hijab], this matter has been bothering those sisters who are living over here. That is to say they would truly like to know whether this form of covering is acceptable or not?] Imam: You mean in the manner that you are now dressed? The lady: [Yes.] Imam: There is no objection to this. If it has no ill effect then there is no objection to this form of covering. You must decide for yourselves whether dressing in this manner has any ill effects or not, or whether it causes an affront to your dignity say, or other such concerns. If your form of covering causes an affront to your dignity then you don’t need anyone else to tell you whether it is correct or not, for you yourselves should know. But if it does not cause an affront then it fulfils the condition required for a woman’s dress to be Islamic: that is all a woman’s Islamic covering amounts to and nothing more. The lady: [Also, in Iran...?] Imam: The situation in Iran today differs from the situation here (in France). There, in Iran, more ill effects may possibly result, so it is not a case of the Islamic covering worn by women in Iran having to be worn here too. The Islamic covering required for women in Iran and that which conforms to Islamic requirements is to the extent that you are now wearing. Islam does not change according to where it is practiced. However, sometimes external factors are involved which have to be taken into consideration- factors which cause ill effects, moral discrepancies and other such things to arise from the use of a certain kind of covering, and when this is the case, women’s Islamic covering must take a different form. However, under different circumstances, this covering can be as simple as it is elsewhere- no, there is no objection to a woman not wearing a chador.28

28th Speech Date: October 11, 1978/Mehr 19, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 8, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Migration to Paris; the Shah’s crimes; objectives of the Revolution Addressees: A group of Iranians residing in Paris In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

EXPLANATION OF MIGRATION FROM IRAQ AND ARRIVAL IN FRANCE Then the head of Iraqi intelligence came to me saying that it was best for me not to incite the people of Iran and not to continue with my activities. He said that Iraq had a certain commitment toward the Iranian government to which I said that they may well have a certain obligation toward the Iranian government,

28 The chador is a traditional form of covering for women constituting a long veil worn over the head which stretches to the ground.

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but that I am under no obligation toward it. I said that we too have certain obligations to fulfill but these are toward Islam and toward our nation, so we shall carry on with what we are doing, and they too are to do whatever they will. Then he said: “But every day you issue statements and send recorded messages and so on. At least scale this down.” I said: “No! I shall continue to issue statements and also to record messages and send them abroad; and should I ascend the pulpit, then I shall speak out. When it comes to these things, I cannot do otherwise.” He then left and things worsened whereby I could tell they were at the end of their tether. Since the head of Intelligence had previously said that for the time being they would leave so-andso alone but that they intended to do some-thing about our friends, I thought that our friends may possibly be harmed by them. Hence, because it makes no difference to me where I actually reside as long as I can continue with my mission, I decided to go to Kuwait from where I could later travel to one of the Islamic countries. Even though we had visas, the Kuwaiti government prevented us from crossing its national frontier and entering the country. They did not even allow us to use their airport from where we could fly elsewhere. We returned to Iraq again. It became clear that those in Iraq also knew what was going on for they were expecting us on our return. The same group of people who had escorted us from Iraq were again standing there waiting for us! Thus, having returned to Iraq they at first took us to Basrah and then, several hours later, to Baghdad. While in Baghdad we made the decision to come here where we could choose some place or other from where to continue our activities. Hence, for the time being we have come to France.29

29

On September 18, 1978/Shahrivar 27, 1357 SH, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq met with Saddam Husayn, the then Iraqi vice-president, and requested the Iraqi government to arrange for stringent restrictions to be placed upon Imam Khomeini’s activities in Najaf. Toward the end of Shahrivar [September] 1978, the Iranian Foreign Minister went to America to attend the general joint assemblies held by the United Nations Organization. Throughout the course of these meetings, he held talks with the Iraqi Foreign Minister on three different occasions, during which he petitioned Iraq to expel Imam. He succeeded in gaining the approval of the American and Israeli Foreign Ministers with regard to the outcome of the discussions he had held, and at the end of the talks stated that steps to expel Imam were already being taken. Once this agreement had been reached, on September 23, 1978/Mehr 1, 1357 SH, Imam’s home in Najaf was surrounded and placed under the surveillance of Iraqi troops, and Imam was asked to desist from giving interviews to news reporters and from delivering speeches and writing statements. However, he paid no attention to the warning given by Iraq. News of Imam’s house arrest in Najaf prompted a wave of protest among the revolutionary Muslims worldwide, and in particular among the Muslim people of Iran who were in the midst of an Islamic movement. Maraji’, ulama, clergymen and political figures both from inside Iran and from abroad objected to the measures which had been taken in Najaf by publishing announcements and sending telegrams to various societies; while bazaar merchants, workers, members of the university and those from other sectors of society went on strike and took to holding protest marches, blaming the Iranian regime for the measures taken by Iraq. As the situation deteriorated, bloody clashes broke out on several occasions between demonstrators and government troops. In the meantime, SAVAK, in an effort to deceive the people, announced that there was no truth in the claim that Imam’s movements had been restricted or that he was under house arrest. The people however, who closely followed any news and events with regard to Najaf, would not be brought to rest, and thus the Iranian regime was forced to turn to the Iraqi authorities for help. On October 2, 1978/Mehr 10, 1357 SH, an Iranian delegation of top security officials arrived in Baghdad and met with Sadun Shakir. After talks, it was decided that to continue taking restrictive measures was to no avail, but that at the same time neither would it be in the interests of Iran or Iraq to allow Imam complete freedom. Hence, they planned to indirectly force Imam to leave Iraq by bringing pressure to bear on his close relatives and friends. Eventually Imam left Iraq with the intention of heading for Syria via Kuwait. The Kuwaiti authorities did not permit Imam to enter their country however, leaving Imam no choice but to return to Iraq. Since Imam knew that none of the Islamic countries would permit him to engage in political activities, both because of the influence wielded by America within the Islamic states, and the latter’s friendly relations with the Shah, he eventually went to Paris.

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RELIGIOUS AND MORAL DUTY I consider myself duty-bound. That is, I believe I have a religious and moral duty toward the nation of Iran at a time when the Iranian people have risen up and are sacrificing lives; when their youngsters have been arrested- some having been killed by the regime and others having been incarcerated; when some of our ulama are in prison and a large number of them are in exile; and when all of the people, small children and old men alike, are standing up to the Shah’s regime crying out in unison: “We don’t want the Shah.” At such a time we all become answerable to this nation. And this nation, or indeed any other nation, has the right to determine its own destiny. This is a human right; a right which is stipulated in the Declaration of Human Rights. Any person, any nation, must determine his or its own destiny; it must not be determined by others. And so too our nation has now risen up to demand that it determine its own destiny. This is why we who are abroad have a duty to cry out in unison with these people- people who are sacrificing lives to this end and who have risen up against this man30 who has betrayed us and our religion of Islam; this man who is giving our national resources away to foreigners and who, in return, procures arms with which to kill the people, or who receives a sum of money which in part he spends on the procurement of arms and the suchlike while the remainder is used up by himself and his friends. Have no doubt that right now, even as we sit here, Iran is in an explosive state. Right now people are being killed, as they were a few days ago in many different Iranian cities when the resultant death toll was extremely high! Even as we sit here I wonder whether such outbursts are occurring in Iran, and I feel sure that they are. But as to whether people are now being killed or not we don’t yet know. And why don’t we know? Because we are too far away. Such incidents occur on a daily basis. But while they, the people of Iran, are at the battlefield engaged in battle, are we here to remain unconcerned and to carry on living our normal everyday lives?! To do this would be totally unfair and inhuman, and it would be against the canons of Islam.

OUR DUTY IS TO ASSIST THE MOVEMENT Everyone is obliged to do their utmost to help these people in whatever way they can. Right now, I am able to speak to you and to urge you to offer your support irrespective of which front you may belong to abroad. I can appeal to you to join hands with your own people who have risen up in the interests of us all, including yourselves. I shall speak as much as I can regardless of the size of the audience present; and I shall write material and have it circulated, again, as much as I am able. You too must play your part and do whatever is within your power- demonstrating whenever it is called for and is opportune; writing; speaking; talking to press reporters; doing anything that is within your power. Everyone must contribute as much as he can and help this oppressed nation which is now being trodden underfoot by these merciless beings. I believe history has never before witnessed an uprising like the one currently in Iran where there is such unity of purpose. Now everyone, including those children who are not yet themselves aware of what they are saying, cries out: “We don’t want the Shah!” Or maybe these children do so in imitation of what everyone else is saying; a five- or six-year-old child- just imagine! Even those who have just learned how to speak now cry: “Death to the Shah” in imitating what everyone else is crying. Everybody is saying the same thing. Everybody is 30

The Shah.

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making the same argument. There has probably never been another time in history when everybody has united to make the same cry- when the claims raised in the farthest reaches of Iran, in the most distant Iranian cities, have been the same as those raised in the country’s capital. But this is exactly the case now; and it is when a nation reaches this stage that it is sure to succeed. There is no way that this nation can now be defeated when it is standing up to oppression, confronting the tyrants and those with tanks and cannons with its bare hands and refusing to give in.

THE ENEMY’S PROPAGANDA AIMED AT CREATING DIVISIONS Various propaganda campaigns have now got under way. In fact these campaigns were already under way before but they have now been stepped up in an effort to break this unity between the people, to disband the various fronts, and to make certain people knuckle under. It has even been said that they intend to arrange for a group of SAVAK agents disguised as students to shout communist slogans in the university, when the university opens; that is in order to give the impression that if the Shah were to go then communist rule would take his place! But this Shah is even worse than the communists. Anybody would be better than this person, this Shah! What has this man ever done for our country? Has he done anything other than churn out false propaganda? What vast sums of money go toward propaganda, both at home and abroad, so that the foreign and national press will write lies for him. These are the kinds of things he gets up to, as well as being engaged in the accumulation of wealth and the acquisition of land and luxury for himself throughout the world. This is all he does! Other than this, what else does he do?... He is either busy killing and beating the people or busy using them for his own gain! He is taking advantage and is squandering this nation’s wealth. We have one thing to say and that is that those who are seated at the head of this table of spoils called Iran, along with the people and countries who have come from all over to join them, are feeding from this table of spoils while this nation of ours goes hungry. We argue that this must not be so. We say that this country of ours which is rich in oil and other resources must be left to us. We will run it ourselves. And should we want to enlist the help of experts, we will do the enlisting. Why should you do the enlisting, paying God knows how many hundreds of thousands of tumans per month to those enlisted?! We shall recruit experts without the need to resort to such measures. We shall recruit a different kind of expert, ones that we have trained ourselves.

THE IMPERIALISTIC CULTURE, OBSTACLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TALENT From the time when Amir Kabir founded Iran’s first university some seventy years ago31 right up to the present, they prevented our youth from receiving adequate education and training, and from being able to perform a job of work competently. They impeded the progress of our youth. They ensured that no one could receive adequate education in our universities. They prevented those in the armed forces from receiving proper military training. American supervisors mislead these servicemen, that is, they instruct

31

Founded in 1848 by Amir Kabir, Dar al-Fun1n in Tehran was the first modern madrasah to be established in Iran. The two other madrasahs, which had been founded prior to this in Iran, were that in Urumiyyah, founded in 1835 by an American named Parkins, and the madrasah in Tabriz, set up in 1836 by a French man named Eugine Buret. These two so-called ‘religious’ madrasahs had been established by foreigners to serve the particular interests of their own sovereign states.

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them in a way beneficial to themselves! Our culture has become that of the imperialists. We must have our own indigenous culture. These foreign cultures are ones which prevent our children from being properly educated. Now, even when he (the Shah) needs a tonsillectomy, he has someone brought in from Europe to perform the operation!32 You are the one who talks of how you took the country to a great civilization and yet even your tonsillectomy is performed by someone from abroad. So evidently you can’t do anything for yourselves! They want to lay a railway track from ‘a’ to ‘b’, so they bring someone from abroad to do it! Then they sign a contract with a company like the one which laid so many meters of track and then made off with the money leaving the job uncompleted! This is the kind of havoc they play with this country. The Soviet Union takes its gas33 and America takes its oil!34 When we say we want an Islamic government, we want a stop to be put to these libertines. It is not that we want to return to the kind of life lived 1, 400 years ago, as the Shah alleges. It is the judicial laws of 1, 400 years ago to which we want to return and not the lives of those who lived then. No indeed, we gladly welcome and accept any signs of civilization; but what they have to offer are not such signs. Are all of these murders a sign of civilization?! Enforcing martial law and attacking the people tooth and nail, are these signs of civilization?! Is giving away our oil to others in return for arms which we are incapable of using a sign of civilization? We don’t have the trained personnel who know how to use these arms they bring to Iran! Foreign consultants have to supervise the use of these weapons themselves!35 They have formed a military base here- an American military base under the pretext of wanting to do this and that for our country! An American military base, here, in Iran! We argue that we don’t want our country to be in the shambles that this man, this servant, has created for the sake of his masters.

THE PAHLAVI’S REGIME IS THE FOREIGNERS’ PUPPET You who are young cannot remember, but I (who am older) can recall that from the very beginning, from the very first day of Reza Khan’s coup d’état, it was the British who actually conducted the coup! And once 32 33

34

35

This is probably a reference to Dr. Fulandir, the famous French hematologist who came to Iran to treat the Shah. In accordance with the fifteen-year contract which was concluded between Iran and the Soviet Union in 1967, Iran was to export gas to the Soviet Union via a gas pipeline which was to be constructed. The amount of gas piped was to have reached 10 billion cubic meters by 1975 meaning that the amount stipulated in the original contract would have to be doubled annually. The Soviet Union had undertaken to pay Iran a sum of 6 dollars and 6 cents in exchange for every 1,000 cubic meters of gas. Following the coup d’état of Mordad 28 [August 19], Iran’s oil was left in the hands of the consortium. The main shareholders of the consortium were American and British oil companies which, with each other’s help, took part in the extraction, processing and sale of Iran’s oil. In 1954 (1333 SH), the National Iranian Oil Company was established under the auspices of the consortium. In principle this company was responsible for running the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s administrative affairs and had absolutely nothing to do with the extraction and refinement of oil. The NIOC’s share in oil exports from 1969 until 1973 was 0.3, whereas that of the consortium during the same period was as high as 92 (!) (the remainder belonging to other foreign companies outside the consortium). Iran’s oil revenue in 1975/ 76 reached 17,441 million dollars, 15,867 million dollars of which came from oil exported via the consortium. The NIOC received 874 million dollars, 700 million dollars going to other oil company shareholders! A comparison of these figures reveals how the consortium, after nationalization of the oil industry in 1973, had more or less retained its powerful position, while also showing the extent to which America and Britain were busy plundering the oil reserves of Iran. Before the revolution, the Iranian army was unable to use any weapons bought from America without the help of American specialists and advisers. This was due to inadequate training both with regard to the quality and the amount of training given; a deficiency in introductory and foundation course training; and other issues of political concern. The extent of Iran’s military dependency on America was so great that the Iranian army was incapable of managing its own affairs without the daily assistance of America, any kind of aviation or aircraft maintenance only being possible under American supervision and with the help of their technical expertise. Today, the Iranian army employs military equipment without foreign assistance, and indeed its experts train others in the use of advanced equipment and arms.

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Reza Shah had gone, having been taken to some island or other,36 I myself heard the British state over Delhi Radio that they had placed Reza Shah on the throne, but that they had later got rid of him because he had betrayed them!37 Mr. Muhammad Reza Khan himself also attested to this in something he wrote- it may have been in that book “Serving My Country”38 - but realizing that this was an improper thing to say, they later had it erased from the text! He had written that: “The Allies, after occupying Iran, thought it fitting that I should remain, and they agreed to my accession to the throne.” But be that as it may, it is you, your eminence, who is the puppet! To say that: “They saw it fitting that I should remain,” is to say: “They placed me on the throne,”39 We argue that we don’t want that person who the Allies have seen fit to bring here, and who is now working for them and doing all he can for them, pouring whatever we have down the drain. We have no independence; we have no freedom of speech; we have no freedom of the pen. We have nothing.

DESTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURE AND INCREASE IN POVERTY In an agricultural country such as this, which should be exporting its agricultural produce on a grand scale, an official report stated that there were only enough crops in Iran to suffice for something like thirty-three or thirty-four days’ consumption, the remaining food requirements of the country having to be imported from abroad. Everyone can see how heaps of wheat, barley, eggs and so on are now continually brought in from abroad as well as all other kinds of things. They ruined Iran’s agriculture in the name of ‘land reforms’; that is to say they rendered the poor farmers and peasants helpless whereby they were no longer able to continue working their own fields. These poor farmers thus migrated and came to the outskirts of Tehran where they now live under miserable conditions; in a truly deplorable state. According to an account given to me in Najaf listing the number of people who live under such conditions and their whereabouts, a large 36 37

The island of Mauritius. On November 5, 1941/Aban 14, 1320 SH, two months after Reza Khan had fled Iran, British Radio, in one of its political commentaries, openly spoke of Britain’s tendentious friendship with Iran and of having brought Reza Khan to power. In this regard it stated: “British political policy in Iran is one based upon friendship: both a friendship with an underlying purpose and a friendship without an underlying purpose. As for the friendship which has no underlying purpose, this is enjoyed by the learned men only, for other than this the friendship held between the British government and Iran or any other country for that matter is not and cannot be void of personal motives Once we saw how suspicious the Iranian nation was toward the treaty concluded in 1919, believing it to be based upon ulterior motives, we annulled the treaty and instead gave the Iranian government help and encouragement to establish order in its own country. The underlying reason why we gave help and encouragement to Reza Khan was that our opponents used to accuse us of controlling Reza Shah’s actions and claim that whatever he did was in compliance with our instructions. But this was not in fact the case! When we realized however that Germany’s evil designs and the Shah’s negligence were endangering our interests, then we were forced to reluctantly take this course of action (i. e. the sending of Reza Khan into exile) ”. Refer also to Tarikh-e Siyasi-ye Mu’assir-e Iran, vol. 1, pp. 127- 128.

38

Referring to the first book attributed to the Shah: Mission for My Country. The Shah made claim to being the author of three ‘great and important’ books, and he was convinced that the leaders of underdeveloped countries ought to read these works and achieve development and prosperity for their own countries by adopting the principles and socio-political theories found therein! These books, which were all the product of a specific period of the Shah’s reign, are entitled: Mission for My Country, White Revolution, and Toward the Great Civilization. It seems likely that the author of the latter book was Shujauuddin Shafi’, who had been in charge of cultural affairs during Reza Shah’s reign, and was Muhammad Reza Shah’s ambassador to London. On January 26, 1965/Bahman 6, 1343 SH, the Shah, in a message delivered to the people of Iran on the occasion of the anniversary of the announcement of the White Revolution (January 26, 1963), said: “He (Reza Khan) had to go. They felt that his son and successor was of the same sentiment as he, and of course this was so. So what was to be done? For two or three days the Allies of that time and the occupiers of Iran were hesitant about recognizing the new Iranian regime, that is my rule.... but then they said well, the king must remain but the role of the king must be that of a powerless overseer.” This confession was later concealed from the public and all copies of it were collected. Refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Memoirs of General Fardoust, vol. 1, p. 100.

39

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number of people are scattered throughout Tehran in something like forty different areas where they live in small hovels and tents. In Tehran, the country’s capital city, things are such that these people are living in hovels and tents! The report stated that in order to obtain a pitcher of water for their children, these people have to ascend a hundred steps or more from the deep hole in the ground in which they live, to reach this water tap which has been put there. In the bitter cold of winter, a woman has to carry her water pitcher all the way up those steps and then carry it back down again so as to take a jug of water to her children!

EXISTENCE OF THE PAHLAVI REGIME, CONTRADICTORY TO FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE We say that this distressing situation must be rectified. Meanwhile however, the amount of money that they spend on themselves reaches exorbitant levels. The latest example of such expenditure about which I read concerned a certain villa which was bought for one of the Shah’s sisters at heaven knows what price. I can’t now recall exactly how much it cost but I know that it was a great amount of money. Five million dollars! Five million dollars on flower beds and floral displays!40 And so we see the kind of lives they live. They are in fact much better off than this, so much so that it surpasses the imagination. Yet we also see how, even in the city of Tehran, a great number of people are living in a tent or a hovel, without any facilities. They have neither electricity for lighting nor water. As for tarmacked surfaces and the like, these poor people don’t know the meaning of such things! When we say we want an Islamic government, we are saying that this situation must be done away with. The Shah says: “They say we must return to the time when donkeys were the means of transport!”41 But when we talk of an Islamic government this is not what we mean at all. Who has ever said that you must travel by donkey?! What we do say is that this situation must come to an end; and while Muhammad Reza and the Pahlavi dynasty remain in power we don’t see how our country can enjoy any kind of freedom or independence. This man is a puppet who has been put here by the imperialists. He is a man with a ‘mission’ for his country! He himself talks of having a “Mission for My Country”! And he is right in this; but it is a mission which has been assigned to him by America! He is commissioned by America to accomplish a mission for his country- a mission which requires that he prevent this poor country both from growing spiritually and from benefiting from its own wealth and resources. The wealth of this country is to go to America.

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT MEANS GOVERNMENT OF JUSTICE When we speak of an Islamic government, we are speaking of a government based on social justice. We maintain that we must have a ruler who will not fraudulently take from the treasury of the Muslims; who will not transgress by dipping into the treasury of the Muslims. This is the one argument by which we firmly stand. It is a reasonable argument which is acceptable to anyone no matter in which part of the world it may be raised. Today, the people of our country have risen up in revolt due to this person’s betrayal of us. This 40

41

The Shah’s elder sister Shams had a fabulous palace named “Pearl” constructed on the moorland of south Karaj. This palace was built with the help of the most esteemed of British architects and the land on which it stood was bedecked with a multitude of beautiful plants and trees. To the west of this palace SAVAK built “Qezel Hisar,” one of the most modern prisons in the country. On June 8, 1963/Khordad 18, 1342 SH, while presenting title deeds to farmers, the Shah made an address in which he said: “Just what did the Black Reaction do on Wednesday, Khordad 15, 1963? It set fire to the library in Shahr Park because it has no use for anything based on knowledge and learning which answers today’s needs. It set fire to the sports arena, to vehicles, and to bus ticket booths; and it did this in all likelihood because it believes that in this century, when the world is conquering space, we ought to be riding on donkeys or mules!”

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person has misappropriated our wealth; he has taken our wealth from this country and bought villas 42 for himself elsewhere, his family and devoted followers thereby living in grand style while we here remain hungry. But now those who are hungry have united to say that they don’t want this person to remain; so now what do you (the Shah) have to say for yourself? This is all we are arguing; this is all we have to say and nothing more.

BLACK PROPAGANDA Let me also now add that the press here can write whatever they like. Let them write that Islam is reactionary if they so wish, but let both them and yourself (the Shah) answer me this- let the entire newspapers of the world join together to explain why, when we have oil reserves, copper reserves, and other kinds of reserves, when we have everything we could need, why are they taking it all from us? Why are they plundering our wealth? We, a weak, backward nation don’t wish to be plundered! You yourself say we are a backward nation, that may be the case, but we don’t want to be backward for God’s sake! You, the one who commits plunder are ahead of the times while we, the ones who are being plundered are behind the times! You are plundering the people because you have reached the gateway to civilization! Perhaps others have not yet reached that stage whereby you can grant them freedom! This good-for-nothing says that these people are not yet ready for freedom! They have not yet reached that stage! Just what is this supposed to mean?! How come they have not reached the stage whereby they can be granted freedom?!43 Is it because they cry out and question your wrongdoings? Does this mean they have not yet reached the required stage? Must they indeed remain silent in order to reach that stage?! Are they to say nothing from now on no matter how much they are beaten and ill-treated, until they have reached that stage which permits them to be granted freedom?!

GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE NATION’S UPRISING Today, our country is up in arms; and this uprising is one in which we all have a duty to play a part. That is to say, anyone who belongs to this country (of Iran) - from myself, a mere talabah (student of religious sciences), to you who are students, or to he who is a merchant or a businessman- each one of us must support his fellow countrymen in order to bring about a success, since reason dictates that one should involve oneself in such an affair. The Iranian people are laying claim to the most basic of human rights. To say: ‘I want to be free, I want freedom of speech, I want to be independent, I want to stand on my own two feet’ is to ask for the most basic of human rights; and this is what we argue. It is an argument which would

42

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Authors have said that to determine precise statistics with regard to the land and property owned abroad by the Shah and his close relatives is by no means an easy task; and that moreover, a complete list of such possessions is not in fact available. A few examples of such possessions which were owned by the Shah are as follows: several hectares of land in Australia; several large islands in Italy owned by Farah (the Shah’s wife); vast areas of the banks of Geneva Lake; four glorious places in the highly sought-after areas of Paris and Switzerland; the village of Saint Moritz; an entire ski slope and a winter palace in Switzerland; several large palaces in California, Texas and Florida. Refer to Masud Ansari, Man va Khandan-e Pahlavi; Pas az Suqut; Husayn Fardoust, The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty; Kayhan newspaper, February 25, 1979; and William Shawcross, The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally, to name but a few. In several of his speeches the Shah had implied that there would be a price to pay for granting freedom to the people! Both during a speech given to commemorate the opening of the upper and lower Houses of Parliament, and again in an interview given to mark the occasion of Mordad 28 (i. e. the 1953 coup), the Shah said: “I had said before in response to a question, that this is the price we have to pay in order to achieve freedom. But at that time I didn’t think that the price would be so high!” The complete version of this interview was printed in the Ittila’at newspaper of August 19, 1978/Mordad 28, 1357 SH.

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be accepted by anyone no matter where it were to be voiced. We all have a duty to fight for this cause. We are to give help in whatever way possible to those of our brothers who are making sacrifices. We are to send whatever we can to help those who are now at the battlefront so to speak. We are to do whatever we can: by way of writing, speaking, making statements, demonstrating, or by any other means. This is our stand. May God, Exalted and Mighty, grant all of you success. I pray that you may be among the rightly guided in this struggle; that you may be among those who fight against corruption. I pray for you to be granted a favorable result in this struggle, while also attaining the favor of Almighty God. The objective is for the Muslim nations to be strong, to be powerful and to be prosperous. May God help you to successfully attain this objective.

29th Speech Date: October 13, 1978/Mehr 21, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 10, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The situation in Iran; the Shah’s American reforms Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents in Paris In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT AND PREVENTION OF THE IMAM’S POLITICAL ACTIVITIES As a result of pressure from the Iranian government, Iraq asked us to back down somewhat and to put an end to our activities against Iran. I refused this request. Then they sent an official notice to me via the Security Organization of Najaf which I took from them and put to one side I did not reply to the notice but instead continued with my activities. It was about a year later that their relentless pursuit intensified, that being the time when we had become increasingly active and when, in addition to making statements and engaging in other activities, I had also begun to give interviews to Le Monde and other foreign newspapers.44 This time the head of Public Security45 came to see me in person. He reiterated former requests, saying something to the effect that I could engage in whatever activities I chose but that I was not to give interviews. This was of no concern to me for I was not used to giving interviews anyway. I therefore 44

45

Imam was not fond of giving press interviews. He himself explained the reason for this when he said: “The international press are more concerned with sensationalism and tittle-tattle than with the misfortunes of the Iranian people or the repression they have to suffer”. On April 24, 1978/Urdibehesht 4, 1357 SH, Lucien George, a correspondent for the illustrious and widely-read French newspaper Le Monde, made a request to interview Imam Khomeini. For a long time, those in the West had been waiting for Imam to agree to speak to them to find out the reason for his opposition to the Shah’s regime and to discover what his future plans were with regard to the revolution- that is, they wanted to hear Imam himself, this great Shia marja’, explain the reasons behind the national and religious struggle. Initially Imam did not want to consent to an interview with Le Monde, but once he became aware of the paper’s past record and of how it had published certain truths in the past about the state of Iran thus disclosing some of the crimes committed by the Shah, he eventually granted their request to interview him. The interview which was subsequently held was totally frank and explicit and turned out to be extremely important, for it had a truly positive impact and stirred much interest in the West, not least because of the paper’s high reputation and its wide readership. The Security Organization.

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gave him no reply. Later however, I gave yet another interview with some people who had come from France, following which the latter were detained by the Iraqis as they were leaving my house.46 After this it was stressed that I was to treat Iraq as my own home- to use their own words- and that I was to live as I pleased, but I was not to engage in political activities. The gist of their argument was that a clergyman should confine himself to preaching and to discussing religious questions, to which I replied: “Islam is not separate from politics. Islam is not like religions found elsewhere, it is not like other religions which confine themselves to prayer and worship. In Islam, politics is seen in the same light as other religious precepts. Hence, I shall continue to interfere in political affairs; I shall both issue statements and record my messages on cassette tapes; and should I deem it necessary, I shall say what I have to say from the pulpit for this is a religious duty of mine.” They then said: “But we have certain commitments toward the Iranian government in the light of which we cannot allow this kind of thing to take place.” I responded by saying something like: “That may well be so, but I too have certain commitments toward Islam and toward the Iranian nation; and I too am unable to ignore these commitments.” Our discussion ended with them again saying that I was not to engage in political activities, and with me saying that I had every intention of continuing to be engaged in such activities. They then placed me under house arrest. It wasn’t that they told me not to leave my home of course, but it was a case of them preventing anyone from entering it. Those Iranians who used to visit me in my home were now prevented from doing so, and on one day in particular all but two or three people from a group of religious students were refused permission to see me. Thus throughout this period I did not leave my home47, and this gave rise to certain incidents in Iran of which you are all aware. Then I realized that were I to remain at home and do nothing, and were I to confine my activities to studying and then this would be against my principles.

SILENCE, CONTRARY TO CONSCIENCE AND FAITH Many lives have now been lost in Iran. They have killed both children and adults, and they continue to do so, on a daily basis. This kind of thing is also going on now in the universities. The newspapers in Iran tell of how, either yesterday or the day before, eighty-odd, eighty-five people were wounded in the university. It is plain to see what went on- the Iranian government has given the go-ahead and so many have been killed as a result.48 They are attacking this nation tooth and nail. Not only do they take whatever the people of this nation possess away from them, they are now taking away their lives too. How can we sit by and watch while things like this are taking place? How can our consciences permit us, how can our faith permit

46

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On September 14, 1978/Shahrivar 23, 1357 SH, a group of news reporters from French radio and television came to Baghdad, supposedly in response to an invitation by the Iraqi Radio and Television Broadcasting Company. During the night, this group secretly made for Najaf where they visited Imam and conducted an interview with him. Once the interview and filming had finished, the Iraqis, who had somehow found out about the whole affair, detained the French reporters. Friends of Imam managed to hide the sound tapes on which the interview had been recorded, but any film and photographs taken during the interview were destroyed by the Iraqis. Because of Imam’s house arrest, none of his messages were transmitted for a two-week period. Meanwhile, a flood of letters protesting about the situation in Najaf began to arrive. Maraji’, ulama, clergymen and various Iranian political groups and figures from both within Iran and from abroad objected to the Iraqi government’s actions. In addition, workers, civil servants and members of the bazaar inside Iran expressed their disgust at the behavior of both Iran and Iraq by engaging in a general shutdown and strike. Strike action was taken on September 24 [Mehr 2] by workers at the Abadan oil refinery; on September 25 by employees of the Tehran Telecommunications Company; on September 27 by workers at the Khark oil refinery; and on September 29 by employees of the Water Board and the State Railways. See the Ittila’at newspaper of October 15, 1978/Mehr 23, 1357 SH.

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us to sit by and watch while they gun down and kill the children of Islam? We shall make our voices heard as much as we possibly can, as much as the various governments allow us to, in order to tell the world of the kind of situation that prevails in Iran.

FRUITLESSNESS OF A MILITARY GOVERNMENT I doubt whether any other nation is like that of Iran at the present time, for right now Iran is being governed throughout by martial law. Martial law has been enforced in all the major Iranian cities- that is in about twelve cities which constitute the principal cities of the country- and it is also in force elsewhere in Iran, meaning that the Iranian military is now running the country.49 And now, according to the regime, a member of the military is to become the Prime Minister. They say that Fereydoun Djam50 is to become Prime Minister. He too is a member of the armed forces. But no matter what they do, these people (the regime) can no longer survive. The Shah can no longer survive, other than under the military flag or behind the bayonets of the military- a military which itself is being held at the point of the bayonets of America. Who knows whether the Iranian army would in fact continue to obey the regime as it now does if it weren’t for the American bayonet. The army has also now awakened; it too is comprised of human beings; it too is Iranian; it too can see what is going on in Iran. Not a day goes by without the people showing their discontent in some city or other, upon which they are immediately beaten and killed or whatever.

HUMAN RIGHTS CLAIMS, TOOL WITH WHICH A WEAK NATION IS PLUNDERED But in spite of the present state of Iran, despite the turbulent situation which now prevails in this country, these great nation states make claim to being philanthropists! They claim to support human rights! This is sheer nonsense. These things which they have set up for the sake of human rights, security and so on, neither provide security for mankind nor do they protect their rights. The whole set-up is to enable them to devour 49

Isfahan was the first city in which martial law was declared. On Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11, 1978/Mordad 19- 20, 1357 SH, huge demonstrations and marches were staged in this city, which, due to the intervention of government troops, resulted in a vast number of demonstrators being killed and wounded and a number being held in custody. It was following this that on August 11, 1978, martial law was declared in Isfahan. The first statement to be made by the military governor of Isfahan (Major General Reza Naji), announced the imposition of a curfew which prohibited the circulation of people between 8 pm and 6 am, and declared the formation of any kind of social grouping in excess of three people categorically forbidden. The following day, Saturday, August 12, 1978, martial law was also declared in Najafabad. Due to the movement’s expansion and the continued demonstrations, on September 8, 1978/Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH, an official statement was issued which announced that in addition to Isfahan, martial law was also to be declared in Tehran, Qum, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kazerun, Abadan, Ahwaz, Karaj, Qazvin and Jahram. Between 2 pm on Saturday, February 9, 1978, and the morning of Sunday, February 10, the military governor of Tehran issued four different statements numbered 40, 41, 42, and 43. Statement number 40 specified that the hours of curfew were to be from 4. 30 pm until 5 am. However, word immediately spread throughout the city that Imam Khomeini had proclaimed the military governor to be without legitimate authority, and thus people were not to obey these regulations. On hearing this, people began to collect sand and sacks and by building barricades across the streets they in effect broke the imposed curfew. Some of these people carried side arms and were covered by a group of youngsters who were equipped with firearms, and who turned the streets into fields of combat during the hours of the curfew.

50

Fereydoun Djam (1914 – 2008), the first husband of Shams Pahlavi and a general and commanding officer of the armed forces, later became appointed as the Iranian ambassador to France. He came to Iran during Bakhtiyar’s premiership, and it was rumored that he had refused an offer of a position in the Ministry of Defense, after which he went to England. Mr. Djam, who was sixty-four years old at the time, said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph: “Iran has a bleak future; a future stained with blood.” In 2011, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London was awarded a gift of £2 million by the Fereydoun Djam Charitable Trust to promote Iranian studies. As part of this initiative, SOAS has introduced new scholarships in Iranian studies as well as an annual lecture series to promote diverse aspects of Iranian studies. For further information on this loyal monarchist refer to the memoirs of the former General Husayn Fardoust in The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, pp. 63, 244.

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these weaker nations. All of the efforts which are seen to be made by these ‘superpowers’ toward the protection of human rights etc., are but a cover-up; they form part of an organized plan- the plan being for these ‘superpowers’ to devour the Eastern countries, the weaker countries. There are many reserves in the East.51 There are many oil reserves in the East; in Kuwait for example52, or the Hijaz53, or in Iran54. Yes, here the reserves are so great that all of these foreigners have their eyes fixed on them, and they are just being allowed to take them away free of charge. Do you imagine that America gives Iran money for these reserves? Indeed not; instead it establishes a military base for itself there and these weapons which they claim to have sold to Iran have in fact been given in exchange for oil. They are the weapons which America itself wants to have in Iran along with its military bases, so that it can ensure that the Soviet Union never launches an attack. It is not a case of them having given us something. This is all part of a game they are playing with us.

THE TRUE COLORS OF SOCIALISTS AND COMMUNISTS These ‘superpowers’ which go by different names- one being called ‘communist’, another ‘communist China’, yet another being called ‘socialist’ whatever, and again others being known as some ‘-ist’ or otherthese are all out to devour us irrespective of their names. At least four thousand were killed during the wholesale massacre which took place in Tehran55 - one report put this figure at twenty thousand but this is an exaggeration, the actual figure being four thousand; four thousand is the figure which is repeatedly quoted and which has been said to agree with the number of burials performed at that time at Tehran’s

51

Apart from the oil of Iran, Arabia and Kuwait, the amount of oil produced by other Eastern countries was as follows: Iraq- 31 billion barrels in 1980; Oman- 2. 4 billion barrels in 1980; Qatar- 5. 6 billion barrels in 1978; United Arab Emirates- 31. 3 billion barrels in 1978; Syria- 2 billion barrels in 1980; Bahrain- 270 million barrels in 1978.

52

Kuwait possesses almost 20 of the world’s oil deposits. This oil is extracted by the National Oil Company of Kuwait in which the Kuwaiti government has a 60 shareholding, the remaining shares belonging to American, British and Japanese companies. Kuwait’s oil reserves amounted to over 65. 4 billion barrels in 1980 and its enormous fields of gas reserves are seen as one of the country’s great national assets. Seventy-five percent of Kuwait’s national revenue comes from oil, 15 from foreign investment and trade and the remainder from non-oil industries. Oil was firstly discovered in the Hijaz in the year 1933 and began to be exported from this country from the year 1938. The Hijaz has the capability of extracting 12 million barrels of oil per day, an amount which it can potentially increase to 16 million barrels. In 1984 its daily oil production amounted to between 7 and 8 million barrels and its total oil reserves have been estimated at approximately 160 billion barrels which constitutes 25 of the globe’s proven reserves! Other estimates of the oil reserves in the Hijaz however, have quoted an even greater figure of 250 billion barrels. For a more extensive report refer to OPEC va Atharat-e Takhribi-ye Qaymat-e Naft [OPEC and the Destructive Effects of the Oil Price], p. 73. Massive oil reserves are to be found in many parts of Iran such as Khuzestan, Bakhtaran, Lorestan, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Gorgan, Mazandaran, Semnan, Qum and Bal1chistan. The major oilfields in which oil extraction currently takes place comprise: the oil wells of Masjid-e Sulayman, Haftgol, Aqajari, Paznan, Gachsaran, Ahwaz in addition to other wells situated in both on-land and off-shore regions. In 1971, Iran’s oil reserves were estimated at 80 billion barrels (although the book OPEC va Atharat-e Takhribi-ye Qaymat-e Naft quotes a figure of 58 billion barrels). Yet forecasts made by experts suggest that Iran’s actual oil reserves in fact greatly exceed its proven reserves. For further information refer to Naft, Siyasat va K1deta [Oil, Politics and Coup], vol. 3, from p. 146 onwards. Once the demonstration and marches staged on Thursday, September 7, 1978 (Shahrivar 16, 1357 SH) had come to an end, it was announced that the following day’s demonstration was to take place at Shuhada Square (Zhaleh Square). On Friday morning people set off to reach the Square and by about 6 am those who had gathered numbered 100,000 people. However, armed forces had cordoned off the Square on all four sides and their rifles were aimed toward the people from all directions. At this point the unexpected announcement declaring that martial law was in force both in Tehran and ten other cities was made over the radio and the regime’s forces immediately began to fire at the people. On this day, which later became known as “Black Friday”, over 4,000 were actually martyred and hundreds wounded. The Shah’s regime, however, announced that only 58 people had been killed and 25 wounded!

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cemetery.56 Yet you all saw how, on that very same day, as these very murders were being committed, the leader of ‘communist’ China- a China which is said to be ‘communist’, which supposedly advocates fairness with the people and so on, and which some of our youngsters mistakenly regard as worthy of emulation- came to Iran and shook hands with this tyrant, the Shah. He never uttered a word about what was going on, but instead offered the Shah his support.57 He didn’t even bother to ask why on earth the Shah was killing these people or what they had done to deserve this. What they had in fact done was to say that they want freedom and to demand other human rights. They had said that they want to be free; their cry was for freedom and independence. But nevertheless, this Chinese Premier didn’t even bother to point out that these were human beings that were being killed; nor did he take the trouble to ask why they were being treated so. They are now killing small children, primary school children; it is as if adults were no longer within their reach. The news of such occurrences reaches us here on a daily basis. Even within the last two or three days they killed a number of small primary school children somewhere- twelve small boys and girls were killed by them on this occasion.58 Yet this person never said a thing to that vicious individual (the Shah) to ask what on earth he was doing. Instead he came and shook hands with him. The two greeted each other with open arms, and later the Chinese leader departed, laughing as he did so at the poor masses of people he was leaving behind him in the troubled country of Iran. Our youngsters are mistaken; they are making a grave mistake in believing that these communist people can serve them in any way.59 As for those who sit in the Kremlin, their country actually expressed its support for the Shah in the Russian press60 with regard to Khordad 15- the day that 15, 000 Iranian people were killed. And it has now expressed support for the Shah again, despite all the killings which take place in some Iranian city or other each day. These (imperialist powers) only do these things because one of them wants Iran’s gas, and another wants its oil: one is taking the country’s gas, and the other its oil. They are all trying to keep this weak nation in a state of backwardness; they are trying to ensure that it does not wake up. Their propagandists and the propaganda disseminated by them always carry a message which is anti-religion and anti-clergy in an attempt to alienate the people from these two forces. They want to drive a wedge both between the people and religious faith, 56 57

58 59 60

The bodies of a number of those martyred on Black Friday [Shahrivar 17] were laid to rest in a section of Beheshte Zahra cemetery which has since been named “The Martyrs of Shahrivar 17”. On August 29, 1978/Shahrivar 7, 1357 SH, just when the movement was escalating, Hua Kuo-feng, the Chinese Premier, came to Iran by invitation of the Shah on a four-day visit. His stay coincided both with the dissolution of Jamshid Amuzegar’s government and the appointment of Sharif Imami’s government, and with the burning of the Rex Cinema in bbadan. The Shah boastfully sensationalized the fact that great nation states such as China still regarded him as a powerful sovereign and that they had pledged their support for him. Hua Kuo-feng, however, was hopeful that by accepting the Shah’s invitation to come to Iran, he would be able to gain further important concessions from him. For further information concerning the participation of school-children in demonstrations and their embroilment with martial law officers, refer to the newspapers published at that time. It refers to those misled and uninformed youngsters who, as a result of political propaganda, espouse Communism. Later the followers of Socialism went even further, whereby on June 8, 1963/Khordad 18, 1342 SH, only three days after the bloody event of Khordad 15 when many were martyred, the newspaper Ezvestia of the official Communist Party in Russia, wrote: “Yesterday in the capital of Iran (Tehran), as well as in Mashhad, Qum and other major religious centers of that country, groups of revolutionaries were encouraged to create riots by the religious leaders. They were opposing the governments land reforms and took advantage of the fact that this coincided with the religious ceremonies performed annually to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husayn. Shooting proved to be an unsuccessful plea to stop. A few young fanatics looted shops and several cars were overturned. The implementation of anti-feudalist land reforms and the decision to give women the right to vote was opposed by land owners and religious leaders from the very start; and now these reactionaries are trying to move from verbal to active opposition” (published in Ittila’at and Kayhan, June 10, 1963).

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and between the people and the clergy, leaving the people to quarrel among themselves while they sit back and make the most of the situation. We are to lose lives while Muhammad Reza Khan is to capitalize from the situation: his superiors having even more to gain than himself from this state of affairs.

THE MEANING OF ‘FREEDOM’ AND ‘PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY’ FROM CARTER’S VIEW What is this nation left with? What remains for the people other than suppression and military rule; other than martial law; other than the beating and killing of whoever ventures out of his home? The situation in which Iran now finds itself is an exceptional situation. Just consider whether a similar situation exists at all anywhere else in the world. Is there anywhere else in the world where martial law is in force throughout the entire country; a martial law which cannot be lifted? Indeed, they can’t lift martial law in Iran even if they want to, because the people are in a defiant state; they are standing up and challenging the regime. Even now, while martial law is in force they are standing their ground. But just what is it they are shouting as they stand in confrontation? Are they saying that which Mr. Carter said yesterday? Mr. Carter had said that the Shah is only too willing to grant freedom to the people; that he wants to grant absolute freedom and create a progressive country, a progressive society, but that the people of Iran oppose this!61 So it is a case of the people having risen up in opposition because they don’t want freedom and the Shah wanting to force it upon them at bayonet-point! [Laughter from the audience]. Bayonets are being used to bludgeon people into accepting freedom! People don’t want a ‘progressive’ society, so the bayonet has come and said: “You have to want it!” One is made to wonder about this Mr. Carter. Does he know no better than this? Or is this the best trick he can pull? Is he trying to fool someone? Who on earth is he trying to fool? Perhaps he wants to fool those who are oblivious of the situation in Iran, those who are unaware of what is going on there, because both you and I are fully aware of what is presently going on in the country, and we know only too well what the people want and what they are shouting out.

LAND REFORMS, THE FOUNDATION OF POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS The people are shouting: “We want our oil to be ours for goodness sake; we want our country’s agriculture to return to what it once was.” They have truly made a mess of our agriculture. These ‘land reforms’ which were proposed by the gentleman himself (the Shah) and about which he spoke so grandiloquently, were ‘land reforms’ which were to be implemented in accordance with the orders of the American government. These reforms were to take place in order to create a market in which the Americans could sell their goods: that is to say our agriculture was to fall into ruin, rendering us dependent upon others for our agricultural

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On October 15, the Ittila’at newspaper quotes Carter as saying: “Strategically-speaking, enjoying good relations with a strong and independent Iran is a matter of vital importance.” Carter then pays tribute to the Shah for having established ‘democratic principles’ in Iran saying: “We are aware of the fact that certain people oppose the establishment of democracy. This current opposition to the Shah has arisen due to the establishment of democratic principles in Iran, a country where anti-government demonstrations have recently been incited by Leftists and Conservatives”! Carter thus held that the reason for the people’s opposition to the Shah was that they had been ‘granted freedom’! Furthermore, in a meeting held on June 7, 1978/Khordad 17, 1357 SH with the Iranian Affairs Investigative Committee for the Shah-People Revolution, the Shah said: “True patriots must tolerate the turmoil which has arisen for the present and they are only to make a move when the time is ripe There are those who claim that the granting of freedom has given rise to this uproar and has been the cause of attacks on banks and of window-smashing. Nevertheless, I say to you that this is the price we have to pay in order to achieve our goal- that being to grant as much freedom as possible within the constraints of the law.” Refer to Rastakhiz, June 7, 1978.

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needs.62 And sure enough, today we can see how whatever we want has to come from abroad. This is the state to which our agriculture has been reduced; and that is what they did to it for it to end up this way i. e. they introduced ‘land reforms. ‘ Naturally, people poured into the cities; those poor farmers who could no longer live there on the land poured into the cities and into Tehran.63 Many shanty towns can now be seen in Tehran- between 30 and 40, according to the report sent to me- which consist of homes made from mud, homes which have nothing; or of small tents in each of which ten family members have to live throughout the bitter cold winter. These homes have no water. They are situated in a deep pit from where some fifty to sixty steps have to be climbed in order to reach the street’s surface. Once the surface has been reached and water has been collected, it then has to be taken all the way back down these steps again to be given to the children. But why have things turned out this way? It is because he (the Shah) ordered for ‘land reforms’ to be carried out! It was these land reforms which caused the peasants’ undoing and which consequently forced them to make for the towns. Thus they indeed came to the towns and this is the result. Those poor souls ended up living like this and our agriculture ended up in ruins. According to experts and those who have made the necessary calculations, Iran, which was once an important agricultural centre whose province of Azerbaijan alone probably produced enough agricultural produce to meet the needs of the entire nation, the country’s remaining produce having to be exported, now has only enough agricultural produce to meet domestic demand for a thirty-three-day period, its remaining needs having to be brought in from abroad!

THE NATION’S PROTEST AGAINST THE SHAH AND AMERICA Not surprisingly, the Iranian people united in protest. All Iranians are now expressing discontent and strike action is being taken nationwide. If the military and this military law were removed, the people would dispose of this regime in no time, because they have seen its evilness. Can the case really be that they want to give these people freedom, but it is the people who do not like to live in comfort?! Don’t these people 62

Land Reform was one of the main principles of neo-colonialism, which was urged on all the countries under the dominance of colonialism, from Latin America to Asia and Africa, and was implemented by the governments of these countries in a very similar manner. In 1962 [1342 SH], the Shah launched the land reform program as the first tenet of his six-point ‘White Revolution,’ later renamed the ‘ShahPeople Revolution.’ This ‘Revolution’ was not a revolution at all, rather it was put into effect on the one hand to win the confidence of American capitalism; to show his approval of and co-operation with the new strategy; and to open a new market for the Western economy, and on the other to curb internal discontent and actually prevent a revolution! The reform program, which was dependent on foreign, especially American investment, dragged the Iranian agrarian economy into bankruptcy, such that a few years after its implementation the country had been changed from a wheat exporter to a major wheat importer. In addition, as a result of the migration of villagers into the towns and cities and their attraction as a cheap work force to the industries and the service sector, over a period of eleven years from 1966- 1977 [1345- 56 SH], 20,000 Iranian villages became uninhabited! Refer to Farhang-e Danestaniha, p. 239 and Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran [The Modern History of Iran], p. 219.

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Before the so-called ‘White Revolution’, 25 of Iran’s entire population resided in cities, while the remainder worked as cattle or crop farmers in villages and small towns. Implementation of the tenets of the ‘White Revolution’ caused the population of Tehran to rise from 1,300,000 in 1961, to 3,000,000 in 1971, 4,500,000 in 1975 and 5,500,000 in 1978! Rural migration came about because the government appropriated the farmers’ land which it then used to set up agricultural shareholding companies. These companies however, did not have the expertise of specialists and experts to draw on; and following the development of various companies in both agriculture and industry, the remaining land which had been shared among the farmers was also snatched from the latter by giant investment companies both in Iran and abroad. As a consequence, the farmers’ situation seriously deteriorated. Hence, in a state of poverty and misery they automatically became drawn to the big cities where the lure of city life, the privilege of working for the foreign-affiliated industrial factories and the prospect of easily-obtained employment offered new hope. However, their migration not only upset the urban way of life but also critically impaired the agriculture in Iran, whereby Iran very soon became transformed into a consumer market for foreign goods. Refer to the memoirs of the former General Husayn Fardoust in The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, p. 273.

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like to have a good life?! Do they insist on having to sleep in holes beneath the ground?! Or is it in fact that these poor people can see how their wealth is being taken away while they are having to live beneath the ground, and it is to this situation that they object? Yes, this is what they are in fact shouting. So look at what Mr. Carter has said and look at what the people are saying. The people are asking why their oil is being taken away, and free of charge at that. They (the imperialists) take away our oil and the gentlemen here say that they have bought weapons in its stead. But what do you want with weapons? The weapons they have bought are weapons with which Iran is unfamiliar. Iran cannot put these weapons into use. These things which the imperialists have manufactured can only be operated by the fiends themselves; those in Iran don’t know how to operate them. Foreign advisers came to Iran to establish a presence there. They have gone to turn our regime into a parasitic regime, which indeed it now is, and to study better ways to partake of this prize catch and to keep things the way they are. They want to maintain the status quo and for the Iranian nation to say nothing. A nation that speaks up is an uncivilized nation! The nation that cries out: “For heaven’s sake, allow us to be free” is an uncivilized nation! A nation that cries out: “Don’t devour our wealth” is an uncivilized nation! But they, the imperialists and their puppets, are not uncivilized. They are progressive. They have to devour the people’s wealth. They have to pillage and plunder! Our nation, from its small children to its elderly, is now making its discontent heard because the people can see their country collapsing before their very eyes; they can see it disintegrating. Instead of the regime heeding the nation’s cries, as indeed it ought, we see how people are losing their lives and how their children are being killed, and the regime insists that this is something which it has to do. Therefore it continues to kill. Hence, there you have the current state of affairs in Iran and the way things stand between these powerful governments and ourselves. We are duty-bound. You and I who are now seated here, have a duty to join the Iranian people in their cries of protest; that is we must do what we can to help them. And in doing so we will actually be helping ourselves and not some outsiders, for the people in Iran have risen up in revolt for your sakes. Their blood is now being spilled for your sakes. It is for you that their children are being killed- their youngsters, their sons and their daughters. We must help these people. We mustn’t think that because we are here, abroad, then we are not obliged to help them. Our consciences, our religion, and reason, all oblige us to join the people in their struggle, to offer these oppressed people our support- these people who have risen up in revolt with the intention of claiming what is rightly theirs and what is rightly ours also. We can write an article or have something printed in the press. We can tell the people here, abroad, including those in the universities which we attend, as much as possible about what is happening there in Iran. You are to publicize these issues. My good men, no matter where you may be, each and every one of you must make the situation in Iran known to the public. Speak out and do so from the bottom of your hearts. Even though the newspapers here sometimes write about these issues, this is not good enough; it must come from you- you are the ones who must do the talking or the writing. The whole world must be made aware of this agitated state in which Iran now finds itself.

IRANIANS WILL NEVER SURRENDER If a whole nation stands up and demands its rights, then there is nothing the bayonet can do to stop it. The bayonet is by no means capable of taking on the human flesh in combat. It is a mistake to believe that human flesh alone cannot fight against the bayonet. Once a nation unanimously refuses to do something,

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even if all the great powers in the world join forces, they cannot force that nation to comply. They cannot now force Iran to accept the Shah; they are simply not able to do this. The Shah has been placed upon the Iranian throne; but the people do not accept him as their ruler. They cry out that they don’t want the Shah. None of the people have ever been prepared to consent to this matter. The Iranian people have never, and will never resign themselves to this disgrace, for they have seen how this person has let go of whatever was best for Islam and for the country, while at the same time he has claimed to have granted freedom to the people and to have made the country progress! We can all see for ourselves what is happening in our country; and this is the progress of which he speaks. As for freedom, this he has granted us at the point of a bayonet!

IT IS EVERYONE’S DUTY TO ASSIST THE MOVEMENT We have a duty to do all we can to serve the people in Iran; to help those helpless souls, to help those who have lost their young. We are human beings and must therefore do all we can to serve them. Yet helping them also means helping ourselves, meaning that we along with other Iranians are all partners and all stand to share whatever assets the country may have. Were our country autonomous, were it independent and in a state of calm, then we too would be able to live in calm and comfort for we too are a part of that country. Those in Iran have risen in revolt and we too must follow suit. It is no use making apologies with the excuse of being in Europe or America or wherever, while they who have risen are in Iran. This is no excuse. Although you are abroad those of you who are in America are to assist in this struggle as much as you can; those of you who are in Paris are to assist in this struggle as much as you can; I too, who am here in Paris, am to assist as much as I can. Now, as I am holding an audience with you, I can fulfill my duty by speaking to you and by advising you; and this is something which I shall continue to do. You in turn must speak to your friends, with those who are resident here in Paris, with those who live abroad or wherever; and together you must decide how to help this movement which is under way. Never before has history witnessed a movement like that which is now taking place in Iran. Never before in Iranian history has there been such a movement whereby the whole of Iran has risen up together; where small children have shouted: “Death to the Shah”; where old men have also cried out: “Death to the Shah”. No- such a movement has never been witnessed before in Iran. Do not allow this movement to fade away, keep it alive so that we can get rid of those who now rule us, so we can get rid of this governing body and replace it with an honorable, uncorrupt government. May God Almighty preserve you all; may you be successful. May God Almighty remove this evil from rule over the Muslims; may He remove the evil of these ‘superpowers’ so they will never again appoint their puppets to rule over the Muslim lands [the audience cries “Amen”]. Someone in the audience: [“May God preserve you.”] Imam: “May you be successful.”

30th Speech Date: October 14, 1978/Mehr 22, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 11, 1398 AH

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Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The comprehensive and edifying dimensions of the Islamic school of thought Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents in Paris In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

SHAH IS THINKING OF REVENGE They have just informed me that the Shah has decided to carry out a wholesale massacre during the strike action to be taken tomorrow- action which the Muslim people propose to take because of the lives that they have already lost. I have said time and again that this person has become mentally unstable. He is now living in a state of insanity; and having reached the last days of his life he wants to take revenge on the people of Iran. He has already committed whatever crimes he possibly could, but now that the people have risen up to demand that he go and he has sensed that indeed he does actually have to go, like a madman he wants to first massacre the people and then go. He had once said: “If I am to go, I shall firstly turn Iran back into a heap of soil and then go; yes, I shall make Iran into a heap of soil and go;” and now he evidently means to abide by these words.64 I found out about it today; that is, they said someone had phoned from Iran to say that he (the Shah) is getting ready to slay the people en masse.

SHAH WILL EVENTUALLY LEAVE We are at a loss as to what we should do with this regime. The oppressed nation of Iran does not know what it should do with this person who has now become insane and is suffering from a mental disorder. What course of action are we to take? I am concerned about tomorrow; I am worried that what we have been told may be true and that these people may be gunned down and come under the attack of tanks and cannonfire; I am worried that lives may be lost and that having reached the final stage before his (the Shah’s) departure, he firstly plans to do something to ensure that no one will be left behind and only then does he intend to go. This is the kind of creature with which we now have to deal and so we must truly pray for God’s assistance. We must ask the Lord to grant a favorable end to this affair (i.e. the proposed protest demonstrations), for should such a massacre actually take place it would have truly disastrous results for Iran. Although it is true that his leaving would compensate for any kind of disaster, nevertheless, why should we have given him the opportunity to enact these deeds before he leaves? Needless to say, it is the machine guns and weapons of America that are behind him in all this, otherwise the people of Iran would never allow him to go ahead with such a deed. The fact is that these American guns and weapons are indeed here. However, he (the Shah) has reached the end of his life and there remains no doubt about his imminent departure. There is something that I wish now to say to you gentlemen, and which I shall again make mention of, if and when we hold another gathering tomorrow; but before this let me say that tomorrow’s gathering is for 64

Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini writes in his memoirs: “After Imam’s release from prison in 1964 (1343 SH), he was taken to live in a house situated in Daw1diyyah in Tehran. When the regime continued with its threats however, Imam warned that on the following day he would attend the mosque, would perform a congregational prayer there (when he would naturally inform the people of what was going on in the country), and would then travel to Qum to continue his activities there. By contrast, when the Shah felt under threat, he issued a warning to the effect that should he, the Shah, be forced to leave Iran, then he would have no reservations about killing twenty million people if necessary in his defense of the royal crown and throne!”

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all the students and for all those Iranians who are living outside Iran. It is for everyone and you must regard it as you would your own home, as somewhere that belongs to you all. The doors of this gathering are open to whoever may wish to come. Therefore, if no hitches occur and tomorrow’s gathering does actually go ahead as planned, then all of the gentlemen are welcome to attend. No one is interfering. Some have mistakenly suspected that someone, somewhere, is influencing affairs and that they hold sway over who attends our gatherings. This is not the case however. We are all united; we are all brothers together; and no one is to interfere in our affairs at all. These gatherings are for all of the gentlemen and everyone is equally welcome to attend. All participants at our gatherings should be regarded in the same light, everybody. We are all each other’s equals. I am fond of you all. I pray for you all. No particular group can meddle with our affairs. It is not to be imagined that a certain group has a say in these affairs or that I am aligned with any particular group. No, I am with you all, and I pray for you all.

THE DISASTER OF NOT UNDERSTANDING ISLAM IN LIGHT OF ALL OF ITS DIMENSIONS As for the matter about which I wanted to talk to you however, and on which I shall elaborate further at tomorrow’s gathering should I have the time and the opportunity, it concerns a disaster, which has plagued Islam from the very beginning. That is, the disaster of Islam having been misunderstood. Those who have discussed Islam, be it in the past or the present, have not fully understood or grasped this religion in all of its different dimensions. Each of them has only ever looked at one of its many dimensions and has interpreted all of the issues found within Islam and within the Holy Qur’an according to his own limited perception. In the past, in centuries gone by, there used to be a group of Muslim theologians who expounded Islam according to their own understanding of it; each according to his own level of understanding and ability to reason. This group either consisted of philosophers who, because of their knowledge of this subject, understood Islam to be a philosophy, thus mistakenly believing it to be a philosophical school of thought, or it consisted of mystics and the like who, until only recently, interpreted Islam according to the understanding of a mystic, thus believing Islam to be a mystical school of thought. Therefore, from the time of these theologians down to the recent past, many of Islam’s different dimensions have remained undiscovered. Theologians were familiar with some of the various dimensions of Islam, although of course not completely so, but each religious sect would study Islam according to its own understanding, its own learning. They would interpret all the verses of the Qur’an and all of the teachings of the Prophet and the Immaculate Imams (as)65 according to their own perception; according to what they had been able to grasp from Islam. They would relate every page of learning to that page which they had themselves grasped and understood. Therefore, these expositions of Islam make no mention of what Islam has to say about this world and about how it is to be governed; issues which relate to another of Islam’s many dimensions. All of those issues which relate to philosophy and mysticism are to be found in these expositions, but nothing is said about the duty of those people who are living now, about the form an Islamic government should take, or about how people should relate to the physical world. They have nothing to say in this regard. These theologians have confined their discussions to issues concerning the metaphysical and to matters relating to mysticism and philosophy and so on. And so this situation has remained until the present, when it has 65

The abbreviation, “as” stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, ‘alayhis-salam, ‘alayhimus-salam, or ‘alayhas-salam [may peace be upon him/ them/ her], which is used after the names of the prophets, angels, Imams from the Prophet’s progeny, and awliya (saints) (as).

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now become the turn of this latest group of theologians, a group which has taken an opposite approach to that taken by its predecessors. That is to say this latest group has totally set aside those dimensions of Islam which concern its spiritual aspects, its philosophical aspects, its mystical aspects and has confined itself to objective and external aspects only. Hence, those in this group have perceived Islam as a materialist school of thought. Indeed, whereas the former group had perceived Islam as a spiritual school of thought as if it were totally unconcerned with temporal issues- even having expounded the Qur’anic verses concerning actual battles with the polytheists as concerning battles with the self and so on. This latter group of theologians, by contrast, although Muslim, although composed of good people, although just as religiously devout as the former group, has nevertheless understood Islam according to its material dimension. This is a situation which has come about over recent years, during a period when Western learning and knowledge has been promoted and reached us here in the East. Hence, whereas the former group propounded the subjective and the spiritual and ignored the objective and the temporal, the latter group propounds temporal concerns and disregards the spiritual. However, both of these groups are in error. Islam is neither confined to the spiritualism of which the former group speaks- yes, it has a spiritual dimension but it is not confined to this- nor is it confined to these temporal concerns of which the latter group speaks. That is to say, it covers temporal concerns in its teachings but does not exclusively confine itself to these issues.

ISLAM THE EDIFYING SCHOOL OF THOUGHT Islam is a school of thought which has come for the edification of mankind; and we are to examine the different dimensions of this mankind, whose true nature, some argue, remains unknown, and are also to examine his needs. We must ask whether Islam, which has come for man’s edification, only means to develop the animal nature in him, or whether it means to develop his spiritual nature; or yet again, whether its intention is to develop human beings as a whole. Human beings are unlike other creatures. Other creatures, such as animals for example, which are considered to exist on a superior plane to that of plants and minerals, merely exist on a physical plane, while also possessing a minute sense, a little but perverse understanding of the metaphysical, other than this they do not have a metaphysical state of being. Mankind, however, can pass through several phases of being; he can advance from his initial physical state of being until he finally reaches a spiritual state of being. Thus, man can transcend the physical to the metaphysical, and can then transcend the metaphysical to the divine until he then reaches the stage where he is actually able to comprehend this superior state of being.

MAN THE MULTIFACETED BEING Man is a multifaceted being; he is not a creature of but one or two dimensions. Some other creatures are often one-dimensional, some bi-dimensional, and yet others possess several dimensions; but none of these other creatures possesses all of the different dimensions collectively. It is only man who, among all other creatures, is a multi-dimensional being; a being who has needs for each of the dimensions he possesses. In order for him to develop in every dimension he has certain needs which have to be satisfied. With the exception of Islam, all of the other schools of thought are materialist schools- schools which have perceived man as an animal, as a creature which simply eats and sleeps, but which does so in a more desirable manner. This is true for all schools. Although it is true that animals share the same need as we humans to eat and sleep, these schools of thought have perceived man to be an animal like all other animals whose needs and

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development revolve around those corporeal criteria, those corporeal matters, which they have called” matters of reality.” They mistakenly consider reality to be composed of this physical world only; whereas there are in fact other worlds that they have not perceived, worlds which are indeed more tangible- that is, worlds that are endowed with a more tangible reality than the physical world. The physical world has been placed last in the scheme of creation; it has been given the least recognition. Therefore, this world in which we now exist, this physical world, is the lowermost world. The lowest of all the worlds in the universe is the physical world. It is not a case of there just being man and this physical world, and of there being no other stages of existence to which man can ascend. There are several stages to mankind’s existence. He who has simply concerned himself with the metaphysical aspect of mankind’s existence and who has neglected to consider these other lower stages of his being has erred; and so too, he who has concentrated solely on this physical world, recognizing only the physical stage and ignoring the metaphysical.

ISLAM’S ATTENTION TO ALL OF MAN’S DIMENSIONS Islam has a set of scheme; it has a program which can be followed by this comprehensive, multifaceted human being- this being who is capable of going beyond the physical stage of existence to reach the metaphysical, and then of transcending the metaphysical to reach the divine. Islam wants man to develop into a complete being, meaning it wants to allow him to grow in accordance with his true nature. If man wants to make the most of this physical world, then Islam teaches him how to do so; if he wants to make the most of his stay in purgatory66, then Islam teaches him how to do so; if he wants to make the most of a spiritual existence, then Islam teaches him how to do so; if he wants to make the most of the powers of reason, then Islam teaches him how to do so; if he wants to make the most of religious learning, then Islam teaches him how to do so. All religions have come to develop those properties with which man is endowed; properties which are imperfect and which are presently immature. All religions have come to enable this unripe fruit to ripen; to allow this undeveloped fruit to fully develop. Those of you who have now come to reside in the West- the West which is obsessed with the material aspects of the world, and where no attention is paid to the metaphysical- must not be deluded by these Western schools of thought and thus mistakenly believe that man is nothing more than a creature who eats, sleeps and so on, and that no other considerations are involved. This is a mistaken belief which has developed because of those who have misunderstood Islam by concentrating wholly on these material issues and by retracing all of the verses and teachings in Islam to these same issues- verses and teachings which have come to allow man to grow. Yes, these people are in error; and so too were those before them who retraced every Islamic verse and teaching to metaphysical issues. Each of man’s dimensions must be developed in turn. Man must develop on a physical level as much as he possibly can. He must make the most of this physical world, but within reasonable limits, limits which must obviously be determined by taking factors of temperance and virtue into consideration. Then once he has developed in this physical

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Purgatory (barzakh in Arabic), meaning barrier, is believed to be an intermediate realm, a period between death and the Day of Judgment where a complete life is lived. See Sayyid Mujtaba Musawi Lari, Resurrection, Judgment and the Hereafter, available at: https://www.alislam.org/resurrection-judgement-and-hereafter-sayyid-mujtaba-musavi-lari; Also see, Ayatullah Sayyid Abdul Husayn Dastghaib Shirazi, Barzakh (Purgatory), available at: https://www.al-islam.org/barzakh-purgatory-sayyid-abdul-husayn-dastghaib-shirazi

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stage of his existence, he must go on to develop in the next, higher stage, and then again in the next. All of man’s different dimensions must develop without exception in order for him to become a true human being. To become a true human being is a difficult task, but nevertheless it is a task which man needs to undertake. The point I wish to make in saying these things is that you are not to mistakenly believe that Islam has come to train an animal; that it has come to prescribe the sleeping and eating habits of an animal. This is but one of its intentions. Yes, it gives such prescriptions, but this is merely one of its dimensions and the least important one at that. Islam also has other dimensions which relate to the training of mankind. It wants to train man to become a complete, mature being; a being which encompasses all of the different human dimensions in their entirety. And it has instructions which relate to these dimensions. Islam contains instructions concerning Islamic government; it contains instructions on its organization; it contains instructions on how to kill its enemies during battle; it contains instructions on how to motivate a society; it contains instructions on how to reach the metaphysical stage of existence; it contains all of these different kinds of instructions. Islam is not merely one-dimensional whereby one could claim to have understood it in its entirety were one to have a knowledge of its history for example, of its social history, or of its rules concerning the material aspects of life and so on. No, this is not the case. The issues with which Islam deals are loftier than those which are ascribed to it; and Islam’s dimensions are manifold. Whoever wishes to become acquainted with Islam must make an accurate study of the Qur’an, for this is the key source of reference. He must take note of all the dimensions found therein. He must not make the mistake of accepting only those verses which relate to the physical world, and with issues concerning government, rejecting the verses which relate to resurrection. He who makes this mistake is unaware of the meaning of resurrection, or of what will happen when the Day of Resurrection arrives. He thinks that there is no truth in it; that it is but a fantasy. But he is gravely mistaken. It is indeed true, and its truth is more real than the reality of this physical world; but we have not yet reached the level of understanding required for us to grasp this fact.

NOT LIMITING ISLAM Be that as it may, I wanted to advise those studying in Europe, may God grant them all success, against categorizing Islam and thereby believing it to be a school of thought like that of communism; believing the issues it covers to resemble those found in the Marxist doctrine; believing it to be a school of thought like other schools of thought; for this is not the case at all. Those who are unacquainted with Islam however, mistakenly believe it to be some such school.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FACE OF TURBULENT IRAN The other thing I must mention concerns our being obliged to fulfill certain duties. Even as we are now peacefully seated here, Iran is in turmoil. I do not know what will actually happen in Iran tomorrow. We must decide what to do about this situation and I am presently giving it much thought. As you yourselves are well aware, it has now been almost one year since turmoil began in Iran. No matter which part of the country one looks at one sees that the people there are up in arms. No matter which part of the country’s many cities one looks at, one can see strike action being taken there. For several days or so now strikes have engulfed the country. Almost all of the factories, newspapers and both governmental and nongovernmental offices are now on strike. The general public is all involved in this unfortunate situation and are taking part in strikes. We who are here and are not caught up in all this turbulence must not forget those

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who are there. We are to help them as much as we can. We can help by the use of our pen; if we are able to disseminate information via the press here with regard to the position of the Iranian people, the oppression to which they are being subjected, and the crimes which this regime has committed against them, then we are to do so. You are to do whatever is in your power; and anyone who is unable to do anything to help can at least pray for those who tomorrow are about to suffer the torments of this dying regime. I pray that God grant you all success. Tomorrow, if I am able and the opportunity presents itself, I shall again speak with you, God willing [the audience recites a salawat (salutation to Prophet Muhammad and his pure progeny (as))]. I must apologize to you, both for my late arrival and for my inability to sit here with you for a longer period- an inability which stems from the fact that I am about eighty years of age, and thus, unlike you, who fortunately are young and have the strength and stamina to remain seated for a long period of time, I do not possess such strength. I therefore ask you to forgive me for not being able to sit here in your company for any length of time [the audience cries, Allahu Akbar (“God is the Great”) ].

31st Speech Date: October 15, 1978/Mehr 23, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 12, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The imperialists’ study into the customs, mentality and resources of the East; treason against Islam and the clergy; the Americans in Iran Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents in Paris In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE OPPRESSIVE SITUATION It is unfortunate that I meet you gentlemen now when my power of speech is greatly impaired due partly to my age, which does not allow my voice to carry more than a few feet away from me, and partly to the situation of the Islamic countries in general and Iran in particular which is now enough to distress anyone and sap their strength. I had wanted today to come to the place where you gentlemen had gathered to speak to you about some of the problems we face, but circumstances were such that the French authorities did not deem it wise for me to do so.67

SPIES MASKED AS TRAVELERS That aside, the situation of the Islamic countries, especially those which have resources like Iran- which leads the others in this regard- has been studied by the experts of foreign powers and superpowers. From perhaps three hundred years ago, those travelers who came to the East, allegedly to tour the countries were all political agents sent to gather information on the situation there. They came to Iran and traveled to all

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The Ittila’at newspaper of October 15, 1978/Mehr 23, 1357 SH (on the day that this speech was delivered) wrote in an article: “One Sunday, Hazrat Imam refrained from attending a pre-arranged meeting with his followers because of steps taken by the French government to prevent the meeting from taking place.”

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her cities and villages in pursuit of their investigations. Their studies into the geographical situation of the East, and in particular Iran- about which we are informed- took them all over these countries, even through the desert regions where no grass or water existed and which they crossed with caravans, riding on camels and suffering many hardships in doing so. Their main aim was to discover where our mineral reserves layour gold, copper, petroleum, gas, etc. They made a careful study and drew maps. Whatever they found which was of use to them, they marked the spot on the map and noted the area, and these records are still in their possession. Before America set foot into the region, it was Britain which exerted the most influence over these countries, then Russia, then some other countries. For more than three hundred years, they subjected these Eastern countries to their studies and their avarice. As time went on, their specialists developed more expertise, their travels became more widespread and more regular; indeed they found out more about these countries than the indigenous peoples themselves knew. For example, in Iran they studied the mental and spiritual make-up of such tribes as the Bakhtiari68, the Qashqai69 Shahsevan70 in order to find out how these people think and how they could use them to their advantage. They sent their experts to study and gather information on all the provincial cities and villages in Iran; all the villages that exist in Iran came under their scrutiny, even the most remote, mountain village. They drew maps of them all and marked those places where they found something of use to them. They recorded everything and then made themselves ready for plundering our resources. The rulers of the Eastern countries however, whether kings or others, acted differently in complying with the wishes of the imperialists; some allowed their countries to be pillaged in all aspects whereas others were not as traitorous as they were.

MEMORIES FROM HAMADAN Once when I was in Hamadan71, one of my friends brought a map to me, a large map which perhaps measured one square meter. It was a map of Hamadan province which, he said, showed all the villages of that province, and which was covered with many colored dots. He told me that these dots indicated where minerals, such as copper or petroleum, lay beneath the ground. These minerals had not yet been mined, but the foreign experts knew their location. They made their designs and then entered the countries of the East and studied their situation, and in Iran, which directly concerns us, they drew up plans and marked where all its natural resources lay.

ISLAM AND THE CLERGY, OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF IMPERIALISM They then undertook some psychological studies to determine how they could easily lay their hands on these countries’ abundant resources without inciting opposition and confrontation from the people. The

68

The Bakhtiaris are a Lur tribe from Iran. They mostly speak the Bakhtiari dialect of the Luri language. They are spread out in Khuzestan, Isfahan, Markazi and Lorestan provinces.

69

Qashqai nomadic tribes in Iran are Shias of diverse origin comprising ofTurks Lurs, Kurds, and Arabs. They are mostly located in South and Central West.

70

The Shahsevan are a sub-ethnic group of Azerbaijani people, located primarily in Central Province of the Iran, Tehran, Qazvin and Hamadan.

71

Hamadan: a province in the north-western part of Iran.

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imperialists carried out extensive studies in this regard, and they came to the conclusion that in the Islamic countries there were two possible barriers which could block their way; one was Islam itself. They realized that were true Islam implemented, that is the Islam that God, the Blessed and Exalted, has established, then it would sound the death knell for all their hopes. And the other obstacle to their designs they perceived as being Islam’s religious scholars. The imperialists realized that if the religious men became powerful, as they should be in these lands, then they would not be able to profit from these countries the way they wanted to. So they decided to smash these two barriers, which they deemed more dangerous than anything else to their designs, in whatever way necessary. They started devising schemes by means of which they hoped to make the people themselves whichever group and whenever they maybe crush these two barriers for them, and so from that time on, the propaganda against Islam and the clergy began. With such propaganda, they would manage to remove the threat of these two obstacles, which if empowered would be the greatest threat to the imperialists and their interests.

FACING CULTURAL INDEPENDENCE Of course there was something else which also constituted an obstacle to their contrivances, and that was the culture of these communities. The imperialists have studied the latter and have discovered that if their culture were an independent, correct culture then it would produce loyal and independent political groups which would prove to be counterproductive for them. Thus, on one side they saw the two barriers of Islam and the clergy, and on the other they saw the prospect of an independent culture, which would train the youth and nurture leading personalities who, even if the imperialists were to hold sway over the country, would still prevent them from attaining that which they desired, and that which they desired lay beneath the ground. They directed their efforts to acquiring the resources which lay above the ground as well, but the most important for them were those which were to be found underground. Hence they set about destroying these three barriers.

PROPAGATION OF A DISTORTED ISLAM With regard to Islam, they began to propagate the idea- gradually as is their wont- that Islam is an acquiescent religion! That it is an ideology concerned only with supplicatory prayer and invocation of God (dhikr), that it constitutes solely a relationship between man and the Creator and has nothing to do with politics or government. They have propagated this idea so well that even members of the clerical establishment have been influenced by it and many of them now believe that they have no role to play in politics or government, maintaining instead that their duties lie only in going to the mosque, engaging in canonical prayer, instructing the people, debating certain matters and presenting the people with legitimate rules of conduct. The imperialists saw that the prayers of the clergy posed no threat to them. Prayers in Islam are not harmful to their policies, so they deemed that the clergy could pray as much as they like; they could pray until they were tired of praying, as long as they had nothing to do with the oil. They could teach as much as they liked, debate matters to their heart’s content, as long as they did not start to question the policies of the imperialists in their countries and begin to speak out against them. This idea that Islam has nothing to do with politics or government was reiterated so much and propagated so well among the people that it became commonly accepted that interference in the affairs of state was incompatible with the status of a clergyman;

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that it was unbecoming the position of a clergyman to take an interest in the form the government takes or in what these oppressors were doing to the people; that it was only befitting the position of a clergyman to remain in the schools and lead the noon and afternoon congregational prayers; and that the people should expect nothing more than this of the clergy! They said that essentially Islam had nothing to do with politics that politics and religion were separate from one another. Politics is for them and religion is for us! The centers of power are in their hands to do with as they please, and the mosques and the old men who attend them are in ours! This is a division that they created from the beginning.

RELIGION, OPIATE OF THE MASSES? Those who were a bit more daring went so far as to describe Islam as “reactionary.” They said that basically religion was the opium of the people, that from the very beginning it was used by the capitalists and those with power to stupefy the people so they could take their wealth. Gradually, this notion came to be believed even by the Muslims themselves. Some of the clergy even came to believe that Islam was something which belonged to one thousand and so many hundreds of years ago and could not be put into practice now! This is how the imperialists presented Islam to the Muslim societies; and as for the akhunds72, they portrayed them as men who just sit in a corner and survive on the money they take from the people.

DELUDING THE UNAWARE INTELLECTUALS Thus, they presented Islam as an ideology which was concerned with nothing more than prayer and fasting and which was not involved with the people’s lives and their affairs. And on the other hand, they presented the clergymen as people installed by the rulers and the powerful elite to opiate society, to put the people to sleep, stupefy them so that these rulers could plunder them and the people would not utter a word. They propagated this notion so well that even some of our own intellectuals, who were not well versed in the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition (sunnah), came to believe it and they in turn also began to advance the same idea. We should not just accept whatever we hear or whatever is propagated by some groups as being true without proof of its verity. If someone accepts an unsubstantiated claim then that person suffers from a weak constitution, he is ill! A healthy human being does not accept something he is told without it first being substantiated.

QUR’AN THE BOOK OF CLAMOR, UPRISING AND MOVEMENT We need only take a cursory glance at the lives of the prophets and of others who called the people to God to see what their intention was: Were they agents of the powerful elite? Were their aims to enfeeble the people, make them powerless, and lull them to sleep? And we need only carry out a partial study of the Qur’an- it doesn’t need to be a detailed study- to see if its purpose is simply to teach us invocatory prayer, supplicatory prayers, deprecations and the like, or whether it has not been properly understood. If you study the Qur’an you will see that there are so many verses encouraging the people to do battle with those holding power. The verses pertaining to battle and the way it must be fought are not only one or two; there are many in this regard. The battles which took place in the early years of Islam’s history were between the powerful

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Akhund: A word of uncertain etymology that originally denoted a scholar of unusual attainment, but was later applied to lesser-ranking scholars, and then acquired a pejorative connotation, particularly in secularist usage.

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elite and the Prophet of Islam. The Qur’an is a book which favors “movement”; it awakens the people and stirs them from their stupor to confront the taghuts73.

THE PROPHET’S WAR WITH THE HOLDERS OF POWER AND WEALTH When the Noble Prophet was in Hijaz, he had to confront the plutocracy there. One group was found in Mecca and comprised the town’s reputable, powerful merchants, while another was made up of the wealthy, affluent people of Ta’if74. People such as Abi Sufyan75 were like rulers or kings and had everything, yet the Prophet opposed them. When he went to Medina, he associated with the poor people; he did not align himself with the rich to stupefy the community. He was on the side of the poor, he encouraged them to rise up against the rich who plundered the people and oppressed them. The Prophet fought many battles, and in all of them he fought against the rich and powerful oppressors.

THE DIVINE PROPHETS (AS) IN CONFRONTATION WITH THE ARISTOCRATS AND OPPRESSORS If we go further back (in history), we see that Hazrat Musa (Moses), may God’s peace be upon him, also confronted those holding power. With his staff in hand he confronted Pharaoh; he didn’t opiate the people for the Egyptian king! With his staff and his words he encouraged them to rise against the king. And you all know how Abraham (as) took up his axe and shattered all the idols belonging to the aristocrats (of his time). He confronted the aristocrats in the interests of the masses, to stop them from oppressing the masses. Of course the mission of these prophets was primarily a spiritual one, but when they came across tyranny in the society they deemed it their duty to confront the oppressive leaders and do battle with them in whatever way they could.

UNWARY MUSLIMS VIS-A-VIS ISLAM So this notion that the men of religion are used by the powerful elite to opiate the people is one which the imperialists themselves created and advanced to turn you away from the Qur’an, the Book of God, and Islam so that they could smash this barrier to their designs. Indeed, they have been successful in this, for the Muslims have now been lulled to sleep by their propaganda. The Muslims have now risen to do battle with Islam without themselves knowing it. For when a Muslim asks what Islam has to do with temporal issues, this constitutes war against Islam; this is not knowing Islam. When he asks what Islam has to do with politics, again this is like waging war against Islam. These ideas are spread among Muslims by Muslims and the posing of such questions means they have taken up arms against Islam.

REVOLT OF THE MASSES AGAINST THE CAPITALIST We should look at the example set by those who propagated Islam. The Prophet himself battled with the powerful elite of Mecca and the Hijaz, and his immediate successors- whether those we accept or those we do not- formed armies and fought against the kings of the Persian and Byzantine Empires. They fought against these kings; they did not act as their agents creating apathy among the people. They had a mission 73 74 75

Taghut: One who surpasses all bounds in his despotism and tyranny and claims the prerogatives of divinity for himself, whether explicitly or implicitly. Ta’if: A city in the southern part of Hijaz (modern Saudi Arabia), 40 miles east of Mecca. Abi Sufyan: Father of Mu’awiyah, head of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca and the staunchest enemy of the Holy Prophet of Islam. He was at the head of the non-believers and idol worshiping groups who opposed Islam and persecuted Muslims.

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to arouse the people, to stir the Muslim people and the oppressed to rise up against those who plundered the wealth of the people. At that time it was the Persian and the Byzantine Empires against which they fought and which they subsequently conquered for Islam; never was it suggested that a compromise be made with the ruling classes or the kings. The time of the Prophet and his immediate successors was marked by struggle.

ALI (AS) CONFRONTING THE OPPRESSORS Amir (Imam Ali (as)), became embroiled in an internal war with Mu’awiyah because he saw that if he didn’t do battle with him, Mu’awiyah would destroy Islam. Mu’awiyah76 was the governor of Sham (Syria) who had his seat in Damascus and he lived like a king with an army and all the appendages of a ruler. Hazrat Amir was the head of the religious scholars, when we look at his life, his battles and his leadership we see that his aim was not to put the people to sleep so that the powerful ones could come and plunder their wealth. He too went to battle. With whom? With Mu’awiyah who sat in Damascus, who enslaved and oppressed the people and whose very existence endangered Islam.

UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE OF THE IMAMS (AS) All our Imams (as) were killed because they opposed the tyrannical regimes. Had they sat at home and invited the people to rally round the Bani Umayyah and the Bani Abbas, as the imperialists like to say they did, then they would have been shown the utmost respect. But each of our Imams (as) strove against the oppressors, and although their circumstances did not permit them the military might with which to fight, still they engaged in underground struggle against them. This is the reason why they were arrested and thrown into prison for several years. Was Hazrat Musa ibn Ja’far (as) imprisoned for praying, fasting or calling the people to support Harun ar-Rashid? Was he incarcerated for years because he told the people to compromise with Harun ar-Rashid and to ignore his oppression? No, the despots saw that our Imams (as) posed a threat to their rule that is why they incarcerated them, banished and killed them.

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Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (607- 680 AD), the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, accepted Islam on the day Mecca was conquered (630 AD). He was the commander of the army during the caliphate of Abi Bakr and at the time of ‘Umar he was first the governor of Jordan and then governor of Damascus, and at the time of ‘Uthman he was responsible for the entire principality of Syria. After the death of ‘Uthman, Hazrat Ali (as) was proclaimed caliph and issued orders for Mu’awiyah’s dismissal. However, Mu’awiyah did not comply with Imam Ali’s orders and accused him of involvement in the murder of ‘Uthman and demanded vengeance for his death. During the battle of Siffin, which was fought between Mu’awiyah’s troops and those of Hazrat Ali, ‘Amr ibn al-Aas, Mu’awiyah’s army commander, on seeing the battle going in Ali’s favor, resorted to a ruse and ordered his soldiers to fasten copies of the Qur’an to their lances and hold them up in the air. This move brought about a dispute among Ali’s followers, the battle was ended and Mu’awiyah remained in his principality. After Imam Ali’s martyrdom, his son Imam Hasan (as) was forced into a conditional peace with Mu’awiyah because of the actions of his traitorous troops and commanders and eventually relinquished the caliphate to him in 661 AD. From this date on, Mu’awiyah called himself the official Muslim caliph. See Philip K. Hitti’s History of the Arabs and S. H. M. Jafri’s The Origins and Early Development of Shi’a Islam.

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THE SHIA IMAMS (AS) AND SHIA MOVEMENTS Did that wretch77 transport Imam ar-Reza (as) to Khorasan78 simply because he prayed? Was Hazrat (Imam Hasan) al-Askari (as) held in Samarra for all those years suffering much persecution and imprisonment because he prayed?79 The caliphs too prayed; so it was not prayer that upset them. Was it because the Imams were the descendants of the Prophet? No, for if the descendants of the Prophet had sat at home and had had nothing to do with the affairs of the people, then the rulers would not have bothered them so. It was the Imams who encouraged the people to rise up against the illegitimate regimes, and if they seemingly disapproved when one of the Bani Hashim rose up against the ruling powers, they did so out of fear for their religion (for they knew that were their role in the affair discovered they would be destroyed;) otherwise it was they who instigated the revolts. The Imams prayed for Zayd and others like him who rose up against the caliphs and the powerful elite80. The clergy have always opposed the ruling powerful elite, and if you find examples of instances when this was not the case and they joined the service of the government or were corrupt, then this has nothing to do with Islam; they did not belong to this school. Sometimes, however, circumstances were such that even the true clergymen of Islam did not deem it wise to act.

SMASHING THE BARRIERS AND PLUNDERING So, by dint of their propaganda, the imperialists have succeeded in smashing these two barriers which the Muslims possessed. They distanced the people from the realities of Islam and made them dissociate themselves from the progressive clerics, so that they could achieve their aims. They created the propaganda and when these barriers were smashed, they came freely and took the oil; nobody could say a word, and nobody did! They reshaped our culture making it into an imperialist one, not one that was independent. Even now our educational system is not the independent one for which the minds of the nation had planned. They (imperialists) are still interfering; they do not allow our educational system to produce good doctors or good politicians. The politicians that their imperialist culture spawns are those who are of benefit to them. This is what has happened to our education! Unfortunately, I do not have the time now to go into 77 78 79

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This relates to Mamun, the son of Harun ar-Rashid and Abbasid caliph from 813- 833 AD who forcibly brought Imam Reza (as), the eight of the twelve Imams from the Prophet’s Progeny, from Medina to Khorasan. He later poisoned and martyred Imam Reza (as). Khorasan: a province in the north-eastern part of Iran. Imam Hasan al-Askari (845- 872 AD), the eleventh Imam from the Prophet’s Progeny, spent most of his life in the prisons of the Abbasid caliphs, al-Muhtadi, al-Mu’taz and al-Mu’tamid. Imam al-Askari was at times incarcerated and at others kept in close confinement in his home in Samarra under the watchful eye of the caliph. It is for this reason that he and his father are known as the Askarin because their house was constantly surrounded by the soldiers (Arabic ‘Askarin) of the Abbasid government. Zayd ibn Ali (d. 740 AD) was the son of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as) the fourth Imam and a contemporary of Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad caliph from 724- 743 AD. He was a great man, erudite and pious. He rose up to rectify the affairs of the Muslims and to remove heresy. However, at the very inception of his revolt, he was killed by the Umayyad forces. In his uprising, he never claimed to be an Imam and he openly acknowledged the imamate of his brother Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and the latter’s son Imam al-Sadiq. Zayd was held in such high esteem that in some of the traditions he is given the title of ‘martyr’. Because of his familiarity with and constant recitation of the Qur’an, he became known as ‘the ally of the Qur’an’. Imam al-Sadiq said about this martyr: “May God have mercy upon my uncle’s soul. His revolt constituted nothing other than following the path laid down by his forefathers, and I would have liked to have done what he did. His companions who were martyred with him have now joined the martyrs of Karbala.” Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Maliki al-Khwarizmi (1101-1701 AD), Maqtal al-Husayn, vol. 2, p. 120. The other Imams also prayed for Zayd and supported his uprising, however, Zayd and his followers were condemned by the reactionaries because according to them they had started a conflict with the heads of the Umayyads without permission.

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further detail. So they broke these barriers and came freely and began plundering the wealth of the Muslims. You all know the extent to which they are plundering the oil of Iran. They are taking so much of our oil that reserves will soon run dry. They extract our oil from the ground and take it back to their own countries where they store it for themselves because they fear that one day someone may stop them from exploiting our reserves in this way. From the time of Reza Shah, may God punish him severely, until the present day, Iran has suffered under a government which has handed over the whole of the country’s dignity and respect to the oil-devourers on a silver platter.

THE PROCESS OF LAND REFORMS Look at the state of our economy; you will see that in the name of ‘land reforms’81 - an idea of the Americans- our agrarian economy has been totally disrupted. These land reforms brought such disaster upon us. Our agriculture was completely destroyed. Our country once had a thriving agrarian economy, the produce of its Azerbaijan province or its Khorasan province alone could meet the needs of the whole nation, but now agricultural production is only sufficient to meet domestic demand for the most thirty-three days of the year! So what does the regime do to satisfy demand for the rest of the year? It imports from abroad. The Shah and his regime have turned Iran into a consumer market for American goods! The Americans produce a surplus of goods, which they either burn or throw into the sea. Now, however, they give it to us and in return take money or oil for it! The destruction of our agriculture was one aspect of their reforms that resulted in our country being turned into a consumer market for American surplus goods. Another damaging effect of the land reforms was that it led to mass migration of the villagers into the towns. When these villagers- whom initially he had said had been taken from their peasant status and were now on a par with the landowners- lost their land, they swarmed into the towns and cities, into Tehran in particular. They settled in areas around Tehran where they now live with their families in hovels, in tents or mud houses. They live at subsistence level and suffer many hardships. They have neither electricity nor water, and there is no asphalt on the roads. They live in pits, in large holes in the ground, and in order to obtain a jugful of water for their children, the poor women, even in the middle of a biting winter, have to take their jugs and climb up scores of steps, perhaps a hundred, out of this pit until they reach a water tap, and then climb back down again. This is how these big farmers that they claim to have created now live and this is the state of their ‘great civilization’!82 Our agriculture is now totally paralyzed; we no longer have any agriculture. Where will it all end?

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Land Reform was one of the main principles of neo-colonialism, which was urged on all the countries under the dominance of colonialism, from Latin America to Asia and Africa, and was implemented by the governments of these countries in a very similar manner. In 1962 (1342 SH), the Shah launched the land reform program as the first tenet of his six-point ‘White Revolution’, later renamed the ‘ShahPeople Revolution.’ This ‘Revolution’ was not a revolution at all, rather it was put into effect on the one hand to win the confidence of American capitalism; to show his approval of and cooperation with the new strategy; and to open a new market for the Western economy, and on the other to curb internal discontent and actually prevent a revolution! The reform program, which was dependent on foreign, especially American investment, dragged the Iranian agrarian economy into bankruptcy, such that a few years after its implementation the country had been changed from a wheat exporter to a major wheat importer. In addition, as a result of the migration of villagers into the towns and cities and their attraction as a cheap work force to the industries and the service sector, over a period of eleven years from 1966- 1977 [1345- 56 SH], 20,000 Iranian villages became uninhabited! Great Civilization: “Toward the Great Civilization” is the title of a book compiled by Muhammad Reza Shah. In the said book, the deposed Iranian monarch had made unrealistic claims regarding Iran’s having obtained new technology and the country’s stepping into the new industrial age.

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OIL AND A BASE FOR AMERICA They give our oil to America and what do they get in return? I have spoken about this before, but I feel I must repeat myself every day so that someone who is not aware of the situation may hear my words. They give our oil to America and they get weapons in return. What kind of weapons? Weapons that Iran is unable to use, our army doesn’t know how to use them, so why does the government get these weapons for us? It does this in order to build bases for the Americans in the country. Do not suppose that the Americans pay for the oil they take from us with money. They devour our oil and in return they give us arms, arms which have no equal, not even in France. But do they give them to us for Iran to use? No, they create bases for themselves with them. They not only take the oil, they take that which they give in exchange for it as well!

THE PLUNDERING OF OIL AND DESTRUCTION OF IRAN God only knows what treason this unworthy man, this Muhammad Reza, has committed against Islam and Muslims. You and I cannot yet find out about everything he has done, when he dies or falls from power and leaves our country, then we will discover just what he has done, most certainly some people have recorded what took place during his rule and when these historical accounts are made available, then we will come to understand just what he did to this country. He tells us that our oil reserves will be exhausted in thirty years’ time and then we will have to think of ways to use solar energy! Someone who does not even know what to do with an oil lamp now wants to use solar energy! And why is this oil of ours going to finish? Because it is being carried off through huge pipes which, according to those who saw them twenty years ago, are large enough for a man to walk into; perhaps by now they are even bigger. In return, arms come into the country for the (American) bases! If an end could be brought to the thievery of the Shah and his relatives, and the oil were exported and sold in a correct manner, that is, only as much as was needed to satisfy the needs of Iran and administer the country being sold, then we may have oil for maybe the next two hundred years. The Shah says our oil will finish, but who is finishing it? He is! Then what will we do? The nation’s oil is finishing, as he says, its agriculture has been destroyed, so what are we to do? What does the future hold for this weak nation? He answers by saying: “We will become industrialized!” But do not be deceived by this. What is happening to our country is not industrialization. The creation of a steel mill does not constitute industrialization; it is not being established for the good of the nation; it is being built to allow the Russians to make a base here, so that they can facilitate the entry of their agents into the country and their activities here! They take our gas and the others take our oil. Soon there will be no gas, no oil, no agriculture, nothing. Then what will this nation do? The Shah once said that if he had to leave Iran he would turn it into a heap of rubble first. He has already done this, and if he stays he’ll make things even worse. If he leaves then it’s still possible for some true-hearted, upright people to take over and save our oil reserves, to preserve them so they remain for us and to correct the state of our agriculture. If he finishes his ruining of the country and then gets out, even this is to our advantage and is better than if he remains.

OUR OPINION ON THE MANIFESTATIONS OF CIVILIZATION This is why we are shouting so, not because we do not want the manifestations of civilization. He accuses the akhunds of being opposed to civilization, of wanting to ride around on donkeys. What can one say to such a person? We are shouting out that we accept all the manifestations of civilization, but do these include the present actions of the martial-law government? Over the past few days, our young children, eight- and

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nine-year old girls have been killed. The government agents have shed the blood of the youth in the senior high-schools and the universities, they have committed so many crimes that the students are constantly on strike. Now the regime has turned its attention to the primary school children! Now it is these young children who are being killed. This is how the Shah hopes to destroy us, he hopes to slay the nation and then leave.

AMERICAN AGENTS FOR SLAUGHTERING THE MASSES We are crying out that this nation should be in control of its own wealth; it should administer its own affairs. We do not want “advisers” from America! The budget that is allocated to these sixty thousand advisers is so great that you and I cannot imagine it. Do not use the country’s budget to finance military advisers. It is truly amazing; they create bases for them here; they bring in the military advisers and then the nation has to pay the cost! The nation gives its oil in exchange for military bases! Just think about it for a moment, the Americans send us weapons that are of no use at all to Iran and never will be, they are only good for use in a war between two superpowers. These weapons are not sent for our use, Iran doesn’t need such weapons; machine-guns and the like are all that this regime needs to see to its domestic affairs! Our country does not want to embark on a war. Can we fight Russia or America? No, we can only fight with the bazaar merchants in Tehran; so machine-guns are all we need! We can only fight with the university students! And we have now reached the stage where we are fighting with the primary school children as well, with eight- and nineyear olds! Just yesterday or the day before I was informed that the regime had once again sent its agents to a primary school where they beat up the small children, crippling some of them. Machine-guns are sufficient for slaying our own countrymen; we do not need these other weapons! These weapons that are brought into the country are not for us; they are for someone else, someone who knows how to use them and has use for them; they’re here for the Americans! We give them our oil and in return build bases for them! We use the money they pay for our oil to build these bases and buy weaponry to equip them, and then we bring in their military advisers to operate these weapons and pay them for doing this! This is what this regime is doing; it has reduced the country to a state of ruin. Your country is being destroyed!

ASSISTING THE REVOLUTIONARIES AND EXPOSITION AGAINST THE TAGHUTS Gentlemen, our fellow-countrymen have now risen up. We are duty-bound to help them as much as we can. Your number runs into the thousands; if each of you informs only ten of your European friends and acquaintances of the situation in Iran, then you will have made thousands of people aware of the truth, for the Western newspapers have not painted a true picture of events in Iran. They receive hundreds of millions of dollars from this man for propaganda purposes, so they portray the situation in Iran in a bad light. You are Iranians; you should explain to these European people just what exactly is happening in Iran, what problems the people there face. If you are able, write about it in newspapers or magazines. We should not be indifferent toward a nation which is giving its youth, which is sacrificing lives for a cause which is yours too. Tomorrow is the fortieth day after the massacre on Black Friday83. I do not know what disasters lie in store for the nation. The people have arisen, they are sacrificing lives, seven- and eight-year old children have arisen with them and are shouting “Death to this Pahlavi monarchy” are slain. Demonstrations are

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The Iranian nation named as “Black Friday” Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH [September 8, 1978] when large numbers of innocent demonstrators were massacred at the Zhaleh Square in Tehran (now Martyrs’ Square).

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held and people are slain. Tomorrow the children will be in the streets again voicing their opposition. Iran has risen up and we have a duty to help our fellow-countrymen. We should not be apathetic; we should speak to people and write about what is happening in Iran and publish what we write. We should inform the world of this disaster which has befallen our nation. It is now time for prayer. May God protect you all and may you all be successful.

32nd Speech Date: October 16, 1978/Mehr 24, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 13, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The comprehensiveness of Islam Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

CORRELATION BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION: INCARNATION OF ACTIONS The action we are now taking is for the benefit of society, it is to enable our young and our society in general to develop. This deed is a spiritual deed; it is a sacred deed which will become manifest in the next world; there you will actually see the true manifestations of all your deeds, manifestations which are presently beyond our vision The next world will reflect whatever is here in this world. Just as a sound echoes and reverberates when made here in this life, so too whatever deeds we perform here will be reflected there in the next world. We will realize the truth of our deeds once we have departed from this world; only then shall we truly see them for what they are. The Holy Qur’an states: “So, he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it.”84 That is, whosoever performs a good deed here (in this life) will be confronted by that same good deed there (in the Hereafter). There, in the next world, this good deed will appear in pleasant forms; it will appear in forms which befit the deed itself. And after man’s death, it will accompany him right until the very end. “And he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it.”85 Whoever does evil, no matter how great, no matter how small, he too will see this deed in the next world. He will see its true manifestation there. Indeed, Heaven and Hell will be created from my deeds and yours. Our deeds are the essential ingredients of Heaven and Hell. Therefore, do not waste this life. God, the Blessed and Exalted, has given this precious life to you so that you may make the most of it and do good while you are here in this world. God has provided you with guidance so that you may perform good deeds- deeds which benefit the society and which benefit you yourselves. And this He has done because He knows and is aware of the actual truth, that being that one will be confronted by whatever deeds one has performed here, in the next world. Just as the effect of medicines or poisonous substances consumed by man can be seen here in this world, so too the effect of a deed performed here will be tangible and visible there in the next world where it will assume the form of the deed itself. Indeed, there man will see his true self. Thus, reason dictates that 84 85

Qur’an, 99: 7 Qur’an, 99: 8

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during his brief stay in this world man ought not to waste his life, he ought not to allow it to be used in the path of evil whereby it becomes a weight around his neck. Instead he should put it to good use. Any good deed which you may perform here, God willing, is for your own benefit and for the benefit of the society in which you live. It will reappear to you there in the next world, God willing.

THE NECESSITY OF NOT PUTTING OFF WORSHIP AND EMBRACING THE OPPORTUNITY OF YOUTH However, do not defer the performance of good deeds until the time when your life is drawing to an end. This intention is an illusion which man may well entertain but which is in fact one of those evil fallacies which merely prevent one from doing good, whereby one tells oneself that one is still young, that one is in the prime of one’s life and so must make the most of one’s youth; that one is to let his passions run wild and is to commit wrongdoings- that one is to go ahead and commit those ugly deeds one would like to commit, for God willing, one will be able to make amends at a later stage of one’s life. But if man does not begin to fight against his illicit passions and desires while still in his youth- against those passions, both healthy and unhealthy, which have never before been restrained in any way- then there is no way that he can make amends for his evil deeds at a later stage. God forbid that you should at all give way to unhealthy desires; that you should allow yourselves to violate people’s rights or to encroach upon that which belongs to others. And God forbid that during your brief stay here (in this world) - a stay which is indeed short for us all- you should spend these precious few days in the performance of evil deeds whose effect will never be lost but rather will prevail forever, to the end of time. While it is true that the doors to God-given bounties and blessings are open to you all and you are to freely make use of them, nevertheless, there must be a limit to how much you avail yourselves of them. That is to say, the extent to which we make use of these blessings must be within the limits set by divine law. Whatever we do must conform to divine law if we are to attain true development.

THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL LAWS OF ISLAM Divine law is unlike these worldly laws. The latter have taken but one or two aspects of life into account and relate only to the life of this world. This is all these worldly laws constitute and are restricted to and even then there is no certainty that man has been able to determine all the various aspects involved enabling him to design laws for them all. However, the laws of God contain provisions for everything. Injunctions have even been laid down which pertain to the time prior to man’s conception- the time when two people come together to conceive a child. Consider a human being before being conceived by his parents- in God’s laws there are instructions regarding measures which are to be taken to ensure that the child to be born is healthy and morally upright. There are religious instructions which relate to the choosing of a partner: instructions concerning the kind of husband to be chosen for a woman and the kind of wife to be chosen for a man. And once married, God’s laws stipulate certain duties that are incumbent upon both spouses during their marital state- duties which have been stipulated so that the awaited offspring may develop into a morally upright and virtuous human being. There are injunctions which pertain to that very moment when a clot of blood is about to turn into an embryo; there are certain rules which are to be observed here. And this is all to enable the correct development of the fetus. Again, there are also rules with regard to a mother’s pregnancy. Divine laws contain provisions which relate to the moment a child is born into the world and

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which concern how a newborn baby is to be reared; how the mother should relate to her child; and the responsibilities she has toward it. As the child grows the mother and father’s responsibilities toward it increase, and the parents have a duty to bring this child up to the best of their ability. Then the stage is reached where the type of training given to a child is no longer to be solely parental in nature but must become essentially instructive; and again there are religious rules which apply to each of these stages and yet further laws which apply to the time when a child reaches an independent age. Indeed, Islam has provided laws for each stage of man’s development. It has laws which apply to the time of man’s death and laws which pertain even to the stage after death. Yes, while still here in this life, Islam has even provided us with laws which pertain to the next life. The laws of God, unlike these mundane, man-made laws which can see no further than this material realm, have also taken the spiritual realm into account, and hence contain provisions which relate to that realm. All of God’s prophets (as) have come to teach man how to develop in every way. No one other than the prophets is capable of teaching man how to develop in every dimension. Even if one succeeded in rearing a virtuous human being, a person who was morally upright, this training would only be designed for the life of this world. It would only teach one how to live in this world, how to lead a virtuous life here and so on. It could do no more than this since the second state of being which follows the life in this world is beyond man’s reach and therefore he is unable to provide his child with the training needed for that later state. This responsibility lies solely with the prophets; and no one other than the prophets is capable of performing this function. The prophets have left teachings which refer to the temporal aspects of man’s existence; they have provided instructions and laid down laws in this respect. And again, they have instructed man in the spiritual aspects of his being and in those aspects which concern the next life, thus laying down numerous injunctions and guidelines to this end.

LIFE, A DIVINE TRUST IN THE WAY OF ALLAH You who are still young, who are still blessed with the gift of youth, should try to be of some significance here in this life. You who are yet students should endeavor to be persons who have a positive effect on this life. You should try to be beneficial; you should try to benefit your brothers (in Islam); and to be of benefit to yourselves, your society, your nation and your country. Try not to waste your lives whereby you lose this chance, for when you have reached my age you will then realize that you can no longer make up for the past. Make the decision now to do something worthwhile with your lives, for things such as infirmity and illness which come to you later in life, prevent you from being able to do anything anymore. Use this Godgiven strength that you now possess in the way of God. This strength has been entrusted to you by God, so use it in His path. To use this strength in God’s path means using it for the benefit of society, for the benefit of an Islamic country. It means using it to strengthen Islam, to drive out the enemies of Islam, and to force the retreat of these people who have come to our country and are infringing upon the rights of the Muslims and depleting the state treasuries of the Muslims.

REFORM FOR THE TWO WORLDS In addition, pay due attention to all of those religious rules, practices and so on which have been laid down with a view to your life in the next world. Work toward (reforming the self) both for this life and for the Hereafter. God forbid that you should expend all of your energy on satisfying illicit desires. Do not let your energy go to waste. Do not expend your time and energy on this world alone; but instead, benefit both from

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this world and from the next. Islam, unlike Christianity, does not tell one to sit on the sidelines and to remain inactive; and even then I wonder whether this is actually something which has been said by Jesus (as) himself, or whether it has in fact been said by some akhunds who have then attributed such a statement to him. Again, I cannot see how the teachings of Jesus would be such that they would, for example, teach this mankind whom God has put on this earth and on whom He has bestowed many blessings, to deprive himself of these blessings. Surely this cannot be the case. Jesus (as), this great prophet of God, would never teach someone to turn the other cheek were he to be struck by an oppressor! Indeed, these are the words of Satan and not Jesus.86 Jesus, the great prophet, is a true human being in every sense of the word. It is their akhunds who claim to follow in his path, their priests who have invented such words. And even then do not be mistaken in thinking that they actually practice what they preach, for indeed they do not. Instead they tell their fellow-believers to practice it! This is surely not what Jesus taught.

THE BLENDING OF MORAL AND SOCIAL LAWS IN ISLAM However, regardless of what Christianity supposedly espouses, that which Islam advocates is unambiguously clear. Its injunctions are plain for all to see. Islam contains certain injunctions with regard to war. The Qur’an repeatedly discusses engaging in battle with the infidels and the corrupt. So draw your swords and cut down these harmful weeds- these people who want to lead mankind into corruption and these who have pounced on the people. Yes, you are either to draw your swords and rid the earth of those who behave in this way, or you are to pull them back into line. If possible, do the latter; but if not, then get rid of them for otherwise you may one day find that one such corrupt being has caused a whole society to become corrupt. Islam and the Qur’an contain many verses in regard to war and peace. They speak both of training the mind and the body. Everything can be found in the Qur’an. The Qur’an abounds with all of those issues needed to meet man’s requirements. That is to say, man is a creature with many needs; needs which possess different dimensions. It is not a case of him having one type of need only. In the animal kingdom needs are purely physical; animals have no needs other than those on a physical plane. Hence, those who call on us to believe that this worldly existence is the be all and end all, are therefore in fact calling on us to be like animals! They tell a nation87 of one billion people that they are simply to eat and sleep as do animals; that you are to do no more than this. But this is a mistake. Man is not like an animal. Man possesses intellect; he possesses other capabilities and powers- powers which must be put to some use. Yes, Islam concerns itself with spirituality, but it also concerns itself with this temporal world, just like those who concentrate on the affairs of this world. Islam concentrates on a healthy world; however, it is not a world in which people’s possessions are appropriated and their lives and property usurped. No, Islam forbids such things. As for healthy desires and pastimes however, Islam and the Qur’an have in no way prevented these. That which Islam does forbid and which it opposes is that which leads people toward illicit desires.

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In the Gospel of Saint Matthew 5: 38- 40 it reads: “You have heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also, and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.” It refers to China whose population was estimated to be one billion people at the time of this speech.

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OPPOSITION TO CORRUPTION If those in the clergy sometimes voice discontent and opposition toward the cinema, it is because these cinemas which are now widespread throughout Iran are there to corrupt the younger generation. After having frequented this kind of cinema over a period of time, these youngsters become corrupted. This is the sort of thing that we are against. Were the cinema to be morally and intellectually instructive then who would oppose it? But the fact is that we can see that our entire country, from its cinemas to its schools, is serving imperialism. That is, these institutions have been brought into our country from abroad; they have been brought to us as” gifts”- gifts which will corrupt our youth in every way. Indeed, should the mosque one day turn into one such institution, an institution which enjoins evil, then we would even close the doors to the mosque. In fact the Holy Prophet (s) once destroyed a mosque- the “Mosque of Destruction” (Masjid al-Zarar) Mosque, which had been built as a place from where to oppose the Prophet and from where immoral teachings and the like were propagated. The Prophet (s) ordered for this mosque to be destroyed.88 Similarly, if there were a mosque which was injurious to society, and which was beyond reform, then we too would order for its destruction. It is not that we would only consider destroying the cinemas. Our opposition to the cinema is an opposition to that particular type of cinema which is in Iran today. It is not that we oppose the cinema in itself for we have nothing against the cinema as such. Indeed, if the cinema is an uncorrupted institution, if it is not used as a means of indoctrination, if it serves to educate the young and if there is freedom, then it is but another means of providing instruction and guidance; it is just like a school. The present situation in Iran, however, is an exceptional one. From the time these usurpers of oil entered Iran and conducted investigations about it and about other Eastern countries, thereby realizing the benefits to be gained there- for the East is rich in resources which are needed by the West- they launched their propaganda campaign and began to take other such measures to further their interests. Their aim was to lead us astray, to brainwash us with imperialist notions, to ensure that our minds did not develop correctly. They wanted to prevent us from developing, to prevent our schools from producing true human beings, from producing a single morally-upright human being. Whatever has been passed on to us by the West is harmful for our youth. And it is because these things are harmful that we oppose them and that any reasonable person should also oppose them. No one opposes something which is of benefit, something which helps to develop the mind and to improve the powers of reason. The fact is that these Western powers have sold their ideas to the East to enable them to take away our national assets. And they continue to do so even now. Even now they are taking away Iran’s assets; they are devouring them and almost...

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This occurred when the Prophet (s) had returned from battle against the infidels of Tabuk. The Munafiqin (hypocrites) approached the Prophet and told him that they had built a mosque to where people could go on cold and rainy nights and where the sick could find shelter. They then requested that the Prophet take part in a congregational prayer which was to be held in their mosque. The Prophet said that he would reply to this request on his return from Tabuk; and having returned, he ordered for the mosque in question to be demolished. Subsequently the following holy verse was revealed: “As for those who took to a mosque for sabotage and for defiance, and to cause

division among the faithful, and for the purpose of ambush [used] by those who have fought Allah and His Apostle before— they will surely swear, ‘We desired nothing but good,’ and Allah bears witness that they are indeed liars .” (Surah al-Tawbah 9: 107). For further information, see commentary of the verse at https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol18/surah-al-munafiqun-chapter-63; Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani, Hypocrites-A Commentary on Surah Munafiqun, available at: https://www.alislam.org/hypocrites-commentary-surah-al-munafiqun-jafar-subhani

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NECESSITY OF COOPERATING WITH THE IRANIAN MOVEMENT As well as attending to self-edification, you, my good men, are to make the decision to join and co-operate with the nation of Iran- with these people who have now risen up and who have embarked upon this great movement for the sake of Islam and mankind. You are to help as much as you can. Each of you, wherever you may be, should help as much as possible. As fellow human beings we must do what we can to assist this weak nation which has risen up for your sakes and for the sake of us all, so that, God willing, this element of corruption may be removed, the hands of those who are destroying our every possession and are plundering our every reserve may be severed, and instead these things may remain for you to do with as you see fit. This is all that we argue. Let the papers go ahead and write whatever they like. When they write of the akhunds wanting to take the people back to the age of barbarism, this is nothing but propaganda which is put across to make the usurpation of oil possible. So beware, for all of these measures have been taken with a view to usurping our oil and devouring the resources in the East. To the Americans and to the Russians- to these two countries, one of which is taking away our oil and the other our gas- we say: “We want you to desist from taking these resources away. We want these resources to belong to us. We want this Pahlavi dynasty, which is serving you and betraying us, to be no more. We want someone; we ourselves have chosen to rule us;” although our present rulers in fact tell their newspapers to write the contrary. I pray that you may all be successful; that you may all receive God’s assistance; and that God willing, you may serve Islam.

33rd Speech Date: October 16, 1978/Mehr 24, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 13, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Monarchy is synonymous with dictatorship Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

FAILURE AND INABILITY OF THE SHAH AND IRAN TO CALM THE SITUATION .... However, I am living somewhere that my visitors have to remain standing; they are standing... and there is not sufficient space for them to be received hospitably.89 I apologize for this. Please feel at home here. May you all prove to be assets to your community wherever you may be. Indeed, our society will need certain people to help run the country; it will need them to fill positions in government and administration and in areas of even more importance. Iran is still in a state of turmoil. America does not have what it takes to keep the country under control; and as for the Shah, he also is unable to bring calm to the country. None of these powers or forces can calm the people down. Even if they decided to allow a military figure to rule the country or agreed to a coup d’état whereby some ruthless military officer came to power, they still 89

Imam spoke to his audience beneath a fifty-square-meter awning which had been erected in the yard of his residence at Neauphle-leChateau, but due to a lack of space many people actually remained standing out in the cold, open air.

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would not be able to calm the situation in Iran. A nation cannot be silenced at bayonet-point and told that it must remain repressed forever. Such a situation can only last for so long; it cannot continue indefinitely.

THE COUNTRY IS OPPOSED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF MONARCHY And now it looks as though this state of repression which has reigned in Iran for the past fifty years has now reached the end of its term, because the Iranian nation of today is no longer the nation it was twenty years ago. Now, the nation of Iran is one which is awake and one in which all social classes have risen up in opposition both to this dynasty’s sovereign rule and to the idea of monarchism. The basic principles of monarchy are something which made no sense from the very start. They have never made sense, since monarchy is synonymous with oppression, brutality and dictatorship; and that goes for all countries both large and small. No matter which past monarchy one may consider... one sees that it has mainly entailed these elements of tyranny and dictatorship. This is not something, which is exclusive to Iran and to Iranian kings, for others, such as the emperors and tsars of Russia have in fact been worse than the kings of Iran.

CLAIMANTS OF JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY Even though many foreign countries have now become republican states, these factors still prevail but they appear in another guise. Do not be mistaken in thinking that some country or other is now governed on the basis of justice, for this is not the case. Take America for example; this is one of those large countries, which is now governed as a republic. It is a country which has signed the Declaration of Human Rights and which loudly advocates these rights, speaking up for people’s freedom and so on; and yet it is a country where true freedom and justice do not prevail. The situation is one whereby the President there does not in fact exert a great deal of force within his own country, but instead he governs as a dictator in other countries such as ours. America and the like have installed their agents in countries like our own- countries, which are under their domination- and they continue to offer these agents their support, endorsing their acts of murder and condoning those criminal and treacherous acts, which these agents have committed for the sake of their masters. Not one of these existing forms of government, be it republican, monarchical, constitutional or dictatorial, can be said to be a form of government which is just, a government which really improves people’s lives, which truly governs for the sake of the people and not for the superpowers or for themselves. No indeed, no such government presently exists. But the government sought by us has these characteristic features- that is, the government sought by us is an Islamic government. If one day, God willing, we are able to administer an Islamic government in these countries or in our own country of Iran, then everyone would see just what form a government should in fact take. They would see what the essential qualifications are for someone to become a ruler- qualifications which have carefully been specified in Islam. Should a ruler not fulfill these requirements then he will inevitably fall from power. There is no need for him to relinquish power or for him to be ousted from his position, for he will automatically fall from power eventually anyway. Nevertheless, the nation still has a duty to try its best to get rid of him. So much for the prerequisite qualities of a ruler; but when one considers a nation, there are other issues involved... issues which concern human rights for example.

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VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS BY THE CLAIMANTS OF (PRESERVATION OF) THESE RIGHTS These countries which boast about things such as human rights are in fact guilty of violating the rights of mankind more than anything else. All of these deadly weapons which have been the cause of warfare worldwide have in fact been made by these very countries- countries which have signed the Declaration of Human Rights- countries such as France, for example. Yes, the latter indeed signed this Declaration, but just look at what it did in Algeria90 and even now, given the chance, it will continue to engage in such acts. The same goes for America and the Soviet Union too. They are all busy plundering the people; devouring that which belongs to the people. They do so under different guises, however- guises which serve to deceive the people. Hence, people are convinced, for example, that the government of the Soviet Union is now one, which truly serves the people; that it is “communist” in the true sense of the word; and that it serves the popular masses. On closer inspection however, one sees that this is not in fact the case, and that this “communist” state is even more brutal and oppressive than other countries; that people are treated with more contempt there than they are elsewhere.91 One of its leaders92 once said that the amount of work done by the people in his country ought to be measured against the amount of food they consumed, and that should someone’s output be found to be less than their consumption, then that person ought to be thrown into the sea! Yes, this is the kind of conviction held by these so-called “lovers of mankind.”

THEY ARE DECEIVING US All this talk of human rights, etc. is nothing other than their use of different guises to deceive us. It is nothing but a game. They want to fool the people in the East with these different ideologies of theirs. And indeed, we in turn have been taken in by this trick. Similarly, we have become so infatuated with the West, so “xenomaniac” (westoxicated)93 as someone once put it, that we do not even bother to ask ourselves exactly what is so special about this “West” that everyone raves about; they have even robbed us of the

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In 1830, France dispatched troops to Algeria with a view to conquering this country, but in so doing it met with resistance from the Algerian people. The leader of this resistance, Amir ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jazayiri, engaged in a prolonged battle against the French, and following seventeen years of fighting and conflict was eventually defeated and captured by his French opponents. In 1847, having occupied a large area of Algeria, the French actually colonized the country; and by the beginning of the twentieth century the whole of Algeria lay under French control. Following a prolonged period of resistance by the Algerian people, in 1959 Charles de Gaulle eventually gave them political autonomy. Since the Algerian combatants sought complete independence however, they continued in their struggle against the French until 1962 when De Gaulle was forced to sign a peace pact which granted full independence to Algeria. Nevertheless, the French military command was deeply disappointed by the signed agreement and thus took measures to stir up internal strife in Algeria. At the end of the day, the Algerian revolution left one million Algerians dead- Algerians who had been killed by the French.

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Stalin believed in the motto: “The dead are still.” Anyone was likely to have heard Stalin say the words, “We shall shoot you down,” for he believed this to be the solution to all problems. Lenin was no different. During the ‘Red Terrorism’ campaign which was a campaign carried out on Lenin’s orders to counteract ‘White Terrorism,’ a series of mass executions were held, those executed having no recourse to any kind of trial. It is said that within a few minutes Lenin once recalled and prepared a long list of the names of suspected opponents of the revolution who were to be sentenced to death, to which list he then gave his signature! Refer to the book, Kajraheh by Ihsan Tabari, the former theorist of the Tudeh Party in Iran. Lenin.

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Xenomaniacs: Those infatuated with foreign and especially Western models of culture. This is a translation of a Persian term, gharbzadehha (westoxicated), popularized by Jalal Aal-i Ahmad (1923 – 1969 AD) in his book Gharbzadegi (“Occidentosis, Westoxicosis”). See its English translation, R. Campbell (trans.) and Hamid Algar (ed. and anno.), Occidentosis- A Plague from the West (Berkeley: Al-Mizan Press, 1984). He was a writer of great influence and Imam Khomeini was acquainted with his work. See the commemorative supplement on Jalal Aal-i Ahmad in the Tehran daily newspaper Jumhuri-ye Islami, Shahrivar 20, 1359 SH [September 11, 1980], p. 10.

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ability to give this matter thought. They do not even allow us to consider what those in the West are actually doing to mankind, or what they have already done to it. Yes, they have achieved progress, but this has been a deadly progress, a progress that is leading to man’s annihilation.

WHAT WE WANT IS A JUST GOVERNMENT AND ONE THAT WILL SERVE (US) Therefore, that which we seek is a just system of rule, a just regime and a just ruling body; one which can be trusted by the people and which will serve the society; one which will not embezzle public funds and which will not swindle the State treasury. And indeed, should such a government be established in Iran for example- a country possessing massive reserves, only one of which is oil- and should the present thieving be stopped, and an end be put to the present squandering and treachery, then it may be possible for our country to be run on its oil alone. Furthermore, there would be no need to extract oil on the same presentday scale; a reasonable amount could be extracted, a reasonable amount could be sold, and a reasonable amount could be consumed. Yes, Iran possesses various reserves, but they are devouring them, they are plundering them. And eventually revenues will dwindle away for they are using whatever there is now for themselves.

IRAN A COUNTRY UP IN ARMS However, be that as it may, the fact remains that Iran is now a country that is up in arms. I am concerned about what might happen, and I only hope that today, which is the fortieth day following the events of Black Friday, we do not witness further killings thereby necessitating the holding of another fortieth-day memorial ceremony. God willing this will not be the case. Now in Iran they are... ruling by the bayonet. The country is being governed at the point of a bayonet, but the people are not yielding to this iron-fisted rule. That is, they have risen up in revolt out of utter despair at these injustices that have been committed against them. They have now decided to risk their lives and have entered the battlefield, small children and old men alike. Now they are all crying out: “Death to this Shah,” and “Death to this monarchy!” This uprising, which is a popular, mass uprising, and which constitutes a referendum on the illegitimacy of monarchical rule, is something which cannot be silenced by use of the bayonet. It is a matter which requires a remedy. These different regimes, these various Prime Ministers who come and go one after another, cannot provide this remedy; and nor can any military figure. It is the Shah alone who can provide the remedy- that being for him to get up and leave. If he leaves Iran the country will rest content; it will be governed in a better way. However, the Americans believe their interests to lie in his hands, and since he is the best servant they have, they give him their backing. The fact that America has so far not been able to... if it were not to support him (the Shah) the nation would get rid of him much sooner.

NECESSITY OF REVEALING SHAH’S CRIMES AND CLARIFICATION OF THE REVOLUTION ABROAD In any event, those of us who are here have a duty to fulfill and that includes all of you gentlemen, regardless of where you reside. Our consciences, our religious law and reason all dictate that we help those Iranians whose blood is being spilled; those who are sacrificing the lives of their children. We are to help by disseminating information. Wherever you may be, each one of you can communicate with a certain number

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of people there and can explain to them about what has happened in Iran. Make it clear just what the people of Iran actually want. The Iranian people do not want their country to be in a state of unrest and turmoil; they want peace and tranquility. But there is no chance of this while this dynasty remains. Therefore, the people want this dynasty which has betrayed them to exist no more. This is what you must explain in order to enlighten the people. If possible, you can then get what you have to say printed in these magazines and newspapers that are published here (abroad). This is the sort of assistance you can give over here. As for the helpless people in Iran, they are under extreme pressure. Every day conflict arises somewhere or other; killings take place; an explosive situation breaks out; and it is they who are on the receiving end. You are not on the receiving end in that sense, but nevertheless you are still to bear their suffering firmly in mind so that you may do your utmost for the people of your nation. The latter have risen up for your sakes and you in return must do your part by propagating the Iranian nation’s cause for their sakes. Do whatever is in your power to help. May God preserve you and may you be successful

34th Speech Date: October 20, 1978/Mehr 28, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 17, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Islam and the clergy: two great obstacles in the way of imperialist penetration Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE EFFORTS OF THE IMPERIALISTS TO REMOVE THE TWO OBSTACLES: ISLAM AND THE CLERGY ... Because of the natural resources and minerals that they possess and the interests of certain groups, the countries of the East have become an important concern for the world. Consequently, the Western newspapers have examined their situation thoroughly and the information can be found therein. The discussion revolves around ways to lull these Eastern societies and keep them from progressing in certain important areas. The imperialists have studied this issue very carefully and have come to the conclusion that there is one great force which stands in the path of their ambitions- whether materialistic or spiritual. They have concluded that in these Islamic countries, Islam is this great force and is a barrier which could block imperialism and endanger their interests, and that those who impart the message of Islam, and they consist of the clergy, form a further obstacle to their designs. They have identified these two forces and have concluded that were true Islam and the true clerics of Islam to gain dominance; they would not give the imperialists and the foreigners the opportunity to exploit the country. Their plan is to keep these countries in a state of backwardness so that they can realize their own ambitions there and install their own agents in power. They view these two forces as two motivating forces which have to be destroyed. These two forces must be taken away from the East so that they can implement their plans easily.

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REZA SHAH, AGENT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPERIALISM You may be too young, but during my own lifetime I have witnessed this plan in action. When Reza Shah came to power his mission was twofold: to destroy Islam, even in the eyes of the Muslims themselves, and to belittle the clergy and then destroy them, thus removing what the foreigners saw as the barriers to their designs. He began his task by banning all religious assemblies throughout Iran. For a time, if one wanted to preach to one’s congregation or deliver a sermon, it was not possible, not openly anyway. Sometimes such gatherings took place surreptitiously, at midnight or before dawn, but even then the agents were on the look-out and at times they would burst in on gatherings and arrest people and take them away. In this way, this person wanted to obliterate all Islamic manifestations.

SUPPRESSION OF THE CLERGY BY REZA KHAN94 As for the clergy, I cannot describe for you what he did to the ulama, and especially to those who were influential in any way, such as the late Mudarris.95 The latter stood up to Reza Shah, and he had to endure much suffering for doing so before Reza Shah eventually killed him. This monarch brought groups of ulama to Tehran from the provinces. For example, the late Aqazadeh, who was a very influential person in Khorasan- so much so that he was called the ”King of Khorasan”- was arrested and brought to Tehran.96 I myself saw him in a house that was guarded; a chair had been placed outside because he was apparently

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Reza Khan, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran, likewise known as Reza Shah and the father of Muhammad Reza, staged a coup in Iran in 1299 SH [1920] based on a plan devised by the British. In the year 1925, he was crowned. Before staging a coup, he was the commander of a unit of “Cossacks” in the city of Qazvin. In 1941, when Iran was occupied by the Allied Forces, Reza Shah abdicated, as was ordered by the Allied leaders, in favor of his son, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi whom the Allied leaders deemed an appropriate person to rule over Iran. The political atmosphere, resulting from these changes, paved the way for a five-year-long liberalization. These charades were being organized based on the plans by the British government and executed by their agents. The British also ordered Reza Shah into exile on Mauritius Island south of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Reza Shah finally died in 1944 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sayyid Hasan Mudarris (1859- 1938 AD) was one of the greatest religious and political figures in the recent history of Iran. He received his elementary education in Isfahan and then traveled to the cities of the holy shrines (the cities of Iraq where certain of the imams are buried: Najaf, Karbala and Kazimayn, and to a certain extent some others) where he received further education from such scholars as Mulla Muhammad Kazim Khurasani and, after graduation to the level of ijtihad, he returned to Isfahan and began teaching Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] and principles [usul]. In 1909, at the time of the Second National Assembly, he entered Parliament having been chosen by the maraji’ at-taqlid and the ulama of Najaf as one of the five mujtahids who were to oversee the law-making procedures. At the time of the Third National Assembly, he was chosen as a Member of Parliament. When Reza Khan carried out his coup d’état, Mudarris was arrested and sent into exile, but after being freed he was again chosen by the people and again entered Parliament. In the Fourth National Assembly, he headed the opposition majority against Reza Khan. At the time of the Fifth and Sixth National Assemblies, he opposed the proposal for the establishment of a republic, which Reza Khan was in favor of, to replace the constitutional government, and he dissuaded the Parliament from approving it. He was resolute in his stand against the stubborn Reza Khan, such that the Shah hired an assassin to kill Mudarris and when he escaped the attempt, he sent him first into exile in the remote town of Khaf near the Afghan border, and later in Kashmar, where eleven years later in Ramazan 1938, the agents of the Shah poisoned him. In this way, one of the greatest political and religious personalities of Iran was martyred in the way of Allah. Mudarris possessed outstanding qualities, and even though he was a man of great political and religious influence, he lived very simply. Imam Khomeini always spoke of him with a great deal of respect. The Leader of the Revolution, on the occasion of the renovation of Mudarris’ grave, wrote: “At a time when pens were broken, voices silenced and throats gripped, he never ceased from revealing the truth and abolishing falsehood.... this feeble scholar, weak in body but strong in a spirit joyful from belief, sincerity and truth, and possessing a tongue like the sword of Haydar Karar (Imam Ali), stood in front of them and shouted out the truth and disclosed the crimes, making life difficult for Reza Khan and blackening his days. Finally, he sacrificed his own pure life in the way of dear Islam and the noble nation, and was martyred in exile at the hands of the oppressive Shah’s executioner and joined his virtuous forefathers.” Reference to Mirza Muhammad (Aqazadeh) Najafi Khorasani (1877-1938 AD) the son of Akhund Khorasani.

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tired and was sitting there. I was told how Reza Shah’s agents had taken him, without his turban accompanied by a few soldiers, to the court of justice to stand trial. They had taken him on foot through the streets in this condition so that the prosecutor could question him. They arrested all the ulama of Azerbaijan97, including two of the great personalities there: the late Haj Sadiq Aqa and the late Angaji98, and took them to a village in Kurdistan where they kept them stay for a while. They tormented the ulama of Isfahan in much the same way. Reza Shah put so much pressure on the theological schools that one day only one person turned up for my class which was usually attended by a number of students! I was told that between dawn and sunrise they had all run away from their rooms and had gone to the orchards, returning later dressed in different clothes so that they wouldn’t be recognized. His agents would enter the schools and arrest the religious students and the learned ones and take them away on the pretext that they should not be wearing turbans or that they should go to perform their national service and thousands of other excuses.

THE ACCUSATION AGAINST ISLAMIC TEACHINGS OF WORSHIPPING THE OLD This was how this man carried out his mission to destroy these two forces which blocked the imperialists’ plans. Both Islam and the Islamic scholars and propagators must be defeated. Gradually, however, the imperialists came to realize that this method of elimination was not very effective. So, they chose another way: to introduce Islam to the people within the country and those outside in such a way that made it appear a very insignificant, petty and outdated affair filled with superstitions. Thus, they embarked on their propaganda campaign both at home and abroad to advance the idea that yes, Islam exists, but if it is anything important its importance belongs to 1,400 years ago, when the Arabs were uncivilized and these teachings were for them, that now with the advent of civilization, Islam is outdated and useless. Its teachings oppose progress and freedom; it does not allow the people to be free; women have no freedom at all in Islam and education is prohibited. They would have the people believe that were Islam to gain predominance, all traces of modernity would be effaced; travel by airplane would be forbidden; schooling would be prohibited; and women would not be allowed to leave their homes. They have succeeded in spreading such ideas on a vast scale throughout the world.

ACCUSATION OF THE CLERGY OF SUPPORTING THE PRESENT REGIME As for the ulama of Islam who pursued the task of diffusing the word of Islam, they vilified them, called them “worshippers of the old,” said they had been installed by courtiers and capitalists to opiate the people so that the capitalists could achieve their aims. They accused them of always appealing to the people to

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One of the freedom movements during the despotic reign of Reza Khan was that of the ulama of the Iranian province of Azerbaijan. This movement was led by Mirza Sadiq Aqa and Angaji, two of the great religious jurisprudents (fuqaha) and maraji’ of the people of Azerbaijan. In order to suppress the movement, Reza Khan sent these two theologians first to Kurdistan and then to Qum. Angaji was able to return to Tabriz after a while, but Sadiq Aqaa remained in exile in Qum until the end of his life. Mirza Sadiq, the great religious jurisprudent [faqih] and marja’ of the people of Azerbaijan province, resided in Tabriz. He was one of the great theologians and mujtahids of the Shia during the first half of the twentieth century. Haj Mirza Abul-Hasan Angaji (1862- 1937) the son of Sayyid Muhammad Shaykh Shari’at was one of the religious jurisprudents and maraji’ of Tabriz. He studied under Haj Mirfattah Sarabi and Mirza Mahmoud Usuli in Tabriz until 1884 when he went to Najaf to study under Fazil Irvani, Haj Mirza Habibullah Roshani and Aqa Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Mamaqani. Four years later, toward the end of 1888, he returned to Tabriz and began teaching. In 1933, he was arrested and sent into exile first in Sanand/j and then in Qum. He died in Tabriz in 1937. His works include Kitab-e Hajj and Hashiyeh bar Riyaz.

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keep silent in the face of oppression and of allowing themselves to be robbed. They said they put the people to sleep; they lull them so that when these foreigners come to plunder their wealth they can do so easily and no one will utter a word. Those who wanted to plunder your wealth began such propaganda, and they spread these ideas in such a way that at one time even the people of Iran believed that this was true.

THE DELUDING OF SOME PEOPLE AT THE TIME OF REZA KHAN AGAINST THE CLERGY At the time of Reza Khan, one class of people treated the ulama the way that the regime desired; they did exactly what the regime dictated. Then later, when the propaganda against Islam began, it took on a different form. Perhaps the beliefs of these people, this one class of people, helped the idea that the ulama were harmful for the society gain precedence. They then went one step further and said that from the very beginning religion has been the opium of the people, that religion has stupefied the people, dulled their senses while the imperialists pursued their interests. This has been the propaganda which they began several centuries ago because they thought that these two forces may present a danger to them, and it has continued to the present day when it has reached its zenith. The newspapers, magazines and foreign press, all propagate these ideas and are paid a lot of money for doing so.

CORRUPT IDEAS OF THE IMPERIALIST PROPAGATORS This was merely a brief account of what Islam and the clergy have had to contend with so far. Nevertheless, those who are conversant with Islam and have studied the Qur’an, which is the source of Islam, and have given even a cursory glance at the lives of the prophets of old and the Most Noble Prophet (s), that is the Prophet of Islam, and at how they conducted themselves, realize the devilry of the imperialists and see that all these ideas they advance are corrupt.

WARS OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM (S) AND OTHER DIVINE PROPHETS (AS) WITH THE HOLDERS OF POWER When you look at the life of the Prophet of Islam, and indeed any of the other prophets, you see that it is not the case that they established a monarchy or capitalism as a governing force, that they were against the people or that they stupefied the people so that the capitalists could do whatever they wanted. From the very beginning, the uprisings of the prophets were against kings. We have stories about Prophet Abraham (as), who lived all those years ago, and the Holy Qur’an tells us a little about how he rose up against the kings and the elders who worshipped idols and oppressed the people. Moses was a simple shepherd, a shepherd who grazed his sheep, but he rose up with his staff in hand against the Pharaoh, that great king of Egypt. There were no kings in Mecca, where the Most Noble Messenger was born and raised, but there were rich capitalists. The people of Ta’if and the Hijaz99 earned immense wealth from their trade and owned large orchards, and never did any of these capitalists support the Messenger. They were all against him. In his struggle against these capitalists, the Most Noble Messenger was helped by the weak and oppressed class. In that short time that he clandestinely spread his message in Mecca, it was this group of people, this group of lowly, oppressed people from the class of the poor and needy, that gathered around 99

The region in Western Arabia that includes Mecca and Medina.

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him, and when he left Mecca for Medina, there too it was the people from the poor and oppressed class who gathered around him and little by little a group of tribal leaders also joined him.

OPPOSITION OF THE DIVINE SCHOOLS TO DICTATORSHIP AND ARISTOCRACY At the time of the Prophet of Islam, the uprising was against the great capitalists of the Quraysh tribe such as Abi Sufyan and his kind, and the people of Ta’if who had wealth and property. He did not rise up against them merely because they were wealthy, but because the rich always persecute the poor, they rob them of their property and possessions and oppress them. From the time that we have information about kings to the present day, we see that they were people who, wherever they were in the world, used dictatorship and force to plunder the wealth of the people and rob them of their honor and that which they held dear. From the very beginning the prophets confronted such kings. The story of the prophets is not that which the capitalists like to promote. The prophets confronted the capitalists; they were opposed to capitalism; they were not used by the capitalists to keep the poor and the weak quiet. No, the capitalists formed one group and the prophets along with the people who assisted in propagation formed another opposing group who attacked them and, as far as they were able, crushed them. So these utterances that religion is the opium of the people and the prophets were the servants of the capitalists are very clearly absurd and anyone who gives the conduct of the prophets even a cursory examination will realize the falsity of such claims. But what can we do? Their propaganda is presented on such a large scale and is so widespread that we cannot compete with it. We do not have the means; all the means lie in their hands. The radio, television and press are in their hands; they control everything. The domestic and foreign magazines are in their hands; the capitalists and large sums of money are in their hands, so they are able to pay the media to disseminate the ideas that they want propagated and in the manner they choose. We, however, have only the faculty of speech and expression; we have a pen and some paper, nothing else. We want to awaken the nation; we want to make this nation understand what has been done to them so far; we want the people to see how they are presenting their beliefs and their religion to the world.

NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA IN THE FOREIGN PRESS Even at this time, when the country of Iran, the clergy of Iran and the different classes of Iranian society have stood up to the big capitalists and the superpowers and are shouting for their freedom and independence, these things are still being said, even though they shouldn’t be. Even now we see in one of the foreign newspapers that untruths continue to be propagated. As for the clergy, whose foundations lie with the prophets and with those who came after the prophets, their uprisings against the monarchs in Iran alone are so numerous- and I myself can remember some of themthat I do not have the time to go into them now.

THE PROPHETS’ (AS) DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST THE OPPRESSORS And as for Islam itself, one only needs to make a cursory study of the Qur’an, which is the source of Islam, to see that it does not oblige the people to remain silent before capitalists and kings. It is the Qur’an which tells Moses to arise and invite Pharaoh (to the right path), to speak to him mildly so that he may accept (his

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call).100 And it is God who gives the mission to Moses to struggle with Pharaoh; it is God who through the Holy Qur’an commands his Messenger to do battle with the polytheists, with the capitalists and with those who have deviated from the right path.

VERSES IN THE QUR’AN PERTAINING TO FIGHTING The verses in the Qur’an pertaining to fighting, battle and war are not just one or two. There are many verses in the Qur’an which are concerned with war, which give orders to go to war, to do battle with all those who are corrupt, to rise up and put them in their place. These are commands which apply to us today. However, we do not have the means to go to battle, but we do have the wherewithal to awaken the people, to let the people know Islam’s situation, to let them know the situation of the Muslims and the clergy. We can do this and little by little it is being done.

NEGATIVE PRESENTATION OF ISLAM So they wanted to present Islam and the clergy in a bad light in order to weaken the Islam of the people and to distance them from the clergy.

THE QUR’AN AND THE CLERGY- THE PEOPLE SUPPORT If the people were to set aside the clergy who guide them and the Qur’an which is their religious book, then they would not be able to achieve anything; only when they band together, when they have something on which they can depend, can they act against these tyrants. No one can stand up to them alone; there has to be a pivotal point and this for the Muslims is the Qur’an. They must turn toward it and unite under the banner of the Qur’an. The clergy too are a unifying force which the people can rely on. Now that Iran has risen, praise be to God, it is the clergy and Islam to which the people turn; it is Islam that they call for; all the people are shouting for an Islamic government.

WE DO NOT OPPOSE MODERNITY; WE OPPOSE CORRUPTION It is not the case that were an Islamic government to be formed, it would ruin the people’s lives, that tanks and weapons would no longer be required, that we would ride around on donkeys! These are their foolish ramblings. Where in the Qur’an does it oppose modernity? Which one of the Qur’anic laws opposes modernity? Which clergyman has ever said that the clergy opposes modernity? We are opposed to corruption. When the manifestations of civilization fall into the hands of those who seek to corrupt and those who seek to derive profit or advantage, they distort them. They change a cinema, which can be a teacher for the people and the nation, into a place which makes our youth dissolute, which corrupts them. We opposed to this. We are not opposed to cinema itself; if the cinema is used for the good of the people, if it is used to educate and guide our children then we are not against it. We are opposed to these centers of corruption which are taking our youth away from us.

100 It refers to a subject mentioned in several places of the Holy Qur’an; for example, Surah Taha 20: 44: “ But speak to him mildly; perhaps he may take warning or fear (Allah).”

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WE OPPOSE CORRUPTION AND THE IMPERIALIST UNIVERSITIES You can see in Iran, in Tehran alone, how many of these centers exist and how many of our youth have become addicted to opium and other drugs, and on a greater scale still to alcohol, because of them. There are so many distilleries in Iran now. We are opposed to these things which corrupt our nation. Are we opposed to books? Are we opposed to universities? Our claim is that our universities have been created in such a way that they cannot produce human beings, they cannot produce human beings who will stand up to the foreigners. They produce only parasites! Our universities are imperialist universities; that is they are run as the imperialists want them to be run, they are not allowed to progress. This is what we oppose. How can we be against universities? Are we against having doctors, engineers and scientists in Iran? When have we opposed such things? Our grievances lie in the fact that the universities which should be centers of learning and education, which should be centers for training our youth to be independent, to be freedomseekers and to be useful for their country, are not.

WE ARE OPPOSED TO MANIFESTATIONS OF BACKWARDNESS If the present regime claims that its methods of education and training are correct, then let it give us some evidence of this; but it is not able to do this. We oppose the radio in Iran now which as soon as it is switched on imparts nothing only praise for Aryamehr101 and dance music and songs which sully our youth. We oppose a radio which corrupts our children; we do not oppose radio in itself. If the regime would let us take control of it then we would most certainly approve. We can run the radio much better than the regime can. The television in Iran, as I understand, shows scenes which are ruining our youth, depraving a generation. This is what we are opposed to, not the features of civilization.

THE CLERGY IS OPPOSED TO THE SHAH AND THE PLUNDERERS We are opposed to those who want to keep us in a state of backwardness; this is what they want and this is what we are against. These are the things that the clergy opposes. Which clergyman has ever said that we oppose the radio when it is used to broadcast decent programs and give sound teachings? Which clergyman has ever said that we are against the television when it is used to disseminate sound teachings and when it helps the nation to progress? We are against these things when they are in their hands! We oppose these leaders who are ruining our country. We oppose this Shah and his father before him who have destroyed this nation. They have exhausted our wealth and continue to do so.

IRAN’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE WITHOUT OIL Our oil is being sold in such a way that reserves won’t last for long.102 Our agriculture has been destroyed such that the country is now a market for America. How will the next generation live in this country in thirty years’ time? We must take everyone into consideration. Is it enough to see only to our own needs? I

101 The title Aryamehr, which means ‘the sun and light of the Aryan race’, was created by Reza Zadeh Shafaq, a senator from the province of Azerbaijan. Asadullah Alam, who had asked the writers and other literary personalities of the time to think of an honorific title for the Shah, chose Aryamehr. In 1346 SH [circa 1967], the National Consultative Assembly bestowed this title upon the Shah. It reflected the nationalist ideology of the regime and demonstrated its rejection of Islamic ideology. R. K. Karanjia, in the book The Mind of a Monarch, p. 236, reports the Shah as one who hoped for a revival of the great Aryan civilization as seen in the days of the Emperor Cyrus. 102 According to official statistics, in 1978 oil production before the start of strikes in the oil industry was 5. 3 million barrels a day.

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am nearly eighty-years-old; I may only be alive for another six months or a year, but Islam has made us responsible; we have a responsibility to the people; we have to tell them what disasters they are bringing about for this nation.

CREATING INCONVENIENCES AND STRAIN But when we start speaking out and telling them what should be done, they increase their activities against us to stop us from getting our message across, to block us. I am forced to leave Iraq, and neither Kuwait nor Syria will allow me in; even though I haven’t asked permission from the Syrian authorities to enter their country yet, I know they won’t allow me in. I cannot live in an Islamic country, because I am not allowed to continue my activities in an Islamic country, so I came here, but even here I see that there are also restrictions imposed on me.

THEY DO NOT ALLOW THE TRUTH TO REACH THE PEOPLE The Shah’s regime is actively pursuing its aims: to stop the truth from reaching the people, from reaching the world; to prevent the world from hearing the cries of this nation; to stop news of these killings, that are being carried out every day, from reaching the world. The situation is such in the country, every day killings are taking place. Wherever you look, whichever newspaper you look in or foreign radio station you tune in to, even though they only impart the bare minimum of facts about what is happening in Iran, you learn that a few people have been killed. They only report that a few people have been killed, but my own sources inform me that we should multiply their figures by ten. There are not only tens or hundreds of people being killed; the killings take place every day.

THE PEOPLE WANT FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE So what is it that this nation wants that it is ready to sacrifice so many lives for? You should listen to what the people are saying. The world has said many things about this nation, but it hasn’t listened to the people. Come and listen to the people themselves, ask them what they want, ask them why they are raising such a hue and cry. This nation has been given freedom so why are the people shouting? This nation has been taken to the ‘threshold of a great civilization’ yet still they shout. They are crying out because of this great civilization. Are they shouting that the Shah is creating a great civilization and they do not want it? Are they shouting that he is giving them freedom and creating “free men and free women” and they do not want this? Or are they calling out for freedom, independence, an Islamic government, a just government, for a leader who is at least not a thief, for a government which is not predacious, whose members do not take the wealth of the Muslims abroad to buy things for themselves and their families. They are asking them (the Shah and his regime) not to buy so many things from abroad; they are telling them not to deposit the wealth of the people in foreign banks in their own names. This nation is proclaiming that it wants freedom, and this gentleman turns around and says: “We have given you freedom!” If he has given the people freedom, then what do they want? What else do they want? Do all these killings constitute freedom? Is this a government of reconciliation which imbrues Iran’s soil with blood? If this is what he means by reconciliation, then what will his war be?

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NECESSITY FOR IRANIANS LIVING ABROAD TO JOIN THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT You gentlemen who are living abroad at this time, you are duty bound to unite with your Iranian brothers. Their uprising is not for themselves alone, they have arisen for you too. You are their partners. Their success means your success. Many of our young people cannot return home now because of a word, just one word that they have spoken over here; perhaps during a visit by the Shah they expressed their concerns or demonstrated against him and their names have now been added to the list so they cannot return.

THE PEOPLE WANT A GOVERNMENT BASED ON ISLAMIC JUSTICE These people, who have risen up, from school-children to high-school and university students, are giving their lives. The people of the bazaar are sacrificing their lives. The clergy are sacrificing their lives. They are all being persecuted and they are all crying out. Every day there is a demonstration and every day the cries of death to this man, death to the Pahlavi monarchy ring out. The people want the country to be in their own hands, they want to administer it themselves. They have the youth, they have the scientists, they have everything, but they are not allowed to do this. The people want to remove this class who will not let their country progress, who will not let their youth be educated properly. They want a government of Islamic justice which will help the people, a government whose leaders will put the needs of the people first. They want a ruler who will eat made of barley bread because he is afraid that somewhere in his realm there is someone who has to eat bread like this or worse. Of course we can’t find such a person, but we can find someone who will not steal from us at least.

ASSISTING THE PEOPLE OF IRAN We are all duty bound to help our Iranian brothers as much as we can. Explain your problems to as many of these Europeans that you meet as you can; tell them what these Iranians who have risen are saying; tell them what their demands are. Whenever you come across an article in a newspaper or magazine which runs contrary to the facts, voice your objections, tell the person who wrote the article that he has not understood the matter correctly. This will be effective. Try to inform at least ten Europeans or Americans of the facts; try to make them understand just what our problems are; try to make them see that because the Iranian people have risen in opposition it does not mean that they are uncivilized, it does not mean that they can no longer be given freedom, that if they were given freedom they would set everywhere aflame. No, you must make them understand that it is the Shah and his regime that have inflamed the people; they have caused them to shout so. The people are shouting because of the fire they have had to endure. Your numbers are many in Europe, if each one of you could acquaint even ten people with the facts, then a wave of public opinion would be created.

NECESSITY OF PROPAGATING THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL UPRISING OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE Spread the word. Now that the Iranians are giving their lives, you ought to give your voice at least; you ought to at least make people aware of the truth. Do not simply sit at home under the delusion that because you are here you can be comfortable. Do not simply listen to accounts of the killings in Iran, expressing sorrow at news of the murders of eight- and ten-year-old schoolgirls attacked in their schools. Go and tell your friends and colleagues about these events. If you are able, write about them in the press over here. Wherever you are speak out. If someone has written a report, which contradicts the facts, confront him, tell

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him that he has not presented the true facts, ask him why he is not doing so, complain to him, and God willing an even greater wave of public support will come about. I can assure you that, God willing, our nation will win, because this is a national uprising, it involves all sections of society. When this roaring flood of people begins to move in one direction, no matter how weak they are, neither tanks nor America can stop them. Thirty million people have begun to move. Only a few hundred people have not joined the movement and they are the hirelings of the regime. This roaring flood of people is on the move now and neither Russia nor America can stop it. This is a just act. This is the hand of God and no one can stop it. This is an obvious call for justice. A nation is calling out for its freedom and no one can say they do not have that right. They are human beings too. The situation is very difficult for the Shah and his regime now, but they cannot continue to confront such a just call with bayonets. Martial law cannot be imposed forever. This regime may not be able to survive a day without martial law, but it cannot be in effect forever.

CREATE A WAVE OF SUPPORT In any case you must explain the situation to these foreigners. Give your friends the facts. If you attend schools over here, speak to the people who attend with you and tell them what is really happening. Form groups, gradually they will increase and you will become preachers and speakers, telling the people about the problems of Iran. If you do this, a wave (of public opinion) will come about which the reporters will not be able to counteract; then it will be the people here who stand up to the false propaganda. This is a service that we who are abroad can perform for the nation of Islam. I beseech God the Blessed and Exalted to assist you and to grant you success. May He keep you safe from harm and protect you. May you be successful.

35th Speech Date: October 20, 1978/Mehr 28, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 17, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The divine uprising; multidimensional interdependence; the novel dwelling villagers Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING UPRISING IN THE WAY OF ISLAM INVOLVING ALL (THE MASSES) Whenever I meet those people who have relinquished all their desires, who have sacrificed their children and have suffered great hardships in the way of God, whenever I look upon those human faces, words fail me and a great sense of humility overwhelms me. I feel that I have not performed any service for the Iranian nation, which is now sacrificing everything it has in the way of Islam, or for those fathers who have lost their children I have not been able to pay my debt to those people who have risen for God and I can only ask forgiveness for my shortcomings from God, the Exalted We are all His servants, we all submit to His will and we are all ready to sacrifice our lives for His holy laws.

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The Iranian people have risen today to revive Islam and Islamic laws. Their uprising is unique in the history of Islam and Iran, for it is so deep-rooted and fundamental. The dimensions of this uprising embrace all classes of society; it is not an uprising, which belongs exclusively to one particular class. Previously, whenever there was an uprising or a movement, if it was led by the clergy, the political groups were not involved, or if it was led by political groups, other groups were not involved. If the merchants of the bazaar made demands, other groups were indifferent. Today however, by the will of God, the Blessed and Exalted, all groups in Iran have come together: political groups, the clergy, the merchants of the bazaar, schoolchildren and students of the high-schools and universities, all have risen and have set off in one direction.

THEY HAVE ONE AIM. Independence, freedom, and the overthrowing of the Pahlavi (dynasty) are among the desires of the people This is an unprecedented event in history. They all ask for one thing, they all raise their voices for freedom and independence. The first steps toward this freedom and independence is the abolition of this wicked dynasty, which from its inception has done nothing but harm to Islam and Iran. Now, when the small children leave their schools and young people leave their universities, their chant as they walk through the streets on their way home is “Death to the Shah.” This unity of purpose which has come about in Iran now and which has permeated every section of society is not something that the hand of man can create; this has been brought about by the hidden hand of God and for this reason we should be optimistic. I myself am optimistic that this society, which is surging forward like a flood, will extirpate anything that stands in its way. Whatever power (cannot stand against) the power of the nation; when a nation has risen and its demands are just and are recognized as being just by all human societies then no power can withstand the power of the people. Others will ask you why you have gone on strike, why you are sacrificing your youth, why your clergy are being imprisoned and sent into exile, why your politicians are being arrested and imprisoned and the merchants of your bazaars persecuted and tortured. They will ask you what it is that you seek that makes you shout so. The people will reply: “We do not want to be the prisoners of the superpowers; we want our own country to be in our own hands, we want to administer it ourselves; we want freedom.” But they do not want the kind of freedom that the Shah gives, for that is only good for himself and his family. His kind of freedom is like the “reconciliation” of his government, which comprises of nothing but bloodshed, imprisonment and persecution! The people have all joined hands and are shouting with a single voice: “We want freedom and independence.”

A PARASITIC ARMY “We do not want the Americans to administer our military, we do not want our army to be under the supervision of American advisers, we do not want them to create a parasitic army, an army which is fed from the wealth of Iran but which, under the supervision and training of American advisers, works for America.” However, this is in fact the way things are, and we see that the Shah’s army is such an army. Look at the Shah himself, he was installed by the Allies; he himself said, “The Allies felt it was fitting that I should ascend the throne!” His father too was brought to power by the British, as they admitted in a broadcast over Radio Delhi at the time of the Second World War,103 “We brought Reza Shah into power;

103 The World War II that started in Shahrivar 1320 SH [September 1941].

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he has proven himself to be treacherous and we removed him.” They carried him off to the island of Mauritius and then sent him to Hell.104

IMPERIALIST CULTURE When one looks at the culture of Iran, one sees that it is an imperialist culture; that is, a culture imposed on us by the imperialists. The Shah chose an apt title for his book Mission for My Country,105 for he indeed had a “mission,” a mission that the Americans had given him! He has a mission to destroy the country and ruin the Iranian youth, to keep the country in a state of backwardness so it does not progress, so that the youth does not develop into people who would stand up to America and ask them: “What do you want from us? “How many years have we had schools? It is more than seventy years since the founding of the Dar alFunun school.106 How many years have we had universities? Yet when the Shah or his child needs a tonsillectomy, doctors have to be brought from America or somewhere else to perform the operation. Other people too, if they fall ill and have the means to go abroad for treatment, they do so. This shows that we do not have (universities); if we did, then our own doctors would be able to treat the people. When they want to erect a building, build a dam, make a road or even asphalt a road, experts have to be brought in from abroad. If we have our own experts, then why does the Shah bring them in from abroad? If we have our own experts and he does not employ them, then he is betraying the people by not giving them jobs. If we ourselves do not have the expertise, then he is still being treacherous, he is still betraying our people because after all these years whenever we want to construct a building or a dam, or something else, still we have to bring in experts from abroad, from Europe or America.

STRONG ECONOMIC TIES Wherever you look, you see that there is something wrong. The economy is in ruins. According to experts, agricultural production in Iran now is only sufficient to meet the needs of the nation for thirty-three days of the year; foodstuffs have to be imported from abroad to satisfy demand for the remaining eleven months, as is being done now. The result of the gentleman’s “Land Reform Program" Was to turn Iran into a consumer market for America, so that the Americans could sell us all the things that they usually throw away! They are taking our oil now in such a way that in thirty years’ time, according to the Shah, reserves will have run dry. However, this is not the case; the reserves will not have run dry, and they will have exhausted them. They are extracting our oil now and sending it to America through huge pipes the size of a room, some of them are even the size of a human being or greater In return, the Americans sell us the arms that they want for their military bases which they have set up in Iran to confront the Soviet Union. They should give (money) to Iran in return for being allowed to set up bases in the country. Of course, the Americans should not have been allowed to do this in the first place, but now that this act of treachery has been committed and they have been given the permission, then we should receive something in return;

104 The British transported Reza Khan first to Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean situated about 850 kilometers east of Madagascar to the south-east of Africa, and then to Johannesburg, South Africa where he died on July 26, 1944. 105 Mission for My Country: The ghost-written autobiography of the Shah that appeared in a number of languages in 1961. 106 In 1848, the country’s first secular high school was established, the Dar al-Funun [Abode of Learning]. The Dar al-Funun, whose students were mostly sons of the aristocracy, offered classes in foreign languages, political science, engineering, agriculture, mineralogy, medicine, veterinary medicine, military sciences, and band music.

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instead they take our oil and then build bases for themselves. The Shah gives them our oil and then uses the oil revenues to establish military bases for the Americans or to buy expensive weaponry- which is of no use to us- from them and other countries such as France. They take our oil and in return, they sell us airplanes worth three hundred and fifty million or five hundred and fifty million dollars!

IRREPARABLE DAMAGES TO IRAN This person, who is worse than his father- and his father was worse than Shimr107 - has damaged everything in the country from religion to the economy, to social, cultural and military matters. He is a traitor. Our nation is now saying “death to this monarchy, to this treacherous monarchy.” The people are saying that they do not want this perfidious monarchy. Since its very inception, this monarchy has been a treacherous monarchy; its monarchs were all traitors. Even those who, because of the propaganda made about them, were reputed to be good and for whose souls prayers are said were actually vile and wicked. However, these Pahlavi monarchs have been the worst of them all. Our call is that we want a government, which is sympathetic toward the nation. We want a regime, which is just. If we examine the nature of all regimes, we see that, apart from an Islamic regime, an Islamic government, none of them has been just; they have all served their own interests. However, there is one group, which consists of those governments, which act with moderation and temperance, and another which are extremist and excessive. Our country is among those which are ruled by extremists who want to destroy their homelands very fast and aggressively! If this man remains in power, God forbid; if this sinister and decadent regime remains in place; if this ruling body which has governed us for all these years stays with us, then there will be nothing left for our future generations apart from poverty. This is because they are giving the country’s oil away and are exhausting its reserves; they are giving the country’s gas to the Soviet Union and exhausting supplies. Our pasturelands and forests have been given away to this country and that and are now ruined. Our agrarian economy is now in such a state that it cannot meet the needs of this nation. In thirty years’ time this country will have no sources of wealth. If this regime remains in power, all your sources of wealth will be annihilated. We are shouting, the clergy are shouting, the politicians and those who care about the country, are shouting for them to leave the country so that it will remain for the next generation, so that future generations will be able to live there. Within a century or even thirty years’ time, if this regime remains, no one will be able to live in this country because everything will have been destroyed.

THE BEST SERVANT OF THE EAST AND WEST In one of his interviews, the Shah said, “If I am to go, I will turn the country into a heap of dust and go.” Nevertheless, even now that he still rules he has destroyed everything, he has not left us anything. Of course, the Americans have to help him, they have to support him because they won’t find a servant better than him, one who offers them all the wealth of the country and builds bases for them with the money he receives in return.108 What better servant than this could they want? Of course, he (Carter) must say that the Shah has given his people freedom and has created a progressive country. According to Mr. Carter’s logic, 107 Shimr: One of the commanders of Yazid’s army in Karbala who martyred Imam Husayn (as). 108 The oil goes into their pockets and in return for the oil, bases are built for them here.

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freedom comprises all these killings which are occurring every day now in Iran and all the crimes, savagery and repression the Shah practices represent efforts to find progressive solutions for social problems. Yes, what he does is very good for Mr. Carter. It works to his benefit. The oil of the East, especially that of Iran and Hijaz, is very profitable for the foreigners; of course, Carter must announce his support for him. The Soviet Union too must announce its support, because they are taking the country’s gas. They too have interests to protect. Now the voice of the people has been raised, they are saying that they want their resources to be recovered sensibly and correctly and to be sold in a proper way. They do not want to put this oil into their pockets or to eat it; they want it to be sold, but they do not want it to be plundered. They want to sell their oil to whichever country will give them the better price for it, and they want money in exchange; they want currency for it not scrap metal, not airplanes which are of no use to them. They are saying that they want money so they can spend it on this nation- this nation that does not even have running water.

HOVEL-DWELLING VILLAGERS Ignore the northern section of Tehran where they have put things in order; go take a look at other areas; go look at the tents and the hovels that some people live in. Go and see what kind of lives they have in this city which is the centre of this ‘great civilization.’ Go one day and take a look around and spend some time In so many areas of Tehran now, shantytowns have been created the best houses of which are those which people have built for themselves and their families out of mud. Why have the people come and settled here? They have come here because of the “land reforms.” When they implemented the land reform program, the people could not remain in their own villages. Everything there was turned upside down and they had to leave. They swarmed into the cities; most of them went to Tehran and now these poor people have to endure a very unpleasant and difficult life there. Those who have migrated to the cities are not all young people, they are not able to earn money by carrying things around for people, and they cannot simply get hold of a cart and work as street vendors. Most of them are old men and women, and most of them are frail and poor and they are now living in these hovels. People have written telling me about these problems, (I had noted down all that they said, but I do not have the notes with me now and I cannot remember all the particulars). They told me that there are thirty areas or more in Tehran where these shanty-towns have been set up, some of them are situated near the shrine of Hazrat ‘Abd al-’Azim109 and some are even to be found in the northern sections of the city. These places are full of these poor migrants, people who, because of the land reforms, had to move there and now have to suffer a poverty-stricken life. They have no water, no electricity, and no lives. They have nothing! Not only do they not have electricity, other districts of Tehran do not either, every day a few areas of Tehran are plunged into darkness because of the shortage of electricity. Some of these poor migrants live in pits, in very deep holes, in dwellings you reach by going down scores of steps into the ground. In order to obtain water they have to take their jugs and climb up those steps until they reach a water tap. This is the life that they have made for them.

109 ‘Abd al-’Azim Hasani (d. 252 AH/866 AD): a learned and pious descendant of Imam Hasan (as). He was closely associated with the two Imams Muhammad bin ‘Ali al-Jawad (as) and ‘Ali al-Hadi (as) and narrated traditions from them. His shrine is located in Shahri Rey, in the south of Tehran.

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POVERTY AND DESTRUCTION IN THE MIDST OF AN OCEAN OF OIL WEALTH The people from a village not too far away from Tehran, who are in touch with me, have written asking for permission to use some of the money from the charitable funds to help them build a water storage tank so that they can collect the rainwater because the nearest water storage tank is about five kilometers from their village. Do not be deceived by these cars that you see in Tehran which are owned by only a small portion of the population, those who own them are either working for the regime or are doing well for themselves, they do not give a true picture of the state of the country. Go look at the other cities of Iran; go to the areas of Tehran where people live in hovels, go and see the true situation of this nation, a nation that has so much natural wealth. The money from the oil should be used for the people. If we had an honest government which sold the oil in a proper way and spent the revenues from it on the people, then this nation would not be in the state it is today. This is why we are shouting. We ask why one group of people has to live in such poverty while another group has to spend five million dollars just for decorating their villas. I have received correspondence telling me that five million dollars has been spent on plants and flowers for the garden of the villa of the Shah’s sister. Where did she get this money from? Reza Shah had nothing when he enacted his coup d’état, but he confiscated the property of the people by means of force and later just a small portion of it was given back. Their wealth comes from the people. How is this Pahlavi Foundation administered? It is run with the nation’s money. They take this nation’s oil and its other sources of wealth; they plunder this nation so that they can live like this while others live in poverty. We are shouting that we should not be plundered in this way that this regime must be replaced. We shall continue shouting until our last breath, and when we have no breath left, well then we have an excuse before God, the Blessed and Exalted.

THE MISSION OF EXPOSITION AND ENLIGHTENMENT Gentlemen, you too have a responsibility which you must shoulder. You must speak out, for the interests of a nation and Islam are involved here. You have a responsibility to propagate as much as you can against the ruling regime in Iran, and this means exposing the truth and realities of Iran. Let those around you know what is happening to your people. Tell them what is taking place in the universities, in the colleges, in the schools even. They have killed little girls, this year it’s the turn of little seven- and eight-year-old girls. Tell them what goes on in the prisons of Iran, in Iran itself, which is a prison. Tell these facts to those you are acquainted with over here, those you attend school with and to those you meet at the gatherings which you attend. If each one of you tells twenty people or even ten people about the realities in Iran, then a wave of public opinion will be formed and your actions will have been a service to the people who are giving their lives and doing you a service. You must propagate the facts, you must speak out. If you are able, get your views published in the press here, give interviews, and let the people know what you have to say. You are not in the same situation as I am, I cannot give interviews, but you can, so speak out. I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant all of you peace and good health. I hope and pray that God, the Blessed and Exalted, gives you all good health and I hope that if He wills, this roaring flood of people in Iran which is moving in one direction and which in my opinion has been brought about by the hand of Godfor such a phenomenon cannot be created by man- will sweep away this profligate regime and your country will become your own for you to administer yourselves. [the audience says: “God willing”]. May God

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grant you success and assist you. I apologize that my state of health does not permit me to sit here longer and speak to you further. May God preserve you.

36th Speech Date: October 21, 1978/Mehr 29, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 18, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The multifarious interference of America in the internal affairs of Iran Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

CARTER AND THE SHAH In Carter’s opinion this aggressive democracy in Iran is such that opposition has arisen left and right; and he still maintains that he has no intention of interfering in Iran’s internal affairs. He has also mentioned before that he (Shah) has established a progressive society in Iran. Carter has made three statements: one is that the Shah has moved quickly and decisively to establish democratic principles in Iran and this, he says, has been the cause of opposition from the leftists and the conservatives; another is that the Shah has formed a progressive society in Iran; and in the third statement he once again repeats that he has no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Iran. Now the Iranians themselves must study these remarks and decide whether they have been made for them, for a Western audience, for the American people or for people on another planet! Well, let us look at his first statement that the Shah has moved aggressively to establish democratic principles in Iran. Has the situation in the country changed from the time that he opened his eyes in his cradle to an Iran ruled by his father to the time that he himself, upon the orders of the foreigners and Allies, assumed power and began his rule? Does this democracy which he has moved aggressively to implement, or this freedom that he has granted the people “quickly and decisively,” include all these deeds that he has perpetrated throughout his reign? Which of the many Parliaments, the National Consultative Assembly, as they call it, and the Senate, that have come into existence throughout the whole Pahlavi era- and I have witnessed events from the inception of the Pahlavi rule- have been selected by the people, as is their right, to determine their destiny? When have the people ever voted in a free and fair referendum? During which of these two Pahlavi periods, and especially this most recent period when this man has moved quickly to establish democracy, have the members of Parliament truly represented the people? Isn’t it the case that they are ordered into Parliament? The people believe that it is the Shah who gives the orders as to who should enter Parliament, but the reality is that the foreigners give the orders. They give a list of the names of those they want to enter Parliament! The Shah has said himself on several occasions that although this practice is not observed now; it was at one time that the embassies provided a list of the names of their chosen delegates, that is those who served them not the people, and he had to oblige them! But now of course the Shah claims that we are no longer subservient to any power. It is the indisputable right of the people to be able to vote freely and to send the delegate of their choice to Parliament, a right which all the

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world recognizes and which forms the basis of democracy. The destiny of a nation lies in the hands of the representatives in Parliament, and the people themselves should be able to determine their own destiny, indeed the constitutional law has given this right to the people. From the time that the present Shah assumed power, or rather was brought to power, to the present day, has this democracy of his, which according to Carter he implemented aggressively, ever granted the people this indisputable, manifest right of theirs? Have we ever had a representative in the Parliament who truly represented the people? You can go to any city in Iran and ask the person there who the person is who represents them in Parliament, what kind of a person he is. It is a well-known fact that most of the people in Iran do not even know who represents them in Parliament! This nation should determine its own fate, should appoint its own representatives, but most of the people do not know who is representing them When you tell them their names, they mean nothing to them! This ‘aggressive democracy’ has robbed the nation of their indisputable, manifest right!

DEPRIVATION OF FREEDOM Try to find even one city where the people voted freely for their representatives! Take Tehran for example, this is the capital, the political hub of the country, if there is freedom then surely it is to be found there. But none of these Tehran delegates has reached Parliament through the free voting of the people. This is no secret, it is a well-known fact. So who is Mr. Carter making these remarks for? The people on the planet Jupiter who know nothing about this world, or for the people on this planet? If he is speaking for the latter, then where in the world isn’t it known (that there is no freedom and democracy in Iran)? Which one of the world’s newspapers is not informed of this? Yes, perhaps many of them write in support of Mr. Carter and say that democracy and freedom do exist in the country, that the people have selected their delegates through their votes, but they are aware that this is not true, just as Mr. Carter is. Mr. Carter knows what kind of a person this Shah is. He knows only too well what kind of person has been given the mission; he knows the problems the people have to face.

PRESS CENSORSHIP This covered one aspect of freedom and democracy: the indisputable right of the people to vote. Now let’s take a look at another: freedom of the press. Whatever the newspapers of Iran wrote, they did so on the orders of “His Imperial Majesty Aryamehr;” they never voiced the opinions of the people; they simply sang the praises of the Shah. The press now says that they were never free! Even the regime’s own newspapers now say that they have never been free to write what they wanted. They are not allowed to be free even now. Throughout the years of his reign- we are not concerned with that of his father here, which was either worse than this or just the same- when has he ever allowed freedom of the press? Which one of the newspapers that Iran has had from the very beginning of his reign, when the Allies bestowed the monarchy upon him and imposed him on the Iranian nation, has been free and it was His Imperial Majesty who made it free? He says that now he has granted freedom of the press, but what about a year ago? If now he says he has made it free, then obviously we did not have freedom of the press a year ago.

CONFESSION OF LACK OF FREEDOM So he is a criminal; he’s a traitor. Even according to the logic of Carter, this man who wants to make him appear innocent and exempt from blame; he is a traitor! Carter says that the Shah has now moved aggressively to implement democracy and this is the source of opposition to him. But he has only recently

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decided to grant the nation this quick, decisive democracy, as the Shah himself said: “We want to grant freedom to the nation.” Will no one stand up and ask him: “Who are you to grant freedom to the people? Now you want to grant it- their freedom that is guaranteed by the Constitution- to them?! Who are you to grant freedom?” Your rule is illegal; you should never have ruled. Even if we suppose that your rule is legal, all the time that you have sat on your usurped throne, you have governed, never was any government in the country empowered to do anything. You did it all. Thus, the responsibility for all the crimes lies on your shoulders. Carter says that he has now granted freedom to the people and implemented an aggressive democracy; this means that freedom and democracy did not exist previously, and the country was administered through force. This is in itself a crime and according to the law the person who bears all the responsibility, the Shah, should be tried before the people. He should not be allowed to escape; he should be grabbed and put on trial for all the bloodshed he has caused and for depriving the people of their freedom. He should be made to answer for his crimes.

THE STIFLED MASS MEDIA The newspapers in the country then were never free and neither were the radio and television, the two other mediums used for propaganda purposes. These two organs were never allowed to speak the truth either. When the Shah violates the law, when he murders the people, can they say that the Shah has done this? When have the media dared to say that the Shah gives the commands. Even now they say that it is the government which is responsible, or it is the fault of the police or due to martial law. This is all nonsense. It is this man’s fault. Even in defeat, he continues with his deeds. The police are not concerned about the people’s demonstrations; they are ordered to stop them. They all say they are just carrying out orders. Those we spoke to after the attack on the Fayziyyah Madrasah110 in Qum, when the students were beaten and some even killed, told us that the attack was carried out on the orders of ‘His Imperial Majesty’; even the police in Qum said this. And this was the truth; he ordered the attack and up until the present day all the atrocities that have been perpetrated in this country have been done so on the orders of ‘His Imperial Majesty’. No one else is responsible other than him. This relates to his radio and television; these are instances of his propaganda.

CARTER’S LOGIC Carter says that the Shah has given the people a “quick freedom” and a “quick democracy!” He has given the people so much freedom now that they have had enough and are shouting out against it because his democracy has been so quick! Everyone is complaining to the Shah, their argument being that he wants to grant freedom and they are opposed to this, they do not want it! What these people really mean when they take to the streets and call for “freedom and independence” is that they do not want freedom and independence! The Shah wants to give them freedom and independence but they are shouting that it is not what they want! They are showing their opposition in this way! This interpretation issues from what we read in the newspapers. Carter has said that because the Shah has moved aggressively to establish democratic principles this has been the source of much opposition to him from all the people. Because he 110 Fayziyyah Madrasah, founded in Safavid times, has acquired particular fame among the teaching institutions in Qum because of the role it has played in the Islamic movement. Closed down in 1975 by the Shah’s regime, it was ceremonially reopened after the triumph of the Revolution.

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has granted freedom now the different political groups and the various factions are opposed to it and are asking: “Why have you granted us freedom?!” The people too oppose him for giving them freedom! This is Carter’s logic concerning the freedom, which the Shah has given the nation.

LAND REFORMS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURE Now, what about this progressive country he has created, this progressive attitude he has toward social problems?! Mr. Carter claims that the Shah has set his country on the road to progress and that this has been another source of opposition to him; that this has always been a source of opposition to him! Mr. Carter’s understanding of the meaning of progress seems to be totally different from ours. Otherwise, how can a country in which everything has been destroyed be described as progressive? Wherever you look in the country you can see what the Shah has brought about by the tenets of this ‘White Revolution’111 of his, as he calls it. According to him, his White Revolution has destroyed the feudal relationship, which existed between the landlord and the peasant, indeed he says landlords and peasants no longer exist! There are, as he has repeated on numerous occasions, only villagers and free men and free women! But in fact these villagers, these poor people are those who have lost all their means of livelihood (because of this White Revolution). These “land reforms “Have completely destroyed the country’s agriculture. You no longer have agriculture in your country. Agricultural production in the country is now only sufficient to meet the needs of the nation for thirty-three days of the year; food has to be imported from abroad to satisfy the demand for the rest of the year.

THE WHITE REVOLUTION CORPS, AGENTS OF PERVERSION As for these other institutions that he has set up, the Literacy Corps112, the I-do not-know-what corps, the Religious Corps, the people know why they have been created, they know why this Literacy Corps has been sent into the rural areas: to sing the praises of the Shah, to spread falsehoods, to keep the people backward, to make the people believe that they should all obey the Shah and that” the command of God and the command of the Shah” are one and the same. Everything that this man has done in the country has driven it further and further into a state of backwardness. He does not allow a virtuous person to exist in our country, he is afraid of true human beings, he is afraid that if a virtuous person is found he will stand up to him and his regime and ask them why they are doing these things. This is why they do not let the people select their own representatives because they know that the elected representatives would stand up to them and question what they do in the country. They know that elected representatives would not let the government do just whatever it wanted, they would interpolate. They would not let the Shah do whatever

111 White Revolution: a pilot plan forwarded by John. F. Kennedy, which was given the deceptive publicity for implementation of social reforms in underdeveloped countries. Muhammad Reza Shah put the plan into effect and it was named as the ‘White Revolution’. The most serious damage that resulted from the implementation of the plan was that the agricultural sector of the country became absolutely incapable of meeting the domestic demand for foodstuff. Naturally, the country was made fully dependent on imports from the West, especially from the US. 112 The Literacy Corps (the heading of the sixth tenet of the Shah’s White Revolution) was set up ostensibly to combat illiteracy in the countryside. However, the books and teaching methods used by the high-school graduates in the corps accomplished little more than spreading pro-regime propaganda and introducing ideas aimed at destroying whatever remained of the villagers’ religious beliefs. After fifteen years of activities by the Corps, more than seventy percent of the rural population remained illiterate.

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he wanted, they would stop him, they would object, they would ask him to explain. So obviously he won’t allow the people to send their own representatives to the Parliament.

AMERICA’S INFLUENCE IN ALL AFFAIRS OF THE COUNTRY Where is this progressive country, this progressive society that we do not know about, that we have not been told about? Where has he caused this country to prosper? He has turned this country into nothing other than a base for others; he has allowed others to dominate us. America is now involved in all aspects of our lives. Is this what you call a “progressive country?” The first sign of progress in a country lies in its independence, in it being able to stand on its own feet. Is our country independent? (America) dictates to us from one direction and (the Soviet Union) from the other. America digs its claws deep into the depths of our oil wells while the Soviet Union does the same to our gas supplies. In what way is this country progressive? Which one of our universities is progressive? Where is our culture progressive? Do we have a progressive army? Can an army which is under the command of American advisers be called our army? According to the way Carter thinks, surrendering everything the country has to him represents progress! Of course, Carter, who is an oil-devourer, must say that the country has progressed. He wants the oil; he is devouring our oil; of course, he must say such things.

CARTER’S INFLUENCE IN IRAN Now let’s move on to Carter’s third remark. Of course, all three of his remarks demand more explanation than this, but you yourselves know enough about these matters and so it is not called for here. His third remark was that America has no intention of interfering in the affairs of Iran. So, Mr. Carter, you claim you have no intention of interfering? In what have you not interfered? What are your military advisers doing in our army? Why have they come here? To do what? Who has set up these bases in the mountains of Iran? For whom have they been set up? Does this not constitute interference in the affairs of our country? Are not these remarks of yours in themselves a form of interference? Is it not you who oblige the Shah to destroy the country in this manner? Do you not interfere in the affairs of the country at all? The Shah himself has said that lists of names were given to the regime. Of course, now he claims that this practice does not occur anymore, but he’s lying, even now these lists are sent to the regime. Even now the parliamentary delegates are (selected) from their lists. “I will not interfere!” You are talking about a country in which the people are aware of their situation; they know what is being done to their country and what has befallen them. “I will not interfere!” Why is he saying that he won’t interfere? The Iranians know that he interferes, the world’s media know that Mr. Carter, and whoever becomes president in America, will interfere in the affairs of our country and prevent us from standing on our own two feet.

UNFOUNDED FREEDOM, ALLEGED PROGRESS We have no independence; we are not free; the people are in no way free and the press is still not free. Martial law does not allow the press to speak out. Why do not these newspapers, that now claim to enjoy freedom, write about what the Shah is doing? If you look at all the newspapers, there is not one word written therein which says that the person perpetrating all these crimes is the Shah himself. (He is) the one who has committed these crimes from the beginning of his rule until the present time. The day that the pillars of this regime crumble, the press will speak out, but for now they are not brave enough because now the country

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is under the control of martial-law, which will either close down the newspaper that speaks out or execute its employees. How can you claim that there is freedom and progress? It’s ridiculous to say that this opposition has come about because the Shah wishes to give the people freedom and set the country on the road to progress. Is Carter really saying that all this uproar the people are creating in the streets, all their cries of protest, are because the Shah wants to give them freedom and they do not want it! What a ridiculous statement to be made by anyone, let alone the President of a country! They have written about this in the newspapers and no one remarks on its absurdity. It appears that these are simply idle remarks, because everyone knows about the situation in Iran.

THE COUNTRY’S PROBLEMS STEM FROM THE SUPERPOWERS All our problems are caused by the heads of these nations, the heads of these governments. All these disasters, which occur in Iran and in Eastern countries, are brought about by the heads of these so-called superpowers. These powerful countries seek to dominate the weaker nations and rob them of their natural wealth, meaning that the weak should work and surrender to the powerful. They devour their oil while the weak nation goes hungry; they exhaust their mines while the people go hungry; the people live on these large oil deposits yet they go hungry. This is the logic of these great “superpowers” such as the Soviet Union and America and the like. This is how they want it to be, but we do not want it to be like this.

ILLEGAL AGREEMENTS Our first step must be to change the present situation in Iran. The Shah, the government, the ministers and the representatives have all been imposed on this nation, the people did not select their representatives; the members of the Senate have not been appointed by the people to the extent that they should have been. When the Parliament has been appointed without the vote and consent of the people, then it is not legal because according to the constitutional law, the Parliament should be voted for by the people. If the Parliament is illegal then the ministers that are appointed, the Prime Minister who is appointed, are also illegal, and all the agreements that they sign with other countries, no matter what kind of agreements they are, be they oil or arms agreements, are null and void. All of this is against the constitution because it is against the law

37th Speech Date: October 21, 1978/Mehr 29, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 18, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: America’s mission for the Shah Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

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THE ENEMY OF ISLAM AND HUMANITY The Shah is the bloodthirsty enemy of us all; he is not only my enemy.113 May God preserve the nation. May God repel this bloodthirsty enemy- this enemy who is the enemy of the existence of this country; the enemy of the existence of Islam and the Muslims. Only a few days ago some of the Shah’s agents murdered seven- or eight-year-old children, schoolboys and schoolgirls. He is not only my enemy; he is the enemy of us all; he is the enemy of humanity; he is the enemy of honor. You should all join hands together. Those of us who are outside the country have a duty to raise our voices in support of the people in Iran who stand united against him, and will continue to do so until, God willing, this enemy is destroyed. The regime’s destruction is imminent, the bluster and self-glorification of the past is over now, but we should not be neglectful, those of us who are abroad should not be heedless of the situation of our brothers in the country. We have a duty, a moral and a religious duty to help them to the best of our ability. We must propagate their cause in whatever way we can; if we are able to get statements published in the newspapers then we must do so. We must do whatever we can.

SHAH, THE AMERICAN AGENT The people of Iran today are suffering at the hands of this man.114 He has a mission to crush (them) and to prevent the interests of the foreigners from being destroyed. He is an agent. He has a mission to exhaust the country’s oil supplies so that nothing is left for the people. This is the main reason why he was brought to power. He says that he has a mission for his country115, and this is indeed the truth! He has a “Mission for My Country,” the mission America gave to him: to take the country to the brink of non-existence! He has the mission to give all our oil to the Americans and in return buy scrap metal from them, a deal which benefits only them. These arms which are now being bought are of no use to Iran, they are arms that the Americans want to have here so that if a war breaks out between America and Russia, for example, they have all the weapons they need in one place. Iran is one of their bases, which they want armed. They take our oil and in return they bring arms here for themselves. They set up military installations for themselves in Iran to be used should war break out. Do not suppose that they give us arms in return for oil. What good are weapons that we cannot use? These are weapons which no one in Iran can use. These are weapons that they themselves want to bring here, even if they hadn’t taken our oil, they would still have brought these weapons here and would still have strengthened their bases because they fear that one day Russia may attack them. So what better than to take our oil and in exchange, under the pretext of doing us a favor, build their bases! They build bases for themselves in Iran that is what we get in return for our oil. And such great amounts of oil they take! Some people who went to the oil fields said that the pipes through which they are taking the oil are so large that a man can easily walk into them! This was the case a while ago, perhaps by now they are even bigger! In only a few minutes the oil tankers are filled with oil and leave. This is the oil that was supposed to be used for running this country till the end of its days. But now the Shah says that it will finish in thirty years’ time. He now says that this large reserve, which should nourish 113 The beginning of the Imam’s speech in response to the feelings and slogans of the University students and those present who shouted “Khomeini, Khomeini may Allah preserve you. Death, death to your blood thirsty enemy.” 114 Shah 115 It refers to the Shah’s reported book, Mission for My Country.

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this generation, sustain and make this country prosperous, will finish in thirty years’ time. Who is finishing it? One should ask him who is finishing this oil. He is finishing it. The Shah is depleting these abundant, God-given reserves and what does this nation get in return for their oil? Arms! Why does he buy so many arms? Can he fight Russia? Can he fight America? The guns that he has now are sufficient for crushing the people of his country; he does not need to bring in more from America. The guns he has are enough to crush our merchants, our young people, our university students, our girls, our boys, our women and our men. What are those huge pieces of equipment that are coming into the country in return for the large amounts of oil, which go out, is our country anything other than a base for them? So they take our oil and they take the profit from it also. They take our oil and then they take back the money they pay for it and use it to build bases for themselves.

NATIONAL OR ROYALI! We are not fully aware of what this regime is doing to this country; we do not have all the information. If, God willing, this man goes, then those people, who do know what is truly happening, who know the realities of Iran and are aware of the acts of treachery this man has perpetrated, will be able to speak out. But for the moment we do not have all the information. However, even the slight amount we do have shows us that he has destroyed the agriculture of Iran through his “land reforms.” Do you suppose that Iran has any agriculture left for itself? He has destroyed it. And then the regime boasts about how much it has imported from abroad! This is laughable really. These boasts in a country, which used to export such commodities as wheat, barley and other items, are truly ridiculous. The situation should be lamented not lauded. Who has destroyed this great agrarian economy of Iran? At one time the needs of the whole country were met by the produce of just one of its provinces. Now we are reduced to depending on the outside world for all our essential needs. They have completely destroyed animal husbandry in the country. They have “nationalized,” as they put it, our pastures on which the animals graze. But what they mean by “nationalized” is that everything goes to the Shah; he sees only himself and his family as comprising the nation! So when they say something has been nationalized, they mean it now belongs to them! The nation comprises of no one else. No one else matters. What is the nation? Just a group of ordinary people, merchants and people from the university. What use are they? The nation is the Shah and his gang! They have nationalized the pasturelands and the forests, but their nationalization serves only their own interests. They have prevented the farmers from grazing their animals on the pastures, so these farmers in turn have lost everything. They didn’t allow the people to make use of the forests; instead they sold the forests to this place and that and took the profit for themselves. However, we still do not know about everything that they do.

LAND REFORMS PROGRAM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES We know about the agriculture of Iran because we can see what has happened to it since he implemented his land reform program. Our agrarian economy has been completely ruined. One way in which these land reforms have proved detrimental to our country is that we have now become a market for America. We are now forced to import wheat from America; the Iranian people now have to give their money to import a commodity that they once produced themselves, a commodity from which they should be deriving profit. And the same goes for everything else, they even say that eggs are brought in from Israel.

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Another way in which the land reform program has proved detrimental is that it has displaced the villagers. As a result of the reforms, the villagers could no longer remain in their villages and so they migrated to Tehran and other cities. People have written to me telling me that there are twenty or thirty areas around Tehran. I cannot remember the exact number but these poor migrants have set up tents or some other forms of shelter for themselves in pits, in large holes in the ground. Just imagine two hundred, three hundred, five hundred tents where they live with their children and elderly relatives. And this is happening in Tehran, the capital of a country on the ‘threshold of a great civilization.’ Not only do they not have electricity, they have no water, there is no asphalt on the roads, and they have to take their jugs and climb up scores of steps out of this pit until they reach a water tap where they fill their jugs and climb down again. Picture some poor woman in the middle of the biting winter of Tehran climbing up and down those steps to fetch a jugful of water for her children. God only knows how many times she stumbles, how much trouble she has to go through, and this is not only in one area, there are forty or fifty more like this around Tehran. I have received reports of the areas where people have left their villages because of “land reforms” and the fall of agriculture. They have left their villages and flooded into Tehran and maybe other cities as well. They have taken refuge in Tehran so that can make a living. This is the situation of these people in a capital where the places are so grand!

FIVE MILLION DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON FLORAL DECORATION WHILE VILLAGERS ARE LIVING IN HOVELS This is the kind of life that they have while the relatives of this man live as they do. Only a few days ago I read somewhere that one of the Shah’s sisters had spent a few million dollars on a villa some place, I can’t remember exactly where, but what I do recall is that she spent five million dollars just on flowers and plants for decorating the garden of her116 villa. Five million dollars! It’s beyond imagination. The nation has one lifestyle and they have another. How did this come about? On the one hand, it came about because the Americans ordered him to: “Carry out ‘land reforms’; create a market for our goods, for we over-produce and we throw the surplus into the sea, but instead we’ll sell it to you and get money for it!” And on the other hand because if some small amount of the oil money is left after the Americans have taken all that they want, the Shah and his gang grab it and spend it on their enjoyment.

AMERICA, THE MAIN CRIMINAL We say that this situation should be changed. This is what anyone would say. Any human being would say this. Our country is in such a troubled situation because of this man and the people have suffered so under his rule as they did under that of his father before him. Now we say this state of affairs has to change. Nothing else. We say that this regime has betrayed this country. Even now treason is being committed. We must sever the hands of the traitors from this land. We say that it is America who has perpetrated the greatest act of treachery against our country. It is America that we now confront; the others are merely the leaves and branches. The Shah is one of the branches of America; he is only a servant; he has to do whatever they tell him. We say that America too must go, for it is the trunk. These branches take the wealth of the people; 116 Ashraf Pahlavi

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they are useless. They are traitors; they have to go too. The country belongs to us and we want to administer it ourselves. What has it got to do with America if we do not progress? It is ridiculous.

CARTER, THE SHAH’S ESTEEMED TEACHER Only today I was shown a newspaper which reported that Mr. Carter had said in an interview that the Iranian people are opposing the Shah because he wants to create a progressive society in Iran and wants to give the people freedom! It was in yesterday’s newspaper also. So, all these people are opposing him, this nation is opposing him because he wants to give them freedom! They are shouting that they do not want freedom! According to the logic of Mr. Carter, who thinks he knows everything, the Shah is asking the people to let him give them a prosperous life and they are saying no, we do not want it, we want to continue living in these pits! What can we do with such people? What should we say about this Carter? Should we say that he does not know what is really happening in the country, that he is not informed? Is it possible that Carter is not informed while you and I are? He has his experts everywhere; they are deeply involved in everything, so he knows what is going on. Who is he trying to fool? If he were to make such remarks at some other gathering where the people were not aware of the realities in Iran, they would think that all the people in Iran were mad, because this kind man wants to give them freedom, he wants to give them a good life and they do not want it. They would ask, “Do not you want to have a car? Do not you want to have a prosperous life? He wants to give it to you, he is offering it to you with both hands and telling you to come and take it. So why are you pushing his hands away and saying you do not want it?” This is the logic of Mr. Carter, the President of America! Yet he knows fully well what he is saying; he is well aware of the situation. By making these remarks he hopes to deceive some people, well supposing that he can; this is devilry.

TORTURE AND IMPRISONMENT IS CONSIDERED AS FREEDOM IN THE SHAH’S LOGIC We are troubled by such a being in the world. The logic of we, backward people, is that we want to have control of our own wealth. We are people whom they describe as backward. Sometimes they say we are not worthy of freedom. The Shah himself has said that the people of our country do not deserve freedom and because they are not worthy they must be imprisoned. They deserve nothing other than imprisonment. They are not deserving of freedom. Why? Is it because they are shouting, “Give us freedom?” Is this why they are not worthy of it? Now everyone from the four- or five-year-old children, who of course learn from their elders, to the elderly are calling for freedom and independence. Well, if they already have freedom, then what more do they want? If he wants to grant them freedom, then why are all these people calling for “freedom and independence?” Obviously our logic differs. According to the Shah’s way of thinking, his country is free, but that means everyone is being persecuted. This is his logic. What one man calls freedom is what we call tortured. According to his logic, he has granted freedom to those who were imprisoned, those who were suppressed, those who were persecuted! Independence too in the Shah’s logic means something else: a country which is dependent on others in all aspects, which he has made dependent, is according to him independent.

AMERICA’S APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES Do you think that the members of the Iranian Parliament, whose selection has nothing to do with the people, are nominated by the Shah? No, the embassies prepare a list of the names of those to be selected beforehand and give it to him. This is not something peculiar only to this period; it occurred at the time of Reza Khan

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also, only then it was the British Embassy, which prepared the list, and probably before them the Russian Embassy, and now it is the American Embassy that does this. Perhaps they, meaning America, Britain and Russia, all confer together and come to an understanding on this matter. They also come to an understanding on devouring the wealth of the people. One takes the gas while the other takes the oil. These representatives of ours are ordered into the Parliament by America. If it was the Shah himself who did this, then at least we could say he is from this country, even though we do not want a compatriot like this. But even he doesn’t order them into Parliament. They say who should be the delegates, they give him the list and he passes it on to those who deal with the referendum, without modification. What say do the people have in the matter? How are the people involved in this? Who are the people? The people should be suppressed. They should work and eat nothing They should work and whatever they earn should go into the pockets of others; and whatever is left over from Carter and America goes into the pockets of the Shah and his Pahlavi relatives. What of the people? Suppression is their lot in life. They have to have something to put into their mouths, well, let it be a punch!

THE SHAH’S REGIME FROM AN ISLAMIC VIEWPOINT We say that this situation must be changed; it cannot carry on like this. A nation of thirty million117 or more cannot be constantly suppressed;118 the people cannot always work while others take the fruits of their labor. This does not conform to any logic. This situation has to be rectified. This is the logic of Islam. Can they in any way question this logic? They say that Islam is ‘reactionary’;119 well, what business is it of theirs if it is or not? They call it reactionary because Islam says they must leave the country and let the people live independently. When they say “Islam is reactionary” they do so because Islam tells you that foreigners should not rule over you, it has forbidden you to be ruled by foreigners, it says you should be independent. Naturally then, in their logic, because Islam says you should be independent, it is reactionary. As long as you are independent of America and it is not involved in all of your country’s affairs, then you are not progressive. This is their logic, and with this logic they want to make us progressive and take us to the “threshold of civilization.” Our logic is different from theirs. Our terminology is different. According to their logic, what is happening in the country now- these actions of the Shah- are all part of taking us to the threshold of civilization.

AMERICA, THE SOURCE OF (OUR) BACKWARDNESS At this very moment, as we sit here, fighting is taking place in many places in Iran and shots are being fired. Our people are saying: “We do not want you to take us to the ‘threshold of civilization’. You leave the country; we know what to do.” Let America leave our country; let the American advisers leave; when they go we shall administer our lives ourselves; our lives are none of their business. The Shah wishes to make us a ‘progressive’ country, but we do not want the kind of progress that he has in mind. If we are able we will make our nation progressive ourselves, but if we do not succeed then so be it. We are a group of 117 The thirty-million figure pertains to the population of Iran before the victory of the Islamic Revolution. 118 The population of Iran before the victory of the Islamic Revolution was estimated to be thirty million. According to a census carried out in 1986, the figure was 49,445,010. 119 Reactionary [irtija’]: The deposed monarch used to refer to combatant clerics and those who opposed his White Revolution as the black reactionary forces.

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peasants who want to cultivate wheat or barley on our own land and then eat it ourselves. We are telling you Americans who have come here from the other side of the world and have grasped all the resources of Iran, its oil, copper, steel, everything, and are plundering the wealth of this country, to take your hands off! We will do what we want with our own resources. Carter tells us that we can’t, but what has it got to do with him? If I cannot put my ‘aba on, does that mean he has to come and take it off me? His talk of progress is all lies; he won’t allow us to progress.

AMERICA, AN OBSTACLE TO IRAN’S PROGRESS We have had universities in Iran for some seventy years now. We have had schools from the time of Amir Kabir.120 We have universities121, but they have not been allowed to teach properly. Our educational system is an imperialist system. It is a system which they created for us, which they dictated to us. The imperialists do not let our youth become properly educated. They do not let us progress. If they release their hold on us, then the Iranians will make progress like the rest, they are no less capable than anyone else. But they do not let us progress, because if they were to do this then their interests would be jeopardized. They want to devour the East and keep it in a state of backwardness. They need it to be in this state so they can consume its wealth. They have installed their agents everywhere; in our country it’s this Mr. Shah with his “Mission for My Country” and we can all see what that mission has entailed.

OUR GOAL, TERMINATION OF FOREIGN RULE Ours is the logic of Islam, a logic which says that Muslims should not be ruled by foreigners122, they should not be dominated by others. We do not want to be subservient to others. This is what we are really saying, that America must go, not only America, Russia too, all foreign powers must leave our country. This is our logic and this is what we are shouting for. Now if, according to this logic, anyone has anything to say, then let us hear it. According to the propaganda in these newspapers- and it is said that the Shah spends a hundred million dollars every year on propaganda for his regime, to preserve his regime123, of course one expects 120 Amir Kabir: Mirza Taqi Khan Farahani, better known as Amir Kabir (1803- 1848), was the strong and popular prime minister of Nasir ad-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty, who, by relying on his shrewdness, sagacity and perseverance managed to do away with many aspects of foreign colonialism and domestic autocracy to promote the welfare of the country in the face many challenging difficulties. 121 A center of higher education called Dar al-Mu’allimin was established in 1918 and the University of Tehran was founded in 1935. The system of education at the University of Tehran was mostly adopted from the French system and many of the older lecturers had been educated in France. However, after the coup of August 19, 1953/Mordad 28, 1332 SH and the rise in American influence in the country, the educational system of the universities in Iran gradually moved toward the American model and many of the sensitive posts were given to Freemasons. 122 Surah an-Nisa’ 4: 141: “And never will Allah grant to the unbelievers a way (to triumph) over the Believers.” 123 The Shah used to spend part of the country’s revenue on heavily financing propaganda campaigns. Both ambassadors and the Royal Public Relations Bureau gave millions of dollars to writers and publicity agencies and to the press, radio and television, to ensure that the Shah’s crimes and treacherous activities remained concealed and that instead he was introduced as one of the world’s great politicians and outstanding thinkers. Le Point, printed in France, voted the Shah as “the Man of the Year”! Barry Rubin, the American researcher, in his book The Power Struggle in Iran writes: “The extensive nature of the propaganda which was spread by the regime was one of the main reasons why the latter’s shortcomings remained hidden.” The sums of money given by the Shah for propaganda purposes were so vast that rivalry broke out between Iranologists from America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Holland over the translation of material such as the Shah’s own book or the Muarrifi-ye Tamaddun va Shahhan-e Gozashteh. Such payments were made in absolute secrecy and hence the exact amounts involved for these or other payments offered as bribes for propaganda are not yet known. Documents uncovered since the victory of the Revolution however, both in Iran and in Iranian embassies abroad, indicate that these amounts had been quite substantial. In America alone, millions of dollars were spent each year on popularizing the Shah’s regime. Among the contracts made to this end, was

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such statements to be found in these newspapers- the akhunds are reactionaries; the akhunds are worshippers of the old; the akhunds are such and such. Then they turn to Islam and they paint a bad picture of both Islam and the akhunds. Why? Because that which stands in the way of the imperialists is Islam and it is the akhunds who are implementing Islam. The imperialists try to get rid of these obstacles to their designs by disparaging Islam so the people will turn away from its teachings and spurn the akhunds, and then only their agents, and whoever else they want, will be left.

ASSAULT ON THE (STUDENTS OF) THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES AND (ORDINARY) SCHOOLS They have made our universities such that our students cannot study properly. There is so much pressure on them. Nowadays no one can study in our theological schools or universities. The universities are always on strike.124 It has been over a year now that they have been on strike; they cannot function; the regime does not let them function. Its agents storm the universities, beating and injuring both men and women, or arresting them and taking them off to prison. The same happens in the schools. Every so often they attack the schools and assault the pupils and teachers there. The religious students and university students cannot study in such a tense atmosphere, and now it is the same for the school-children. Nowadays they are beating the school-children, even killing them. Only today I was informed of the killing of many young schoolboys and schoolgirls by the regime.125

RETREAT IN FACE OF THE NATION The situation in Iran at present is unprecedented, and even more unexampled is the spirit of the Iranian people at this time. Their spirit now is so strong that even though tanks close in on them from one side and soldiers with bayonets from another, they raise their fists into the air and go forward; they confront them with sticks and stones. One is slain and another takes his place. They do not give up. It is this spirit which will make this regime retreat, as it has done already.

the five hundred and seven thousand dollar contract made with the New York public relations counseling agency “Ruder and Finn, Inc.”; the agreement to pay Marion Javits, the wife of Senator Javits, an annual sum of sixty-seven thousand five hundred dollars; and the regular payment of exorbitant sums to William Rogers, the former Foreign Minister of the United States. Following his departure from Iran in November 1978 [Aban 1357 SH], Siamak Zand, the head of the press section of the Royal Public Relations Bureau, stated in an interview that he used to bribe most of the foreign journalists. In the same interview he clearly named four of the journalists in question to be the editor-in-chief of the American magazine Newsweek; two journalists from The Daily Telegraph and The Times; and the French reporter Gerard de Villiers. Refer to The Power Struggle in Iran, p. 117; In the Service of the Peacock Throne, p. 310; and the Herald Tribune newspaper of November 17, 1978/Aban 26, 1357 SH. 124 On October 7, 1978/Mehr 15, 1357 SH, a number of universities across the country did begin lectures after a slight delay, but most of them went on strike on the same day and closed down again. The Teacher Training University closed after only being open for a day and the students of the Azad University of Tabriz announced in a declaration on the afternoon of October 7 that they would not attend classes until martial law was lifted. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Kerman University, Isfahan University, Shiraz University, Amir Kabir University and Reza’s University did not reopen at all. The students of the Teacher Training University and the College of Higher Education in Arak also announced that they would not attend classes. Refer to the newspapers of October 1978. 125 On October 18, 1978/Mehr 26, 1357 SH, police attacked the Ibrat high school for girls injuring and arresting a number of pupils there. A protest demonstration by students of Naziabad high school was disrupted when police and soldiers moved in and a number of pupils were injured. A fire began in the Ilahi high school during demonstrations by pupils there, as a result of which a number of them were trapped. Many pupils of both girls’ and boys’ high schools were killed on this day as a result of the actions of the police and army.

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This Rastakhiz Party was so highly praised by the regime and the Shah insisted so strongly that all Iranians had to join it saying that whoever did not must leave the country because he was no longer an Iranian, he no longer had a nation126. But then he later changed his stance and said the Rastakhiz Party was not important, it was like other parties. 127Sometimes he says something and persists with it so much, but now this very nation has forced him to shift his ground. The people have forced him to say that this Rastakhiz Party is nothing. I said from the very beginning that this was not a party, that this was just talk. His other plans are the same. Gradually, he will say the same about the land reforms, because these were not reforms, they amounted to nothing other than acts of corruption. What did the land reform program do with its Literacy Corps- this corps that does nothing other than send people into the towns and villages to sing the Shah’s praises and promote his image?

A UNITED VOICE IN IRAN Now all the people, from the remotest villages to the provincial capitals, stand unified and shout: “We do not want this Shah.” Is any referendum better than this? A whole nation is saying we do not want this, so 126 The Shah had ordered for various parties to be formed such as the “Mardom [People’s] Party,” the “Milliyin [Nationals’] Party” and the “Iran-e Novin [Modern Iran] Party.” In 1974 [1353 SH], however, he announced that the Rastakhiz Party was to be regarded as the country’s only legitimate party and he made membership of it obligatory. He demanded that anyone who was opposed to this party should leave Iran! The Rastakhiz Party was established on the basis of three principles: allegiance to the constitutional law; allegiance to the monarchical regime; and allegiance to the Shah-People Revolution. Hoveyda, the Prime Minister of the day, was elected as Secretary General of the Rastakhiz Party and “Rastakhiz” became the focal attraction for those who sought power or influence. No sooner had this party been established than Imam declared its illegality according to religious law. He thus issued a religious decree forbidding anyone to become a member of this party and he argued that to demand compulsory membership was a violation of the Constitution. On the party’s first birthday following its establishment, the regime announced that this party enjoyed a membership of twenty-three million people! (The total population of Iran at that time was only thirty-three million people.) The Shah forbad the party’s members to discuss or hold meetings about oil, the White Revolution, the procurement of arms and equipment, and the country’s foreign policy. Six months after its establishment, high-officials of the American embassy in Iran reported to Washington that this party played no practical role in the politics of Iran. Refer to Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran [The Modern History of Iran], p. 257. 127 It refers to the mass media on Mordad 27- 28, 1357 SH. At the time of the establishment of the Rastakhiz or National Resurgence Party, the Shah declared: “We must straighten out Iranians’ ranks. To do so, we divide them into two categories: those who believe in Monarchy, the Constitution and the Sixth Bahman Revolution (i. e. the date on which the White Revolution was announced in 1963); and those who don’t... A person who does not enter the new political party and does not believe in the three cardinal principles which I referred to, will have only two choices. He is either an individual who belongs to an illegal organization, or is related to the outlawed Tudeh Party, or in other words, is a traitor. Such an individual belongs in an Iranian prison, or if he desires he can leave the country tomorrow, without even paying exit fees; he can go anywhere he likes, because he is not an Iranian, he has no nation, and his activities are illegal and punishable according to the law... Everyone must be man enough to clarify his position in this country. He either approves of the conditions or he does not. As I said before, if his disapproval has treacherous overtones, his fate is clear. If it has ideological roots, he is free in Iran, but he should not have any expectations... We expect everyone, any individual who has come of age, to vote, either to enter this new political structure or to clarify his position as of tomorrow or as soon as possible.” (The Shah, speech of March 2, 1975, Ministry of Information and Tourism pamphlet, pp. 11- 13.) Fred Halliday in his book Iran: Dictatorship and Development, (p. 48) adds: “The pressure was therefore on, for everyone to be seen to join the new entity: the ominous phrase ‘he should not have any expectations’ takes on a special meaning in a country where the state is the dominant patron and source of advancement. It would be a mistake to see Rastakhiz as simply designed to further the pretence that there exists in Iran a form of democracy that is in reality absent. These organizations have an additional and important purpose, namely to generate support for the regime and to provide a means of forcing people to compromise themselves by declarations of loyalty. Promotion, security, contacts- much can depend on whether someone is a party member or not.” However, by 1978, the Shah had been forced to think again, and in an interview given on the anniversary of the August 19 coup d’état, he said: “At that time we said that the party is for everyone which meant anyone could join it. Now we see that with the so-called open door policy and absolute, one hundred percent freedom, we no longer expect one hundred percent of the people to join this party. No. A person may not wish to join it for some reason. He may have another way of thinking. He will have this choice and has it now. And later, according to the law of the civilized, progressive world he will be able to say and write whatever he wants.” Refer to the newspapers of August 18 and 19, 1978/Mordad 27 and 28, 1357 SH.

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what is America saying? It is our country and we do not want this Shah ruling it. He must go, and it has nothing to do with America. We will determine our own destiny. The destiny of each country must lie in the hands of its people. We do not want him, he must go and we will appoint someone ourselves. Our destiny should be based on rules, on reasonable, rational rules, on laws, and it should be in the hands of those who have the right to determine it. At any rate, the duty of those of us here today, and the others who are out of the country is to help the Iranians. They have arisen; they have stood up- actually their movement is fifteen years old now, but it is only over the past year that it has become so strong, that it is proving effective. We are at a very critical stage in our history, perhaps there has never been such a period in Iranian history when the people have demonstrated such emotions, when seven- and eight-year-old school-children have taken to the streets in demonstrations shouting: “We do not want the Shah. Death to the Shah!” And as one small child is killed another comes forward and shouts the same slogan. Men and women do the same and the slogan is repeated throughout the country, in the traditional and modern learning institutions, the theological schools and the universities, in the bazaars and mosques. Wherever you go the slogan is the same. This is an unprecedented event; Iran has never witnessed such unanimity. I cannot remember anything like this happening before, and I believe that neither Iranian nor world history can recall such a time when all the people spoke with one voice and shouted one slogan. If the bayonets of America were removed, the army wouldn’t support the Shah either. But the bayonets of America are there, America is supporting him. All our troubles are caused by America. If these bayonets were removed, the army would not support him, no one would. This is the situation in Iran now. I am very optimistic that this unity of purpose which exists in Iran now will allow the people to achieve their aims and will lead them to success.

THE FIRST FALL, SHAH AND THE SECOND FALL, AMERICA A nation cannot be kept under martial law forever. Now that martial law has been implemented, the people continue to resist. A country cannot be kept under martial law and held at bayonet-point forever. There is no other way but to change the system. Mr. Carter can say whatever he likes, he can say that all that the Shah is doing is for freedom and progress, but nothing can stop what is happening in Iran today. The movement will progress. Yet still we who are over here have a duty to help. If I can speak out, even though restraints have been imposed on my activities, you can surely speak out. Speak to your brothers over here, publish articles, do whatever you can. Help your friends in Iran, help your brothers who have risen up and are shedding their blood, in whatever way you can. The blood of young children as well as adults is being shed; we should do as much as we can to help them. We must speak out for them, we must use our pens and take other steps to help them so that, God willing, we may all join hands together and smash this barrierthis barrier which consists of Muhammad Reza at the front and Carter behind. When this is shattered then the way to happiness lies open. For the happiness of you all and your nation lies beyond this barrier. I beseech God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant you success. My prayers are with you. May God keep you safe and, God willing, may you all endeavor to be beneficial to your country. God willing, when you return home you will be useful for your country and you will not be like this present ruling body. May God preserve you all.

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38th Speech Date: October 22, 1978/Mehr 30, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 17, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Islam, the school of thought of movement and uprising against kings and capitalists Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Some of the gentlemen say that if I have any commands, they are ready to carry them out. I have no commands; they are not mine to give. The commands that we are now all mindful of and we must obey are the commands of God, for we are His servants and are making use of His blessings.

THE AWARENESS OF THE IRANIAN NATION The Iranian nation is an oppressed nation; it is a Muslim nation; it is a nation, which is blessed by God, and we who are the servants of God. Wherever we are, we must help the Iranian people as much as we can. This is not the time for commands, prohibitions, leadership or non-leadership- the situation does not call for such things. There is no leader and follower. Now all classes of our society, from our youth- our school children and our university and theological students to the merchants of the bazaar and farmers- all of them know what to do. They do not need to be guided by anyone.

THE PAHLAVI FAMILY AND FOREIGNERS, THE BASIS FOR IRAN’S PROBLEMS Now everyone knows what afflicts the Muslims, the nation of Iran, the Muslim nation and the school of Islam. They know what our problems are and how they should be solved; this is clear for everyone to a certain degree, God willing. We all know that the Iranian nation has lived under the yoke of the Pahlavi dynasty for more than fifty years, and that throughout this period the Pahlavi monarchs did whatever they wanted to this country. They tyrannized the people and acted as servants to the foreigners. This dynasty was initiated with the rule of Reza Khan, the servant of the British who brought him to power.128 In our more recent history, it has been his vicious son, the servant of America, who has dominated us. He himself confessed in one of his speeches (which was later reproduced in one of his books) that the Allies thought it fitting that he should be in control of affairs, but then later, this sentence was expunged from the book because it was felt that it was a disgrace for him to admit such a thing. But he had indeed said such a thing. The foreigners are the root cause of our problems, and these problems of ours have not appeared recently, they have a long history. They began when the foreigners penetrated Iran and other countries of the East. The foreign experts studied all aspects of these countries and realized that they could derive much profit from the natural resources and minerals that they found there. They knew that to do this, they had to take 128 Reza Khan Mirpanj, who held military command over a Cossack unit in Qazvin, occupied Tehran in 1920 [1299 SH] in accordance with a plan devised by the British government, and by carrying out a coup d’état he forced Ahmad Shah to appoint Sayyid Ziyauddin Tabatabaei as the Prime Minister. Reza Khan gradually consolidated his position and took steps to establish a unified national army. In 1923, Ahmad Shah appointed Reza Khan to act as Prime Minister after which he then left Iran to visit Europe. Eventually, in 1925 [1304 SH], parliamentary representatives were pressurized by Reza Khan into presenting a single article to the Majlis by virtue of which Ahmad Shah was ousted from the throne and Reza Khan was elected as monarch. This article was ratified by the Majlis in spite of opposition voiced by the clergy and certain crusaders such as Mudarris.

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these resources in whatever way necessary and not let the indigenous people make use of them. Their experts know where all our mineral reserves are. Once when I was in Hamadan, a former student of the religious sciences came to see me and showed me a large map on which all the villages of the Hamadan province were delineated. Certain places had been marked, and when I asked him what the marks signified he told me they indicated where minerals, petroleum or metals that had been located by foreign experts lay beneath the ground. This did not only happen in Hamadan. Their experts traveled through the deserts of Iran, on camels when they were the only means of transport, searching for our minerals, and when they found what they felt they could use, they marked the spot.

ISLAM AND THE CLERGY: OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF IMPERIALISM Over the past two hundred or three hundred years, they have also been successful in removing the obstacles, which impede their plans. They recognized Islam as being one of these obstacles and over these many years they strived to remove this barrier, which they realized would not allow them to attain their goals in the country. Their propagandists and experts disseminated deceitful propaganda against Islam. They did not present Islam as it truly is. They said that Islam, like all other religions was a drug. They see all religions as being the opium of the people, as something used to opiate the people so whatever is taken from them they will not make a sound, and this is how they presented Islam. Throughout this long period the propagandists of these exploitative oil-devourers have constantly spread this notion, such that many of our youth who do not have enough information about Islam, who lack a correct understanding of what the Qur’an really is, what it contains, what it demands, what solutions it offers for the problems of the day, have been deceived by them. They believe their propaganda without realizing what lies behind it and where it has its roots.

QUR’AN, THE BOOK THAT ROUSES (THE PEOPLE) Today, there are those both abroad and sometimes within Iran itself who introduce our youth to certain ideologies which are neither scientifically nor politically founded, rather they are perversions that have been created and propagated in order to turn people away from Islam. For these exploiters and oil-devourers have realized that if the people recognize Islam for what it truly is, then the way would not be open for their penetration of Muslim lands and the devouring of their oil. Islam leaves no way open for them, and if the Qur’an is studied correctly, then it becomes clear that it is not a book which seeks to stupefy; it is a book that seeks to rouse (the people). It was this book, which stirred those Arabs, who at that time knew nothing to topple the mighty, oppressive empires. If the Qur’an and the teachings of Islam were opiates, then the Muslim armies would not have spread throughout the world and destroyed the empires of the time as they did. The battles fought by the founders of Islam or the founders of other divine, monotheistic ideologies, have always involved the prophets and the people on one side, against the monarchs on the other. Moses, may God’s peace be upon him, took his shepherd’s staff and set off toward Pharaoh’s palace to destroy it. Pharaoh did not use Moses to stupefy the people so that he could continue with his oppression; rather Moses took his staff and stopped his tyranny. The Prophet of Islam (s), when appointed, did the same. One only needs to look at history to see whether the Prophet acted in the interests of those capitalists of Hijaz, Ta’if, Mecca and such places and encouraged apathy among the people so that these capitalists could do with

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them as they wished, or whether he stirred these weak, oppressed people, destitute people, to battle with these capitalists until they defeated them or made human beings out of some of them.

ISLAM’S DECLARATION OF WAR ON THE KINGS AND CAPITALISTS When our youth hear of these spurious ideologies they do not stop to consider, they do not pay enough attention to what those promoting them are saying and why they speak so highly of such an ideology as communism. They do not look to see what the aim behind this action is. The aim is to present the Muslims and Islam in such a way as to cause our youth to turn away from Islam. Islam is portrayed as being a means to allow the aristocrats and the noblemen to gain dominance over the people and to prevent them from objecting. Well, they obviously have not read the Qur’an to see what the message of Islam is. The Qur’an contains numerous verses concerned with battle. Islam has declared war on these capitalists, on these kings, these monarchs; it does not help them to plunder the people.

THE RESISTANCE OF THE LEADERS OF ISLAM TO KINGS The ulama of Islam, the Prophet of Islam, the Imams of Islam, all of them opposed the kings of their day. (Harun) who reigned under the title of “caliph,” imprisoned Hazrat Musa ibn Ja’far (as) for ten or fifteen years. Why? Because he prayed? Both Harun and Ma’m1n prayed. They were even the congregational prayer leaders and the leaders of the Friday prayers. So did Harun imprison Imam Musa because he prayed? Did he have him arrested because he was a sayyid, a descendant of the Prophet, or because he was an Imam? Was this the reason? No, he arrested and imprisoned him because Imam Musa opposed his rule; he opposed the rule of the taghut- the illegitimate regime. His opposition to Harun’s regime caused all his problems. He was not arrested simply because he prayed or because he was a good man or because he was a descendant of the Prophet. No, for Harun himself invoked the Prophet’s name when he called the adhan129 and he praised him. Imam Musa was arrested and imprisoned because he opposed Harun’s regime.

THE EVER-FORTIFIED SCHOLARS From the outset and throughout each period of history, our ulama have staged uprisings. History relates their struggles and their defeats. At the time of the Imams, their sons rose up with the encouragement of the Imams themselves; it wasn’t the case that the Imams were unaware of the actions of their sons. On occasion, the Imams (as) would speak out in defense of the caliphs or for some other reason, but in reality it was they who instigated the uprisings against them. The Imams praised Zayd so highly for his uprising; would they have done so had they believed him to have done something wrong? Why did they speak so highly of him? Why did they mourn him so if he was in the wrong? How many uprisings of the ulama have we ourselves witnessed in our own lifetime- these ulama whom the leftists and others who have gone astray describe as being court-affiliated? Those who make such statements have not looked into the matter deeply enough, they are too young to remember the uprisings, and they turn a deaf ear to accounts of the many times during the rule of Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah that the ulama of Islam rose up against these Pahlavis who suppressed the people so. One time it was the ulama of Isfahan, at another the ulama of Azerbaijan, at yet another, the ulama of Mashhad or Qum who came together and declared their opposition.

129 Adhan: the call to prayer.

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CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE AGAINST ISLAM AND THE CLERGY When did these ulama work for the interests of the court? Of course, in all social groups the world, over, one finds a few people who are insincere and work for the rulers, and this rings true for our society too. But that does not mean to say that ours is an ideology that opiates the people or that those in whose hands this ideology lies have always been the allies of the oppressors and the friends of the monarchs. No, this is not so. This is all just propaganda. They have used this propaganda on you The oil-devourers have promoted these ideas saying so-and-so is a British agent in order to destroy that gentleman’s reputation. The British themselves allow such ideas to circulate, for they know that they are held in such low esteem by the people that if someone is seen to be associated with them, then he too will be regarded in the same light. That gentleman is a British agent, that one has relations with America, that one has relations with somewhere else! They attempt to destroy the reputation of the clergymen one after the other. Some of our more credulous youth have been deluded by these ideologies. You have been deceived gentlemen. Do not think that these are true ideologies; Tawhid is the only true ideology.

A GLANCE AT THE LEADERS OF ISLAM AND COMMUNISM Take a look at the life of the Messenger of God (s), who brought us the ideology of Islam, or the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) (as) who was his rightful successor. What kind of life did Imam Ali lead? He was a ruler whose dominions were extensive, a few times larger than Iran, spreading over an area from Hijaz to Africa and further. Yet look at how he lived, how he spent his days and nights, how he worshipped, how he acted toward the people, how he treated the poor and weak. He was constantly worried lest he had oaten bread to eat while someone in a remote corner of his realm went hungry. Yet these leaders who deceive you with their ideologies eat so much that they develop stomach problems!130 When the Chinese leader, that lover of humankind, stayed in Iran for a few days, he saw what the situation was; he passed over the dead bodies of our people. The Shah could not take him through the streets because the people were demonstrating and shouting: “Death to the Shah,” so he took him to his residence by helicopter. He knew what was happening. This person who espouses the communist ideology, who claims to be with the people, with the masses, was aware that the Shah was killing all these people, yet still he went to Iran and shook hands with him and accepted the invitations offered him by the Shah’s sister... They are deceiving you gentlemen! I can remember during the Second World War, when that head of the communists came to Iran along with the heads of the Allied Forces, Churchill131 arrived in his own car; Roosevelt also came in a conventional manner. Stalin132, however, arrived with his own milk cow, because he was afraid that the milk in Iran would cause him some kind of upset! I myself can vouch for this. At the time, everyone was talking about how Stalin had brought his own cow along with him. I saw for myself the state of his army in this country. Khorasan province was in the hands of the Russian army and I myself

130 Stomach problems stemming from overeating. 131 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874- 1964 AD): the celebrated British statesman. He became Prime Minister in May 1940 and served as war leader until 1945. 132 Joseph Vissarionovich (1879- 1953 AD), known as Stalin (the Iron Man), was a member of the central Bolshevik Party, who took over the leadership of the Soviet Union upon the death of Lenin. He was a great politician and a high profile personality of the Russian Revolution who stood by Lenin till the latter’s death.

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witnessed Russian soldiers begging for cigarettes along the Khorasan road. The people in Iran called them “brothers!” What kind of fraternal relationship did they have with this man who wanted to put these poor wretches to sleep with this ideology and then plunder them? It is the communist ideology, which is the opium of the people, not the Qur’an. When the leading followers of the Qur’an went into battle, they did so against the oppressors. They lived a virtuous life, a life more modest than that of others. Islam is a true ideology, not one that produces a leader who takes a cow with him because he will only drink the milk, which it produces; a leader who plunders the people, who oppresses them more than anyone else! It used to be said that Mr. Lenin133 calculated everything and that he had calculated that whoever could earn enough to meet his expenses had the right to live, but whoever could not had to be killed, had to be thrown into the sea! This is the doctrine of this “loverof-mankind,” of he who claims to be the provider of the people! In what way does he practice the preaching of an ideology which claims to be more mindful of the poor and weak who cannot work than it is of the rich and the aristocratic; an ideology which claims to take care of the poor and help them financially?

COMMUNIST SAVAK They134 are playing you along, gentlemen. God knows they are deceiving you. They have deceived our youth abroad, and many of those in Iran who claim to be communists are in fact security agents who are out to deceive the people. They even went to Beheshte Zahra135 and began shouting communist slogans, but the people grabbed them and threw them out for they knew that they were from SAVAK136. The regime also sent some SAVAK agents to the university to shout communist slogans. They were not communists, they were security agents sent to frighten the people into thinking that if they were to take power, everything would fall into complete disarray and the communists would take over. However, this would not be the case; if the Shah were to go, Iran would become a much better place for this hindrance would have gone and Iran could get on with putting its affairs in order.

133 Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov popularly known as Lenin (1870-1924 AD): Founder of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), inspirer and leader of the Bolshevik Revolution (1917), and the first head of the Soviet state (1917- 24). As a thinker, he was the formulator of MarxismLeninism, which until the late 1980s and early 1990s was the official ideology of the Soviet Union and several other communist nations. 134 It refers to the Marxist groups. 135 Beheshte Zahra: the grand cemetery located in the southern part of Tehran. Great martyrs of Islamic Revolution are buried in this cemetery. It is visited by millions every year. 136 SAVAK: The bill for the formation of SAVAK, The State Security and Intelligence Organization, was passed by Parliament in 1956 [1335 SH] and the organization was subsequently officially established in 1957 [1336 SH]. SAVAK’s mission was to quash and confront any Islamic struggle or opposition to the regime. SAVAK was closely linked to the intelligence agencies of both America and Israel (CIA and MOSSAD) and gradually it turned into a terrorist organization. This institution, which in fact served as the CIA’s headquarters, possessed several investigative and detective teams. In order to obtain information from those they had arrested, SAVAK would firstly send the latter to torture chambers, after which it would hand its captives over to rubber-stamp courts where, after the passing of a predetermined court verdict, the accused would be convicted and taken to horrendous prisons. The cruelty and callousness of SAVAK was so great that the Secretary General of Amnesty International, in a report made in 1975 stated: “No country in the world has a worse record in human rights than Iran... In order to obtain confessions, the torturers of SAVAK subject its captives to beatings and electric shocks. It employs all kinds of horrendous and inhumane methods to achieve its ends; the inflicting of agonizing pain on the sexual organs and the sexual assault of the wives and daughters of the captives before the latter’s very eyes, are but two of such atrocities perpetrated.” The Shah was fully aware of SAVAK’s practices. This organization was abolished by Iranian Muslims in 1978 [1357 SH] and its torturers were prosecuted in revolutionary courts.

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PLUNDERING OF OIL AND SETTING UP OF A BASE The Iranian people are not saying now that they have one leader and one guide. Everyone is a leader; everyone knows what the situation is. They are all saying that they do not want this regime, which has oppressed them from its inception, which has given away everything they had, which has given their oil away gratuitously. If only it had been given away for free! The Shah and his regime gave away our oil and in return the Americans sent arms and set up bases for themselves in Iran! They first took our oil and then set up bases for themselves! The people of Iran, from the children to the elderly, are all crying out: “Death to this regime, which causes us so much suffering.” They are shouting out for freedom. Over the past fifty years (of Pahlavi rule), nothing has been free in this country. Our press was never free; our preachers never enjoyed freedom of speech; our ulama were never free; our universities never functioned as they should have done, nothing was right. Now the people are taking a stand and shouting that they want freedom; they want independence; they do not want to depend on others for everything like parasites. They want to be independent; they want to administer their country themselves. They are shouting for freedom.

CARTER’S WIT I read in the newspapers recently that Mr. Carter had said that the people in Iran are making such a hue and cry because the Shah has given them a “quick democracy” and a” quick freedom “Which they cannot tolerate. It was written in the newspapers- the Ittila’at or Kayhan- that this is the reason for the people’s opposition to him, that all of this opposition is because he has given them this “quick freedom!” Thus, what all these people who have taken to the streets shouting, “Give us freedom,” really mean to say is “Do not give us freedom”! Of course, they do not want the freedom that the Shah has given them, for we all know what that has entailed: the imprisonment of our /ulama’, our politicians and our bazaar merchants; and now groups of young boys and girls, men and women languish in his goals too. What was their crime? They merely uttered a word against him! This is the freedom that we Iranians have! Yet supposedly, Mr. Carter believes that all our discontent arises from this fast democracy that the Shah has given us and this progressive country and society, which he has tried to create. He makes out that we do not want to progress, that we want to ride around on donkeys! These are not, however, Carter’s true beliefs, they are but his tricks. He thinks that he can deceive the people in this way, but let me tell him that the people no longer accept these tricks that he plays; they are no longer deceived by these games. The people now know the truth of the matter.

ASSISTING AND SYMPATHIZING WITH THE IRANIAN RESISTANCE Be that as it may, I have told everyone who has come to see me that they have a duty to perform. I, a student of religion, who sits here, you sitting there, all of you, wherever you live and under whatever circumstances, are duty bound to participate with the nation of Iran in their uprising. You who are in Europe, there are no battlefields as such here for you to go to, they lie in Iran, it is there that the battle takes place, that the people are beaten up, killed and shed their blood in combat. It is not like that here. But still you can contribute; you can help the Iranian people by propagating their cause. Each one of you must be acquainted with at least ten or twenty Europeans wherever you are in Europe, they may be your friends, so tell them what the situation is in Iran, tell them why the Iranians are making such an outcry. Adverse propaganda is being disseminated against the movement in Iran and against Islam. You must tell people here that we have not

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begun this struggle because of the reasons he (Carter) gives, that we are not opposing the Shah and his regime because they have given us freedom and we do not want it. The Iranian people have risen up because they do not have freedom and they want it. The Shah and his regime have betrayed us. They are giving the country’s wealth to America. They are giving our oil to America and they are giving it in such a way that according to the Shah himself the country will have nothing left in thirty years’ time. Who has brought about this situation for us? The Shah himself, he is at fault. Our oil reserves are being exhausted, and who is doing this? He is, because he is selling more than is necessary and the country is getting nothing for it. The people are now recognizing these acts of treachery; they are saying that they no longer want these traitors. This is why the people are shouting. You who are here today, I, a theologian, who sits here, you sir sitting there, you university student, you high-school pupil, all you men and women, you can propagate the cause of the Iranian nation. Each one of you, wherever you live, explain the problems in Iran to those you are in contact with. If each member of this community of a few thousand Iranians residing abroad, tells ten or twenty people over here about what is happening in Iran, then a wave of public opinion will be created and this in itself will have been a service. People are asking me all the time if they should return to Iran. No, it is not necessary. You can play a role in the movement by propagating its cause wherever you live over here, whether it is in France, Germany, America, or wherever. When you attend your schools or other institutions, tell the people you meet there about the situation of the Iranian people. You know the language; you can speak; so stop and speak to the people where you are. Tell them what is happening in Iran, what the problems of the people are. Tell them that their problems are caused by Mr. Carter and others like him, like Russia. Russia takes our gas and America takes our oil. They are plundering our resources. Tell these people this, and gradually, because of your efforts, these people who have been misled by the propaganda that they are exposed to over here may come to understand your problems. They are human beings too, when they learn of the suffering of the innocent Iranian nation and are told the truth about events in Iran, this large community over here will support your cause and maybe then their leaders will leave us alone. The Shah has ruined our agriculture; he is exhausting our oil supplies. In a few years’ time we will have neither agriculture nor oil, then how will this nation survive? Our nation is now crying out that this traitor must go, they are shouting “death to this monarchy” and, God willing, it will be swept away. When a nation wants something, God willing, it will achieve it. You who are resident over here can help your people, you can propagate their cause and this would prove to be most valuable. You are responsible before God. Do not suppose that because you are over here, you are, thank God, relieved of any responsibility. No, this is not the case. You are responsible before God; each one of you has a duty to speak out wherever you go and to whomever you meet. Do not worry about whether your words will be accepted or not, go ahead and propagate the cause and this will be effective. Gradually, through your efforts, a wave of support for the Iranian nation will be created in Europe and this may force the Western leaders to leave us alone.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND READINESS FOR THE FUTURE May God grant you all success [the audience thanks him]. May He assist you so that you will all become of benefit to Iran and Islam. Endeavor to be of service to these people in Iran who from all social classes are either languishing in prisons or shedding their blood for your sakes, for the improvement of your country. Help them and pray for them. Train yourselves so that if tomorrow this regime falls and you return

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to Iran and are given a post, you will not act as those in the Shah’s regime did. Usually when we have nothing we are good people, but as soon as something comes into our hands, that changes! You must strive to purify yourselves, adhere to the teachings of Islam and act accordingly. Make yourselves virtuous people, so that when, God willing, the destiny of the country comes into the hands of the people (which will hopefully be soon) you may return and administer your own country. I apologize that our house is small and that not many people can come inside, but we have to make do with it.

39th Speech Date: October 22, 1978/Mehr 30, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 19, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Allah’s uprising and its role; the black record of the Pahlavi family Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

INDIVIDUAL OR SOCIETAL MISSION “Say: I do admonish you to do one thing, to rise up for God; it may be in pairs or it may be singly...” 137 God, the Exalted, has determined our duties. He tells the Prophet to inform the people that He admonishes them to do one thing; listen carefully, that one important thing which God wishes to exhort us all to do, which He commissioned His Most Noble Messenger to inform us what we must do, is to rise up for God, in pairs or alone. The admonisher is God, the Blessed and Exalted, the conveyer is the Prophet and the admonition is to do one thing, to rise up for God, either in pairs, which is the least number of people in a group, or alone. Moses (as) was given the mission to go to Pharaoh and invite him to God. He was sent to Pharaoh, a man with great power, he had more power than our Pharaoh has- as can be seen from the pyramids of Egypt- he even laid claim to divinity! Yet Moses was to be sent alone to confront him. Moses pleaded for his brother to accompany him to support him. So the order came for both of them to go, to go and invite Pharaoh to God so that he may fear God and mend his ways, that he may become a (true) human being. Moses (as) was at first told to go alone, but after requesting God, the Blessed and Exalted, to allow his brother to accompany him, the order was given for them both to go and invite Pharaoh to the Truth. Today, we do not need to wait for the means, for the money or the guns and tanks before we rise up for God, all that matters is that the uprising is for God.

ATTACHING IMPORTANCE TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE UMMAH Your uprising, your movement, should be for the sake of God, the Exalted, and for the benefit of the Muslims. God, the Blessed and Exalted, wants us to pay attention to the affairs of Muslims “He who arises

137 Qur’an, 34: 46

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in the morning and gives no thought to the affairs of the Muslims is not a Muslim.”138 A Muslim is someone who attaches importance to remedying the affairs of the Muslims. This movement is for the good of a nation, it is not a movement which will benefit only one person. It is not a personal affair; it is not as if someone is doing something for himself so others have the excuse to say: “Leave him to it.” This movement is for the benefit of Islam, which is more precious than anything. It is for the benefit of a nation. A nation of thirty-odd million is being suppressed every day. People are being killed or thrown into prison daily. Now as we sit here, we do not know what is happening in Iran, but every day we hear reports about such and such a city, such and such a school, such and such a university. What is certain is that the people have risen; they have awakened and have protested. Protecting is not like this (that there are no lives lost) This is the result of the pressures, which, over these past fifty years, have created a complex in the hearts of the people. Now that they have found a way out through their newly-discovered unity, their ideological unity, they are ridding themselves of this complex. The uprising is an uprising for God, for Islam and to remedy the affairs of the Muslims.

CHANGING THE ISLAMIC CALENDAR, SHAH’S GREATEST TREASON If you weigh everything that we have lost because of this man, all the crimes that this man has perpetrated and the treason that he has committed- from giving our oil away to foreigners, ruining our agriculture, destroying our culture, to throwing away the dignity of our army- against the changes he made to our calendar, against his changing the Islamic hijrah calendar to one of the fire-worshippers139; you will see that this act of his is more significant and weighs the heaviest. Do not suppose that had the nation given him more time, this would have been the only move he would have made against Islam. Changing the calendar was merely the first step. The Zoroastrians were so pleased about it that they wrote to him saying that no one had done their religion as much service as he had! No one has done the Zoroastrian religion, the religion of the fire-worshippers, as much service! Changing the Islamic calendar was his first step; he had other plans but, thank God, the nation gave him a punch in the mouth before he could carry them out and now he has even had to reinstate the Islamic calendar. The pillars that he has erected are being destroyed one by one because of the blow that the people have delivered him. You must be patient; one by one these pillars will crumble. Just look at all the fuss that was made about the Rastakhiz Party over these last few years. The Shah sang his own praises loudly and even made non-membership of the party illegal- he who does not even know what law is- declaring that whoever did not join should get his passport and leave the country for he was no longer an Iranian. Such an important matter the Rastakhiz Party once was for him, but now it has come to naught and it is no longer recognized as a party! These pillars are crumbling. The Islamic calendar has had to be reintroduced and his party has been destroyed.

TRANSFER OF NATIONAL JEWELRIES AND OTHER WEALTH TO AMERICA But now we are faced with another danger, and that is the transfer of the nation’s wealth abroad. Today, two reports were given to me; one came from Iran and the other from one of the gentlemen here who had some information. The report from Iran indicated that yesterday, apparently, gold and the crown jewels

138 Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 163. 139 It refers to the pre-Islamic chain of Magian imperial dynasties.

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were transferred to America. His father, Reza Khan, did the same thing when the Allies invaded Iran and expelled him. The Allied invasion of Iran is a story in itself three big powers: Britain, the Soviet Union and America poured into our country. It happened during the Civil War140, these three powers invaded our country from three points and the army about which Reza Khan used to rave so much- and now his son is doing the same only in much stronger terms- could not resist them even for one hour.

PUBLIC REJOICING AT THE FALL OF REZA KHAN The Allies invaded us, and, well, just the fact that foreigners had entered our country was itself a disaster for the nation. It was war time and they wanted to pass through Iran, but in reality they planned to remain there, and in their war with Germany they wanted Iran to be their “bridge of victory,” as they put it. When they sent Reza Shah into exile, God knows that instead of mourning, the people rejoiced. He was so beloved of his people, just as his son is now! The king-loving nation of Iran loved their king so much that when the armies of three countries entered their land and plundered it, seizing it bit by bit; when the country faced all kinds of dangers from all directions- for the people did not know that the Allied armies would not harm them; they didn’t know that the Allies were only interested in achieving their own goals- still the people were happy because the Allies had come and sent this wretch away with all the troubles that went with him! Such was the situation at that time, and now today had the people not risen, had the Muslims and Iranians, may God assist them, not begun this movement, this man would not have stopped here. He would not have been satisfied with what he has already done, he had many more plans.

REZA KHAN’S STORY At the time when the Allies came and sent Reza Shah away, an informed person told me how one of the high-ranking officials who had traveled with Reza Shah some of the way, perhaps even to the island of Mauritius, on the ship that was taking him into exile, had related to him that Reza Shah had taken numerous suitcases with him which were full of the Iranian crown jewels. These “crown” jewels did not belong to the king; they were the country’s assets. This same person was told by the official that on the way, a ship used for transporting animals stopped the ship carrying this animal (Reza Shah) and that the (British) agents on board ordered Reza Shah to board their ship. When he asked them what he should do with all his suitcases, they told him to leave them where they were, that they would take care of them. And deal with them they did! They took him to the island and carried his suitcases off with themselves! Such a blow he inflicted on our country right at the time of leaving. He left, but he took the crown jewels with him. And now today we received a call from Iran to the effect that Muhammad Reza Pahlavi has sent gold and the crown jewels to America. Whether he has sent them there for his own use or whether the Americans will take them, we do not know, but they have been taken from the pocket of our nation. The people were not able to stop this thief from doing this, but they should try to prevent him from stealing anything else, God willing.

140 That is, World War II.

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BUYING AND SELLING OF THE USURPED The second report that I received came from one of the informed gentlemen here. He told me that the cost of constructing the magnificent casinos on that island141, as well as the other expenditures for facilitating the activities of the buffoons of the world who came to gamble there, was met by the Pahlavi Foundation. That is it came from the pious bequests of the people and from the wealth of the nation. This gentleman continued by saying that now that the Shah and his regime have realized that their days in power are numbered, they have sold these buildings to the oil company to get the money. They have stolen as much of the nation’s wealth as they could up until now and transferred it abroad, and what is left they are now changing into money and sending it out of the country. This is the situation in our country at present. Some gentlemen have said: “Let him go, let him do whatever he wants as long as he leaves, it’s worth him taking this money with him as long as he leaves.” However, the people should try to prevent this.

A POPULAR UPRISING WITH ALLAH’S WILL Our nation has now risen, and its uprising is unprecedented in the history of Iran. I do not say that it has little precedent; rather it has no precedent in Iran’s history. Never before in Iran’s history has the whole of the country risen for one cause. Whenever there was an uprising, it was a case of only one city rising; Tehran rose, or, as during the Constitutional Revolution142, Tabriz and Rasht and gradually some other cities also joined in until the matter was settled. However, there has never been a popular movement in our country on the scale that we hear of today. There are demonstrations taking place now in cities which have never risen before; people are being killed during these demonstrations and all the people are shouting the same thing: “Death to this Pahlavi monarchy.” This is unprecedented in our history. Yes, there have been uprisings before, there has even been a revolution, but not one that has engulfed the whole of the country in this way and during which the call of the people has been the same nationwide. This has been brought about by the will of God, the Exalted. Such a feat cannot be achieved by man; one should not say that soand-so has done this. This is the doing of God, the Blessed and Exalted, it has happened because He willed it.

FREEDOM, MAN’S PRIMARY RIGHT When all the people of a country are united in their aims, martial law or a military coup d’état cannot stop them. This nation is now moving forward like a roaring flood with the aim of uprooting this Pahlavi dynasty, and it will succeed. Do not think that the superpowers, America and the Soviet Union, will stop this from happening; have no fear for they cannot oppose the will of a nation, especially the legitimate and just will 141 It refers to the Kish island of Iran along the Persian Gulf. 142 What has become known as the Constitutional Revolution took place due to the chaotic situation in Iran at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the popular protest over the tyranny of the governors and agents of the dictatorial regime and the unruly officials of the government, the weakness and ineptitude of the then king Muzaffaraddin Shah, and finally the rising awareness among the people and revolt of the clerics and ulama. Years of struggle by the people culminated in the victory of the Constitutional Revolution in 1906. Although the Constitutional Movement was derailed from its proper path, it was able to transform the social organization in Iran, to destroy class privileges, to obliterate the power of the courtiers, and great landowners, and to establish justice and the rule of law. However, with the influence of the Westernized elements, and eliminating the clergies from the political scene and governance, the Constitutional Movement did not achieve its desired objectives and finally with the coup staged by Reza Khan, the father of Iran’s ex-Shah, a monarchical rule once again emerged in Iran.

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of a nation. If you ask these people why this man should go, they would tell you how they have suffered under his rule, how for fifty years under the rule of this dynasty they have been imprisoned and suppressed; and if you ask them what they want, they will say they now want to be free. Freedom is a basic human right. Man should be free, he should enjoy freedom of expression, freedom of action, and he should be free in his own country.

FIFTY YEARS OF TREASON WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AMERICA AND ISRAEL Yet this nation has not even had a whiff of freedom during the fifty years that this father and son have ruled over it. Do not think that it is only now that the press is not free; at the time of Reza Shah it was not free either. I can remember that neither the press was free nor were the people free to speak out during his reign. Throughout the Pahlavi rule, the clergy have not been free to disseminate religious teachings, the preachers have been unable to express themselves freely from the pulpit; our ulama have not been allowed to speak out freely on a matter, nor have the merchants of our bazaars, our academics or our political groups. If they opened their mouths they were thrown into prison where they had to endure all kinds of torture, they were burnt by being laid over something that was heated until it was red hot, or were subjected to other methods of torture about which you have all heard. It is said that experts from Israel were brought in to teach the best methods of torturing the people both physically and mentally.

REVOLUTIONARY NATION AND REVOLUTIONARY IRAN This was the state of our troubled country. Now, however, the people have had enough, they have reached their limit, such that the father whose son is killed says: “I am proud that such a thing has happened in the way of God and for the freedom of our country.” Some of the mothers who visit me have stated: “We are happy, we have given our sacrifices and, God willing, He will grant them their reward.” This is the attitude of the people now. The country of Iran is now a revolutionary country and its people have become a revolutionary people. This revolutionary nation cannot be silenced by such things. That which they want and which constitutes the last phase of their movement is to sever the treacherous hands of the foreigners from their country and to take control of its destiny and administer it themselves. They want to have control over their culture and education; they want their army to be in their own hands, this is the common aim of our nation and they are pursuing it like a roaring flood, which no one can stop. At present, both America and the Soviet Union are studying the situation. It will not be the case that guns and tanks will be brought into the country or that two superpowers will confront one another here, one reacting when the other makes a move. They themselves will not be able to reach a compromise on Iran. These two powers are not going to pour into the country and divide it as the Shah is saying. This kind of talk is nonsense. He has taken everything so what is there left to divide? We want to be independent; we want to drive the foreigners out of our country. The country will be divided! What nonsense is this he is saying He also says that if he goes the communists will take over! This is all the talk of the regime. The security organization (SAVAK) tried to create a scene that is, it sent some of its agents to shout communist slogans in a demonstration at the university. It tried to do the same at Beheshte Zahra but the people caught onto them and stopped them, saying, “You are not communists, you are SAVAK agents!” There are no communists in Iran. Do not be afraid of what this wretch says, he is saying it for his own benefit. There are

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no communists in Iran; the people are all Muslim. This man143 says that this party is his. Where are the communists? If a few young people who are not from SAVAK sometimes say certain things, it is because they have been deceived, when they realize what is going on.

COMMUNISM, A LOST CAUSE Who is a communist? Will thirty million Muslims allow Iran to become a communist state? Communism is a lost cause in the world today. Indeed, it has been defeated, for the people have realized that Marxism or communism is an opiate used to lull the people to sleep! The Soviet Union used it to put her people to sleep; China did the same. These larger countries want to devour the smaller ones and they use this ideology to deceive the people (and facilitate their plans). A few of our own young people have been deceived and they think that communism is the answer to their problems. This is not the case. Communism is one of the world’s defeated ideologies and is not worth paying attention to.

STANDING BEHIND THE IRANIAN PEOPLE Be that as it may, as I have stressed many times before to those who have visited me here, I would like once again to say that I feel it is imperative for you gentlemen to propagate the Iranian cause. This is the duty of those of us who are residing abroad, it is a duty, which we can all act upon, and which I believe will prove to be very effective. Each of us, wherever we are, should make people aware of the situation in Iran. At school, at university, wherever, tell your friends how he is destroying everything. He has ruined our agriculture; he is keeping our education in a state of backwardness; he doesn’t let our youth develop correctly and be guided to the right path. He has created so many centers of corruption with the aim of depraving our youth. These are all plots, which the regime has devised or which others have devised and it is implemented in order to make our people indifferent toward social affairs and keep them from having anything to do with religion. So there are cabarets where we can go to spend a few hours, there are centers of corruption where we can go to gratify our sensual appetites while we remain oblivious to what befalls Iran, what befalls its wealth and its culture. To the best of our capabilities, we should enlighten public opinion abroad as to the situation in Iran. The foreign newspapers are reporting on events there and the national press within Iran is also gradually commenting on the situation; now you too tell your foreign friends what you know. You Iranians who are abroad now form a large community, Masha ‘Allah (well done)144; if each of you informs ten people then a large section of society here will be enlightened and gradually a wave of support for you and your nation will be created, which will prove effective and valuable. This is a duty, which we must undertake. When our friends, our brothers in Iran are sacrificing their children, when everywhere in the universities, bazaars and mosques blood is being shed and lives are being given, the least you can do is take the trouble to help them by speaking out on these matters and attracting the attention of the press. They are looking for fresh news. Find it and place it at their disposal, so that, God willing, a great wave of support for your cause will be created which will make your task easier and remove this barrier blocking the way of the Muslims. Then, God willing, things will be different, and, God willing,

143 The Secretary General of the Tudeh Party. 144 Masha’ Allah is an Islamic expression which means ‘well done’, ‘may God preserve you, him, etc. from evil eye’, ‘what wonders God has wrought! ‘ or ‘what God has willed! ‘ depending on the context.

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our plan for a just and honorable government, which will answer the needs of the poor- not a government that is only for the rich and wealthy- will come to pass. We want a government, which will take care of the poor and wretched, those who have no water, or electricity.

A SCENARIO OF THE PEOPLE’S POVERTY AND ADVERSITY Perhaps many of you gentlemen are unaware that some of the villages around Shiraz are without drinking water. Some of the people from this area are in contact with me and they tell me how they have to walk for miles in order to get drinking water for their children from a storage tank, in which water from the winter rain has been collected. They asked my permission to use some of the charitable donations and said they would put some of their own money toward the construction of a water-storage tank in their own village so that at least the women and children would not have to walk so far for water. Yet we still hear talk of this ‘progressive country’. You can see the ‘progress’ of which they speak, and the freedom. They say that at his (the Shah’s) time, the country was free, with free men and free women! Yet you can see there are no free men, women or children. The regime kills both small children and old men.

COMMANDERS CALLED” KOLIS”! They then describe their killers as ‘kolis’145. This is a new name that the regime is using now, its agents pose as kolis and attack a place, a theological school or a university, beating and killing people and the police stand by and let them do whatever they want. At one time the regime created a” group of avengers “Who were bent on blowing up people’s homes, and now its agents pose as kolis and attack the people. When they attacked the Fayziyyah Madrasah, they did so pretending to be peasants.146 Peasants! How was it that they were all wearing eau de cologne if they were peasants!? [the audience laughs]. What kind of peasants were they? Posing as peasants it was SAVAK agents who assaulted the Fayziyyah Madrasah and did what they did there, and now they pose as” kolis” in their attacks. In any case, we are all duty bound to help our brothers who have risen for their nation. You gentlemen here can help by propagating their cause to the best of your ability. I cannot say to what extent you can do this, you yourselves know how well informed you are of the situation in Iran.

SHAH’S BLACK RECORD I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant you all success and health, and I pray for you all. God willing, Iran will become an independent, free Iran, an Iran which belongs to you; not like today’s Iran which does not belong to us and which is being plundered from all directions- one takes its gas, another its oil, another its copper, another its forests and another its pasturelands. We have proof for what I am saying. They have given the good pasturelands of Iran to the Queen of England and some of the plutocracy there. The best of our forestland has apparently been given to Austria, and yet the regime says that it has nationalized these 145 The ‘kolis’ were a group of people who usually lived in tents or huts on the outskirts of towns and cities in the south of the country and struggled (sometimes turning to crime) to make ends meet. After the army’s failure to stop the progress of the Revolution following the killings of September 8 [Shahrivar 17: Black Friday], the Shah’s regime adopted a new approach. It employed criminals and rogues to attack the gatherings and demonstrations of the people around the country under the guidance and support of armed agents from the military and security forces. These people became known as the regime’s thugs and their attack on the Friday mosque in Kerman serves as an example of the regime’s new tactics. 146 This attack happened on Farvardin 2, 1342 SH [March 22, 1963].

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lands. The Shah gives our resources away to foreigners and pockets the money himself. Can this be called nationalization gentlemen, when the country no longer has animal husbandry, when there is nowhere for the livestock to graze? This is the animal husbandry situation in Iran, it has been destroyed and now frozen meat is imported from abroad. Iran had no need for these imports before, but these are the blessings given to us by this Shah! Our animal husbandry has been destroyed, as has our agriculture. Our oil is being taken now at such a rate that, as the government itself says, reserves will be exhausted in twenty or thirty years’ time. It is being taken through pipes so large that it is said a man can walk freely into them; and there are not only one or two such pipes, there are many! Every few minutes a large tanker is filled with oil! This is how they are taking the country’s oil, and in return they build bases for America and buy arms for these bases. Do you think they are buying these weapons for us? The Iranians do not know how to use these weapons. No, the Americans want to make bases in Iran, so they take our oil and build bases for themselves in return! This is the situation in our country. So much for our progress and our progressive society! Carter speaks of a progressive society and a free nation! He says the Shah has given us a ‘quick freedom’ and a ‘quick democracy’. This is the quick democracy and the progressive society that you witness in Iran now. May God preserve you all and may you be successful.

40th Speech Date: October 24, 1978/Aban 2, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 21, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty as a religious duty and the people’s responsibility during this period Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful My constitution tonight demands that I do not inconvenience you gentlemen for long. The situation in Iran has left me with no strength. Nearly every day there is another killing in Iran and once again, this vile, bloodthirsty regime has fallen upon the people and is massacring them.

THE SHAH’S DESPAIR AND THE LAST PLUNDERING Even so, the situation is satisfactory for it has filled him (the Shah) with despair, he has abandoned all hope for his position and he admits this. Therefore, he should despair. Now, because of his desperate situation, he is taking the wealth of the people out of the country. It is said that he has sent the crown jewels abroad by plane, and according to some of the gentlemen, he has sold a number of the buildings he put up on that island, which he created at great expense for obscene activities, to the oil company, and he has transferred the money received thereby abroad. So, on the one hand his desperation has driven him to take the nation’s wealth, and on the other to fall upon the people, massacring them without mercy.

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‘STEP BY STEP’ POLITICS IS A MISTAKE IN THE RESISTANCE AGAINST THE SHAH The Iranian nation should delay no longer; he should be removed from power immediately. If he is given a respite, it will prove to be disastrous for our nation. At times we hear suggestions from some people, some of the respected gentlemen, who do not pay enough attention to matters, to the effect that it is a good idea that this person (the Shah) goes, but the fundamentals of the regime be kept. Some even openly say that he should be retained as monarch and should reign but not govern, as specified in the constitutional law for the duties of a king. They say that we should abide by the Constitution and be satisfied with this for now, moving forward step by step. This is one of the mistakes that the gentlemen make; those whose intentions are bad, well, they harbor ill intent; that is, they want to preserve this regime and then later do whatever they please. Those whose intentions are good, and who are not seeking a continuation of this oppression, are simply mistaken in believing that the Shah should remain.

THIRTY YEARS OF CONTINUOUS TREASON This man has been the perpetrator of crimes now for over thirty years; over the past year alone, numerous people have been killed on his orders. After all this killing, after handing over all our resources, our oil, our land, our forests, to others, after exhausting our oil reserves and destroying our agriculture to the extent that in a few years’ time this nation will have no reserves, nothing, can the Iranian nation now be expected to turn round and tell him: “Well sir, you remain seated on your throne and continue with your corruption but have nothing to do with the government!?” Can this nation which has sacrificed so many lives now accept this man as their ruler, saying simply: “Sorry! You can reign over us, but there is no need for you to be the governing power also!?”

PERMISSION FOR THE SHAH TO REIGN IS TREASON TO THE NATION Which Muslim could accept such a thing from us? Which just person would accept this bloodthirsty man as ruler after all the years of crimes he has committed against this nation, after the years of betrayal! He has killed the people’s children, their young sons and daughters, their infants. He was the one giving the orders on Khordad 15 and it is said that fifteen thousand people were killed on that day upon his orders. No one dares kill the people on such a scale without first receiving the command from him, it is impossible. Not even once has he denied that he was responsible or said that it was his agents who carried out the killings. It is quite obvious. For a lifetime this man has committed crimes against this nation and betrayed it, he has shed the blood of the country’s children and yet now are we expected to say: “Well, in order to calm the situation let him reign, let him remain, the others will be the servants!?” Which nation could agree to such a thing? Which person who believes in God and Islam could agree to this and put such a plan into action? Only he who has mistaken ideas could do this, and to him we say correct your notions.

NO RESPITE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE SHAH Furthermore, these gentlemen should realize that were this man given a respite today, were the nation to tell him to be the king, but not to govern, he would accept it “for now.” He himself has said in the Parliament that he accepts the restrictions placed upon him by the law. However, he just wants to deceive you with this; he wants to deceive the people so that they will keep quiet; he wants to stop this movement which has started now and silence the calls for his removal and the cries of “death to this monarchy.” Once this

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movement has been stopped, there is no way that it can be started again to the same degree. If this uprising, this movement, which has been brought to this stage through numerous efforts, loses its momentum, if the people return to going about their daily affairs, then it will be impossible to start again; and this man will massacre the people and his opponents on a larger scale than he is doing now.

PLAN FOR RULE SUCCESSION AND REGENCY COUNCIL IS DEVIATION FROM THE MOVEMENT Which person, which logic, would accept that now that we have forced an obstinate enemy of a nation to yield, now when he is getting ready to leave the country, we should give him a respite and take this matter step by step?! Now is the time to deal with this matter, we should extirpate the roots of this regime now. Moreover, this is something, which we all have to do together; all classes of the nation should take part in this. If someone does not agree with us in this matter, then he either has bad intentions, is ignorant of the facts, or has been ill advised. He who is ill-advised should be put right and he who harbors malicious intent should be castigated and told to stop. It is tantamount to treason against this nation which has sacrificed lives to say that for now we will take our first step, which is for him to reign or for him to go and his wife Farah to become the ruler of our country and a Regency Council to be formed, then later we will take our second step saying “No, he must now go too.” Gentlemen, he must be removed from power now! To allow anything else would be a mistake. This nation, which has come so far, should make the move and just as now the people are moving forward like a flood and destroying the pillars of this regime one by one, so they should continue until all the pillars have been destroyed and this traitor leaves. This is what we are aiming for right now. We say that all those hands which hold sway over our country and which are taking our resources by force should be severed. These hands should be severed and removed from this country. The country belongs to us and we want to administer it ourselves. We do not want American advisers here; we do not want someone to take our gas and someone else our oil, our pasturelands and our forests. What has this person left for our country?

ERADICATION OF THE ROOTS OF OPPRESSION This is what we are calling for, and gentlemen, this that we call for is not a right which is ours to forgo, this right is a divine right, this command is God’s command, the matter is one of a divine religious duty which no one can or should oppose. Someone who is the epitome of oppression must be removed. The roots of his regime must be eradicated. He is annihilating the Muslims of Iran; he must be removed so that the people can breathe a little easier. For more than fifty years, the people have been repressed and deprived of all kinds of freedoms. For fifty years, whether at the time of that father or this son, the people have been suppressed; they have sacrificed their children; and now (is the time) when they have reached this stage and have risen up; now that the people of Iran have courageously risen up; now even as you and I sit here, Iran is in a state of turmoil. We have heard from Qum that gunfire can be heard and such and such has been done today, Hamadan is in a state of rebellion, there are uprisings around Kerman147 and there is always something happening in Tehran. Now that the people are ready and have brought the uprising to this stage; now that they are ready to make all kinds of sacrifices for Islam and their nation, should we turn around and say: “This is enough for the time being, we’ll do that later! We’ll take the first step now which is to tell

147 Kerman: a province in the south-central part of Iran. Its capital is also called Kerman.

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this man to reign but not rule!” What is this that you are telling us to say? Which nation could accept such a thing? No, he must go; this dynasty must be destroyed; Iran does not want this dynasty; neither the sevenyear-old child nor the eighty-year-old man wants this dynasty.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION Now is the time for us all to join hands together. You who are abroad should do everything within your power to help the country and the people of your country. They are giving their blood; you should give your pen. You should do whatever it is within your power to do, demonstrate, deliver speeches to the people of these countries and tell them what is happening in Iran, what calamities have befallen the Iranian people so that, God willing, other nations will awaken also. We have been informed that the French nation has now accepted that this man must go. They are right, but still we must continue to tell them the facts for maybe many people here do not know what the poor people of Iran are saying because of the propaganda that they have been exposed to for years. The idea is disseminated that the Iranian people have been given freedom, and Carter says that they are opposing the Shah because they have been given a quick freedom! What kind of foolish talk is this? Are the people now shouting, “Give us freedom” because they have been given freedom? Are they shouting because he is taking the country toward progress and the people do not want their country to progress!?

IF WE GIVE RESPITE THE NATION WILL BE DESTROYED He has taken the country to the brink of destruction and if, God forbid, this man should remain, then in a few years’ time you will have neither oil- because they have opened the pipes and it is gushing out- nor agriculture; and what is left when there is no oil or agriculture? What will we have left? Nothing! If this person remains in power for a few more years, he will destroy us, he will destroy the nation.

UNITY FOR ERADICATING THE ROOT Now is the time for us all to join hands together and sever this root, and after that sever all the other roots of this regime too. The country is ours and we have something to say which is right and just and that is that we ourselves want to administer our own country. We have people to administer it, we have suitable men, we have Muslim men, we have educated people: There are so many in Europe and America who cannot return to their country for fear of being harassed, imprisoned or executed, and those things are real but once he has gone they will return to their country there to live and administer it. The rumor of Iran’s becoming a communist (nation). Some say if he goes, the communists will take over! This is a mistaken notion. The communists are not involved in this matter; there are no communists in Iran. There may be a few young people who have been misled and sometimes say something- that is if they are not from SAVAK or have been incited by SAVAK- but they are insignificant, they will disappear, they are not going to take over the country if he leaves Will a country with a population of thirty million people who have risen the flag of Islam and are shouting “Islam, Islam,” become communist? These people will shut the communists up! Is it possible for this country to become communist? This is just the Shah’s propaganda. He wants to preserve his rule for a while longer so he says, “If I leave, Iran will become a communist country.” He is worse than the communists are!

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THE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ASSIST THE MOVEMENT You all, we all, are duty bound to help our friends in Iran. Those of us abroad now can help by propagating their cause; each of you should be a speaker for the people. When you go to your schools speak to some of those there with you, tell them the facts, tell them what is really happening in your country and what the people want, tell them what this man (the Shah) has done. You are all informed about the situation in our country now, so you know what to tell them. May God grant you success and protect you. God willing May He protect you. Make ready yourselves for your country. God willing, you will all return to it together and your country will be yours. [Salawat from the audience].

41st Speech Date: October 24, 1978/Aban 2, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 21, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The roots of the people’s opposition to the Shah and the need for propagating Islam Addressees: A group of students and other Iranians residing abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE SHAH AND HIS MASTERS ARE THE SOURCES OF DESTRUCTION Nowadays, we are faced with problems every day, which hitherto we only encountered once every month or every twenty days. Previously, the people were given a respite until the seventh or fortieth day after a killing before another was perpetrated. But today the situation in Iran is such that as I speak to you now, there are disturbances in Hamadan and confrontations between the people and the police which have been going on for three days. The people’s opposition to the regime does not stem from one or two reasons. The people see that everything that a nation needs, each institution that the nation can benefit from, this oppressive regime, this Shah, these masters of the Shah of whom America, Britain and the Soviet Union are the most important, have endangered or destroyed.

THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THE ARMY ARE RELATED A nation needs education; a nation can have a political existence through its culture and education. Our educational system is not an independent one, it is not one which relates to the people; rather it is planned and controlled by foreigners. Consequently, they do not give us a sound system; they do not give us sound teachers. The university lecturers cannot and have never been able to pursue their tasks as they should. The university students cannot pursue their tasks in a way that they want to. All the institutions must glorify Aryamehr; all must be organs, which support the apparatus of oppression. When the nation looks at its education, it sees a paralyzed system, one which can achieve nothing and which does not have a sound role to play in the society. When the nation looks at its army, it sees a parasitic army. Sixty thousand military advisers have come to this country and the majority of them are American advisers who have taken control of our army and now administer it. The army is not under our command, it is not under the command of the nation, and it is not beneficial to the nation. The armed forces have now come together to crush this nation

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on the orders of the Shah and those above him. The Shah is using his subordinates to cause all these tragedies and many of them are not happy doing what they are doing, but there is another power over their heads and that is these American military advisers. They issue the orders and these subordinates carry them out. They (the Shah’s masters) want the Shah with all his crimes to be retained.

THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER’S EMPHASIS ON HAVING INTERESTS IN IRAN Only yesterday or the day before the British Foreign Minister said that they had interests in Iran and they could not withdraw their support from someone who was safeguarding their interests. This is what we are saying too, we maintain that the Shah is being retained now to safeguard British, American and Russian interests. The Allies put him in power to safeguard their interests. He himself admitted that the Allies wanted him to rule, that they wanted the Pahlavi dynasty to rule. May God curse those Allies for imposing such an animal on us. We are saying the same as the British Foreign Minister! All our problems now are caused by the fact that he is staying in the country to safeguard the interests of the foreigners. He wants to destroy everything we have to their avail. He gives our oil and our minerals to them; he sacrifices our culture and education for them; he does not allow a sound culture to exist, one that will prevent them from reaching their aims; he weakens Islam; he does not allow Islam to be presented as it truly is so as to prevent it from forming an obstacle to the foreigners’ aims. He weakens the ulama of Islam, he does not allow them to speak out and tell the people what is being done to them. Political groups, all groups, the righteous and enlightened bazaar merchants, our university students and academics, he crushes them all. He does not allow them to speak out and if a voice is raised anywhere it is silenced by these commandos and hirelings. What did the people of Hamadan do to be treated so? They only said one word and subsequently were attacked; the girls were arrested and the tumult that we now witness ensued. One of the girls was raped and she committed suicide because of it. These disturbances in Hamadan, in which they say fifty people have been killed, stem from a voice being raised.

DICTATORS’ MADNESS IN THEIR LAST DAYS About two or three years ago, I anticipated that we should be wary of this dictator in his last days, and now we see that these actions also stem from the fact that he, like most of our other dictators, has gone insane in his final days. Aqa Muhammad Khan Qajar also went insane toward the end of his rule, as did Nadir Shah. Some of them were mad from the beginning, like Reza Shah; he was mad from the start! Now this one (the Shah) has become high-strung and mentally disturbed. When he is interviewed nowadays he appears distracted. Apparently he was interviewed recently by a reporter from a French newspaper who said that throughout the interview, the Shah kept muttering to himself, complaining to himself and that he repeated about twenty times: “What’s the solution now? Now what should we do? What should be done now? What shall we do?” Well it is obvious what you should do, get up and go. What else do you want from this nation? The solution lies with you, leave! Now he is taking gold out of the country, yesterday or the day before we were informed that the day before that an airplane left the country carrying the crown jewels. His father did the same thing. They have been the bane of the nation.

OUR CONTENTION IS FOR THE NATION AND THE NATIONAL INTERESTS I do not have a personal or family dispute with you as you claim. What personal dispute do I have with you? I am speaking for the nation; the pain of the nation concerns us, not personal pain. We are objecting

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to what you are doing to our nation and our ulama, and what you have done and are doing to our Islam. This is not a personal dispute; this is a struggle over the nation, over Islam, and because you are destroying all of Iran’s resources, you are giving them away to others and we are telling you to stop it, these should be ours; our hungry people should be fed. We are concerned about these hungry, naked people who wander around the streets, who have nothing and are in dire straits, as we are about these farmers whom you say you wanted to do something for through your so-called land reforms, whereas in reality you implemented these reforms for America. This was the mission for your country, which America gave you and you carried it out, making the country dependent on America and foreigners in all respects.

OUR CRY: FREEDOM, INDEPENDENCE. The people are shouting now for freedom, for independence; they are shouting that they do not want their resources to be destroyed this way. This is what ails the nation. In twenty years’ time we will have no oil; our agriculture has already been destroyed; we have nothing. When the nation has nothing how is it expected to survive? How is the future generation expected to live? We have a responsibility toward the future generation. We should now do whatever is within our power to sever the hands that grip our resources, our nation’s resources, so that they will last a little longer. We have large reserves of oil, but such a great amount is being taken, and taken without payment at that, that they are being depleted. If only they (the Americans) were taking it free of charge, but in return, they build bases for themselves! They give us arms in return! Are these arms for us? No, they are for creating their own bases in Iran! Bases for America are being built all over the country, in the mountains of Kurdistan and this place and that. Arms! These arms are of no use to us. Arms that we do not know how to operate are of no use to us. On the one hand, they take our oil and on the other, they send weapons to Iran for their bases here, so that they can say that they have paid for the oil with these weapons and thus stem protests from the Soviet Union and other countries. This is being done in the name of meeting our needs and with the excuse that our power should be such and such.

THE PROCUREMENT OF ARMS FOR PROTECTING AMERICAN INTERESTS A few years ago, this person, the Shah himself, said that we didn’t want arms, we didn’t need arms, that what we already had were sufficient for administering the country. This is true, he does not need these things (that the Americans send) to kill the people! These machine-guns that he already has are enough, they are killing the people! He does not need them for anything else apart from killing his own nation! This same person, who once claimed that the country did not want weapons, soon changed his tune when he received the command from America that he had to take the weapons and build bases on the pretext of them being in return for the oil, to which he said: “No, we should have arms, other powers like us have many weapons,” and other things to the effect that Iraq for instance had weapons in its arsenal that could do goodness knows what in a day. This is all a lie! The arms that we buy are not for us, they are for America. The Americans wanted to set up bases here, but they realized that if they openly stated that they intended to do this, Russia would oppose them and a dispute would ensue. Therefore, under the pretext of paying for the oil they get with ‘goods’, their goods comprising of these weapons, they build bases for themselves in Iran! Our nation’s woes stem from the fact that he is a traitor; the father was a traitor and the son is a traitor, too!

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ALL INSTITUTIONS IN IRAN ARE ILLEGAL The nation has now had enough. The people do not want him. School-children and old men alike are saying that they do not want him. A whole nation says that it does not want him. Is there a better referendum than this? When the nation says that it does not want him, it means that this Shah is no longer a Shah. A Shah is only a Shah when the nation wishes him to be so; when the people vote against him, he forfeits his position. Parliament likewise, when it does not enjoy the vote of the people, it is no longer a Parliament. Our Parliament was not a Parliament from the beginning! We just need to look at the history of our Parliament. I myself am like a history of our Parliament; I can remember what has happened from the time that Reza Khan carried out his coup d’état up to the present time. I can remember the Constituent Assembly, which was formed at bayonet point. This is the kind of Parliament that we have had! When did we ever have a true Parliament? Never, from the time of Reza Shah to the present, we have never had a Parliament that the people have voted for of their own volition; we have never had such a Parliament. The present Members of Parliament are all traitors, because they know that they are there only on the orders of the Shah and the nation has no say in the matter! This is the first problem we have with all you Members of Parliament, for you are all aware of this, there is no denying it, you haven’t come from outer space, you are more aware of this than the nation is itself. You know that your entry into Parliament was not brought about by the approval and votes of the people; rather it happened because the Shah installed you, because this was ‘the Shah’s mission’. The embassies handed over a list and you were appointed. Still you entered Parliament even though you knew this. So the first question we have to put to those of you who claim to be nationalists is: “Why then did you enter Parliament knowing what you did?” You may reply that you had no choice, but surely, nobody could force you in, no, you yourself wanted it. Therefore, you entered Parliament and approved of everything that was put in front of you. But now you see that things are changing, the opponent is coming to the fore and so you want to compromise and make a place for yourself. The question remains though as to why you are in a Parliament that has been appointed by the Shah and which contravenes the Constitution. The Constitution has given the people the right to choose their representatives and no one has the right to interfere with this

ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION THE SHAH IS A CRIMINAL According to the Constitution, the Shah is a criminal and must be deposed. The Shah is a traitor and traitors, as stated in the Constitution, must be deposed. A Shah who acts against the interests of the nation or against that which the law has determined can no longer be a Shah, he automatically forfeits his office. This Shah is not a Shah, he is a usurper, he is a bandit and as such, he is automatically deposed.

THE REASON FOR FOREIGN SUPPORT IS FOR BETTER PLUNDERING OF OUR RESOURCES This bandit was placed over us and Britain supports him from one side, America from another, China another and the Soviet Union from another. They are all seeking their own interests. There is no better, more foolish servant for them than he is. He has given all the wealth of this nation to them free of charge. The nation’s gas is taken by Russia, its oil by America and Britain; everything this country has is being taken by somebody. The Queen of England has taken its pasturelands; our lush, green pasturelands were handed over to the Queen of England and some other people there, and I have received information to the effect that the nation’s forests have been given to another company. Everything in this country has now

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fallen prey to these hyenas who tug at it from all directions. Iran is now food for these oil-devourers and these hyenas and they are tugging at her from all directions, and it is Muhammad Reza Pahlavi who is letting this happen. He is her executive power! When we say that we do not want this man, this is why, it is not because the nation has been given freedom and it does not want it! According to Carter, this nation has been given a very quick freedom; the Shah has given his nation a quick freedom! This is the fast freedom that has been recently implemented in Hamadan, in Kerman a few days ago and in towns close to Kerman. Murder is now widespread in Iran and this man has gone insane, he has become mentally disturbed and very dangerous. The people should get rid of him as fast as they can to be free of him.

THE ARMY MUST ARISE I am surprised at the army on the one hand, and on the other at those youth in Iran who sometimes allow themselves to be led into error. I am surprised at the army for allowing this Shah to sully its reputation for the sake of his own and his masters’ goals. The military forces have a bad name now among the people because whatever he wants to do he does it through them. He uses the army if the action is a little widespread, as on Khordad 15 and other similar occasions, or if not he uses a smaller force such as commandos and such people like them. These forces are all giving themselves a bad name for the sake of the interest of this man and his masters! It surprises me that the army, which is made up of nationals of this country, would do such things to its own nation for the sake of a man who is a traitor and who it knows to be a traitor, that it would bring shame upon itself and give itself a bad name for the sake of the goals of a traitor who wants to prolong his treacherous rule for a few days longer! This is surprising for me.

WARNING TO THE DECEIVED AND IGNORANT YOUTH On the other hand, I am surprised at our youth, some of our youth of course, those who have allowed themselves to be led astray by this regime, which has deceived them through various means. Their elders have made them shout slogans at the university, slogans that are anti-Islamic and unpatriotic so that the people will be afraid that if His Imperial Majesty goes the communists will take over! A group of our young people has now become the instruments of some of their elders who make them do such things and who are working for SAVAK and for this regime. These people are not communists; they are communist-makers. They make our young people say and do things, which are for the benefit of the Shah and America and beguile these young people into thinking that what they are doing is for the sake of communism and the Tudeh Party and such things. I find it truly surprising that at a time when such matters are obvious even to the bazaar merchants, the farmers and the young children, some of these young people allow themselves to be deceived so. They are making a mistake and it works to the benefit of the regime, but the Muslims will not let the regime take full advantage of this and only humiliation will be left for these young people. It is indeed surprising for me.

THE NEED TO PROPERLY INTRODUCE ISLAM ABROAD I ask you gentlemen who are studying abroad and who form part of the enlightened classes not to let our youth fall into the trap of these people. Some of our youth have been deceived; they have been deceived by some of their elders. They have made a mistake; they haven’t read about Islam; they haven’t seen true Islam (in practice); they haven’t read about the laws of Islam nor seen them in practice; they are not familiar with the language of the Qur’an; they do not know that the Qur’an is a book designed to create human beings,

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to stimulate man toward progress and development, toward crushing the oppressors and the apparatus of oppression. They do not know these things. They know nothing about the economics of Islam either. So when they come here, they come almost totally ignorant about Islam, and some people, some groups who themselves have no belief in these matters, mislead these young people and force them to do such acts and our youth are deceived. You are intellectual people; you are Muslim and you preserve your national sentiments; so, I ask you to take care of our children; do not let them fall into these traps. These are the traps of SAVAK, not those of the communists. The SAVAK agents have a mission to make these young people shout slogans which benefit the regime and in this way destroy these youth. If you meet some of these young people here, take them by the hand, do not let them work for the benefit of the Shah or the regime, for America, the Soviet Union and other powers, do not lose them in this way.

PROPAGATE AND ENLIGHTEN ALL (THE PEOPLE) Another duty, which we who are residing abroad now have, is to help the Iranian nation. It has a right over all of us who are abroad now for it is giving blood for us, it is sacrificing its youth. Wherever you go in Iran nowadays there are disturbances, a movement has begun, the people are speaking out and are shouting: “We want freedom; we do not want this dynasty because it has deprived us of our freedom and has plundered our resources for its own benefit and that of the foreigners.” Those of us here are indebted to them; we are responsible before God, the Blessed and Exalted, and before the nation. We have to help these people and that which you and I can do for them is to propagate their cause. Those of you, who attend the universities and colleges over here, speak to your friends there, whenever and wherever possible sit down and speak about the situation in Iran.

THE WORLD’S ATTENTION IS ON IRAN Everybody nowadays is watching events in Iran. Tell them what this man is doing to the people; tell them what ails the people and that the cure for their ailment is for him (the Shah) to leave. An even better cure is that Mr. Carter and the leaders of China, the Soviet Union and Britain leave this nation alone and let the people administer their own affairs. What business does that wretch have coming here from the other side of the world, robbing us of our oil, taking it for free or worse than if it were for free. Tell these people, these students that you meet, whether in America or in Europe, about these things. There are about five thousand of you over here, if each one of you tells only ten people, then that will mean that a great number of people have been informed and a wave of support will be created in Europe and America which will prove useful to the Iranian nation’s cause. This is a service, which you can do for the Iranian nation, and in this way, you can repay your debt to them. I ask you all to invite the people to support the nation of Iran, ask the American nation to support the Iranian nation, to understand what the American government has done to Iran and why it has the bad reputation that it does in Iran. Gradually, people may come to presume that the American nation supports the policies of their government in Iran, but this is not the case. In the same way, wherever you are living speak to the people about your problems, alert them to the fact that their governments’ policies toward Iran are detrimental to your nation, to everything that your nation has, and (in this way) help the Iranians in this movement that they have started. May God grant you health and success. May you all be ready to make sacrifices for Islam and your nation and may you strengthen yourselves. God willing, you will take control of your nation, your country, and

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others will leave and you will administer your own country yourselves. [the audience replies with “God willing”].

42nd Speech Date: October 25, 1978/Aban 3, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 22, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Making sacrifices for the sake of God was the practice of the prophets (as) Addressees: A group of Iranian citizens and students residing abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE FREEING OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IS NOT ENOUGH Today they announced that they have released a number of political prisoners, and that a further number is to be released later. However, the question is, does this freeing of prisoners compensate for everything? They deprive a human being, in every way, for something like five or ten years, stripping him of any kind of freedom, and persecuting and torturing him in prison, then they tell him that he is free to go! But does it then mean that these five years of a Muslim’s life which have been wasted, of a human being’s life, these five, ten years of persecuting a human being, a Muslim, are to be disregarded?! Now that he is free to go, does that mean that the matter is closed?! Is the release of a number of ulama and other members of society supposed to make us content? Is the nation now supposed to calm down?! Have they (the regime) made it up to the nation? Or is it that the present situation is such that they are no longer able to continue to behave as they have in the past; is it that they are struggling to come through the present situation alive, a situation in which the entire population has turned against them? Are they truly now able to save themselves? Can they actually be saved? This Shah who has reigned over us for about thirty years, who has reigned over the Muslim people in the manner of Genghis Khan; this Shah who has killed so many of the Muslim people, who has caused so many Muslims to flee their homeland, who has deprived and stripped so many human beings of their civil rights, this Shah now says: We have released them (the political prisoners), so now what more can you possibly expect from us! But the people expect you to provide ten years of life! You wasted ten years of a human being’s life in prison, in a room two meters square. You took away the life of a human being, of someone who could have served the people, who could have served the people by being active and writing in a free environment. You wasted ten years of a nation’s life, and now, having allowed it to go free, you ask what more do we want? We want compensation for these ten years. The people want these ten years in which you persecuted their children in prison to be compensated for. Yet there is no way that such compensation could be given in this world. One of the clear proofs for there having to be another place where God Almighty will punish these oppressors, is that supposing, you came together and tore Muhammad Reza Khan limb from limb, you then would only have killed one person. He is only one person; one vile person; and thus, you would have taken a life for a life. Let us imagine that the person you are to kill is a good person, like the person for whose life you wish to obtain retribution, he is an honorable person; nevertheless, were you to kill him you would have only taken one honorable life in return for another

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honorable life! But what about all of those honorable people whom he has deprived of existence, all of those youngsters of ours that he has killed and whose lives he has curtailed? If someone were to have killed someone else, then his punishment would be for him also to be killed in return for the life he had taken. However, if that someone were to have brought about the death of, and to have killed, a multitude of people, then is there any way that retribution could be exacted for this here in this world? Of course, the person in question would have to be punished most severely here in this world, but even then would retribution have been fully exacted? Retribution would have been exacted for one family. If we were to cut someone’s life short in return for his having cut short the life of a family, then this would be retribution for one family, but what about the other families? Are we now to content ourselves with the fact that this man has granted a pardon? We are talking about men for whom your pardon means nothing. Indeed, it is not a question of granting a pardon, it is in fact a question of doing that which is required of you, and right now you are obliged to release these people. Many of these prisoners were people whose unlawful sentences had already been served anyway. Yes, their sentences were unlawful from the start, but even having served the assigned term of imprisonment, they continued to be detained without reason. But now that these SAVAK agents, these perpetrators of so many crimes, have come and opened the prison gates, releasing certain prisoners, is that the end of the matter?! No indeed, now the matter is only just beginning! He (the Shah) and all of his agents are to stand trial. But even then, supposing they are all executed, retribution will still not have been exacted, for a hundred lives will have been taken in return for hundreds, for thousands of lives. In Tehran, during one bout of killings alone, four to five thousand people are said to have been killed. They say that these latest killings in Hamadan have left up to a hundred people dead. I am not sure whether it was yesterday or the day before. Moreover, even now Hamadan is once again in a turbulent state. In Qum too, both yesterday and today, there have been disturbances and the sound of gunfire has rung out. As to how many people have been killed however, I just do not know. The same has also been happening in Zanjan148 and you have all heard about Kerman. The situation is the same everywhere. Crimes have been committed in every place you could possibly mention. Yet now he (the Shah) has granted a pardon! To hell with this pardon of his! If it were not for the pressure exerted by the people and this widespread public opinion, then he would not have granted a pardon at all. This is not a case of granting a pardon, it is a case of doing that which one is compelled to do. The crimes he has perpetrated cannot be recompensed by taking such measures. It is beyond us to exact retribution, for how can we compensate for the killing of four to five thousand people when there is only one person to be punished and no more, and even then, when he is the kind of person that he is. This is why there has to be a world in which constant torment prevails until retribution is exacted; a world in which unremitting anguish awaits these tyrants.

THE MOVEMENTS’ PROGRESS IS ENCOURAGING We are really at a loss as to what we should do about the current situation in Iran. Of course, that is not to say that the situation is not promising, for it is. It is not that we are now concerned as to why such a situation prevails; but nonetheless, you can see for yourselves just what they are doing, just what madness they have called into being. Having said that however, it is worth it in order to rescue a nation. We must not be concerned by the fact that we are making sacrifices; for this was the practice of the prophets; these were 148 Zanjan: A province in the western part of Iran. The capital city has the same name.

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the things that the prophets themselves did. The prophets and the friends of God (awliya’) rose up against those who were cruel, those who oppressed the people, and in so doing they killed and were killed, they sacrificed their young and they sacrificed their close friends and followers. So there is now no call for us to be concerned that blood might be spilled! Indeed, blood has to be spilled! A nation will not succeed in rescuing itself from the suffering, which stems from all these crimes and losses without having to pay a price. A certain mother has been seen to have stood up in Beheshte Zahra cemetery and to have said that the tree of freedom needs to be watered and that her son’s blood is something which serves this purpose. These are the kind of lion-hearted women we have among us.

MANIFESTATIONS OF ALI’S (AS) BATTLE WITH THE TAGHUTS Islam needs us to make sacrifices for its sake. Just consider what pure and virtuous lives have been sacrificed from the advent of Islam down to the present time. A case in point is Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali) who fought against Mu’awiyah for eighteen months in the Battle of Siffin, and who killed so many adversaries and lost the lives of so many fellow combatants, over ten thousand people in all, well over this figure. Mu’awiyah was someone who made claim to being Muslim and to being the Prophet’s rightful successor. He prayed at congregational prayer gatherings, was the Friday prayer leader, and so on. He practiced all of the outwardly visible religious practices. Unlike Yazid,149 whose exterior was as aberrant as his interior, Mu’awiyah was good at keeping up appearances. He kept up appearances and also advocated Islam, so what actually happened to cause Hazrat Amir to engage in battle against him? The reason Imam Ali fought against Mu’awiyah was because he was a tyrant who had unfairly exploited the people. He had seized Sham from Islamic rule and was forcing the people to behave ruthlessly and to commit injustices. He plundered the people’s wealth, the public treasury. Hazrat Amir was obliged by duty to fight against him irrespective of whether he was to be the vanquished or the vanquisher. The fact that he may be defeated if he were to engage in battle at this time, did not concern Hazrat Amir. Once he saw that he was able to confront Mu’awiyah in battle, he rounded up his troops and battle commenced, although it is true to say that on this particular occasion he was eventually defeated. When the Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Husayn)150, may God’s peace be upon him, sees that an oppressive ruler, a tyrant, is governing over the people, he makes it clear that should one witness an oppressive ruler governing over the people and 149 Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah: (26 AH-62 AH/647-682 AD) succeeded his father to occupy the office of the Caliphate in the year 60 AH. He was a young man devoid of knowledge and virtues and was well known for his debauchery and other vices. Yazid ruled for three and a half years. During his first year he killed Imam Husayn (as) and his family members and companions at Karbala and made the Imam’s surviving kith and kin captives. In his second year as Caliph, he ransacked Medina, (the seat of the Prophet’s rule and his burial site), and in his third year of rule he invaded Mecca. He died in a state of sever fear under mysterious circumstances suggesting divine wrath. 150 Imam Husayn (as): Grandson of the Prophet, and also known as the Doyen of the Martyrs (Sayyid ash-Shuhada). In 60 AH [680 AD], Imam Husayn refused to swear allegiance to Yazid, son of Mu’awiyah and second caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, since Yazid did not possess legitimate authority and had succeeded to the caliphate by hereditary succession. The ensuing death of the Imam in battle at Karbala has always been commemorated by Shia Muslims as the supreme example of martyrdom in the face of tyranny. It served as an important point of both ideological and emotive reference throughout the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram, is the day on which he was martyred in Karbala. See Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, The Revolution of Al-Husayn, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/revolution-imam-al-husayn-shaykh-muhammad-mahdi-shams-ad-din-al-amili; Ibrahim Ayati, A Probe into the History of Ashura (Karachi: Islamic Seminary Publications, 1984) available at: https://www.al-islam.org/probe-history-ashura-ibrahim-ayati; Zakir, Tears and Tributes (Qum: Ansariyan Publications); The Journey of Tears, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/journey-tears; Yasin T. al-Jibouri, Karbala and Beyond (Qum: Ansariyan Publications) https://www.al-islam.org/karbala-and-beyond-yasin-t-al-jibouri; Sayyid Wahid Akhtar, “Karbala- An Enduring Paradigm of Islamic Revivalism,” Al-Tawhid Journal, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/altawhid/vol13-n1-1996/karbala-enduring-paradigm-islamic-revivalism-sayyid-wahid-akhtar.

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tyrannizing them, then he is to stand in confrontation against the tyrant and is to do all he can to put a stop to his tyranny. And this is exactly what Imam Husayn did with only several people supporting him, people who were so few in number that they were nothing compared to the soldiers and the outfit they were to confront. Nevertheless, the Imam considered it his duty to rise up and sacrifice his blood in order for him to reform the people and to haul down the banner of Yazid. And indeed this he did, and an end was put to the affair. He sacrificed his own blood and that of his sons, as well as his children and everything he possessed in God’s path, for the sake of Islam. Now, is our blood more precious than the blood of the Lord of the Martyrs? Why should we be afraid of sacrificing our blood or of sacrificing our lives? That tyrannical sultan (Yazid) said that he was Muslim, but Yazid was the kind of Muslim that the Shah is- he may in fact have been somewhat better than the Shah, but he was certainly no worse than he is. However, because he treated the people so badly, because he was a tyrannous, cruel man who wanted to mislead the people by forcing them to obey him, the Doyen of the Martyrs deemed it necessary to confront this cruel sultan even if it meant losing his life. This is the line of action that was taken by the prophets. If a cruel, unjust sultan wishes to rule over the people one must stand up against him and do whatever is necessary. Now, we too must confront him (the Shah) with whatever it takes. We must forbid him to do evil and enjoin him to do good, and we are to pull him down from this redundant throne. Hence, we are not concerned about sacrificing our lives; let us sacrifice them. This is clearly something which we must do.

FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE REQUIRES SACRIFICE We want to free a people; we want to free a nation; we want to make a nation independent; we want to break loose from the fetters of America, Britain and the Soviet Union, and naturally this will mean that selfsacrifices have to be made. It will mean that our youth are to lose their lives, that we will be imprisoned for something like ten years. These things will have to happen. All kinds of sacrifices will have to be made. But we are in no way upset by the fact that we are to go to prison, or that our youngsters are to sacrifice their lives, since these things are to happen for the sake of truth, for the sake of God. When something is to be done for the sake of God and for the sake of fighting oppression, then what is there for us to worry about? The fact that we are working for the sake of God and that our youngsters are making self-sacrifices for His sake is no cause at all for worry or grief. Be sure not to allow this fear to enter your hearts in any way. Be sure not to pay attention to those evil whisperings which ask: What on earth can we possibly do about the situation? What will the eventual outcome be? And so on. Or to those words uttered by certain of the devil’s accomplices to us clergymen and to you the people. Be sure to stand firm and not to allow any kind of fear to enter your hearts for, God willing, you shall be the victors. Whether we are killed or whether we kill others, Truth is on our side. Even if we are killed, we will have been killed in the fight for Truth, and this constitutes victory. And again, if we kill others, this too will have been in the fight for Truth, and therefore also constitutes victory.

THE PEOPLE ARE HEEDLESS OF THE MARTIAL LAW We in no way fear these things. They can attack to their hearts’ content, but they will eventually bite the dust and be destroyed. And let these powerful nations declare their support for him (the Shah) as much as they like; let anyone who so desires go ahead and do this, for an entire nation is now standing up in

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confrontation, and is saying ‘no’. No cannons or tanks can be effective before the ‘no’ of a nation; as we have seen since martial law has been implemented. Martial law is in force right now in Qum, but yesterday saw the holding of many demonstrations there yet again, and it is said that further demonstrations have been held there today also. People no longer pay any attention to this martial law of theirs. Truth can no longer be put to silence at bayonet point. This is just not possible any more. God willing, He will protect you all and enable us all to serve this nation and to serve Islam. God willing, may He grant us success in carrying out our bounden duty [the audience recites a salawat].

43rd Speech Date: October 26, 1978/Aban 4, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 23, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The Shah himself as the prime culprit behind all of the crimes in Iran Occasion: Aban 4, the Shah’s birthday Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

BLACK CLOTHING ON THE SHAH’S BIRTHDAY Today, on Aban 4 (October 26), even Iran’s own radio service has spoken of demonstrations and disturbances taking place in many of the cities in Iran; and according to reports, people in Qum, northern Tehran and certain other places have dressed in black clothing; black banners also being in evidence in some places.

THE PROPHET’S (S) BIRTH A SOURCE OF BLESSINGS There are different kinds of birthdays: one kind of birthday is something from which goodness springs; it is a source of blessings; it is something which leads to the oppressor being crushed and to the idol- and firetemples being destroyed. This is the kind of birthday which pertains to the Holy Prophet (s). It has been said that the fire in the temple151 at Pars was extinguished and that the columns of Taq-e Kasra (Khosrow’s Palace)152 tumbled to the ground. History has spoken of this demolition and extirpation, but the point to bear in mind is that at that time two powerful forces were in existence: one of them comprising the oppressive rulers of the day, and the other, the fire-worshipping clerical authorities, and with the birth of the Holy Prophet, because he had been brought into this world, these two forces were eventually destroyed. One of them being the awe-inspiring columns of Taq-e Kasra which served as a visible sign of these powerful forces came tumbling down. 151 A fire temple is a special structure in whose center there is a container for fire. Zoroastrians used to consider fire as sacred since it is a cleansing agent. When the ever burning fire of Pars fire temple suddenly went out, it is thus regarded as the collapse of that official religion in those days which coincided with the birth of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s) and the beginning of the new faith of Islam. 152 Taq-e Kasra: the most famous construction that the Sassanid kings built and it is rumored that this palace was built by Khosrow I and still others believe that it was one among other palaces built by Shapur, the first Sassanid king.

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‘Anushirvan, the Just’153 of whom some speak, is nothing but a myth! He was in fact a cruel tyrant of a man, but maybe he was called “just” in comparison to other kings, for otherwise how could he possibly be called” Anushirvan, the Just”?! It was with the birth of the Holy Prophet into this world that these columns of oppression collapsed. That is, the roots of oppression were eradicated and the flames of dualism, polytheism and fire-worship were extinguished because the Prophet came into the world; the foundations of both of the powerful forces which prevailed at that time were destroyed because of him. The following two basic principles then became widespread via the Holy Prophet, monotheism grew world-wide, and, God willing, still continues to grow; and the essential purpose of prophethood was actually realized, for the real purpose of prophethood is a prophet’s mission to wipe out the roots of power held by those in authority who treat the people unfairly. Thus, the Prophet had come to wipe out these roots of oppression, to destroy these columns of oppression which were so impressive, these palace columns which were erected through the hard toil of these poor people, through the torment suffered by these poor people, through the exploitation of these poor powerless people. And at the same time, since that which really matters is the spread of monotheism, the Prophet destroyed those places from where fire and beings other than God were worshipped, and he extinguished the fires therein.

BIRTH OF THE SHAH, THE COMMENCEMENT OF DARKNESS AND CORRUPTION However, quite the opposite results from the births of certain other people, and October 26 is a case in point. Of course, I must beg the Holy Prophet’s forgiveness for mentioning his birthday in conjunction with that of this despicable wretch (the Shah), but it is a case of wanting to compare light to darkness, of comparing a true human being to one who is inhuman. And it is this inauspicious birthday (of the Shah) which has led to the present state of affairs of which you are all aware. These two affairs concerning the signs of polytheism and oppression constituted the reason for the Holy Prophet’s coming and indeed both of these signs were eventually wiped out by him, but the situation with regard to them both was reversed with the birth of this person! That is to say, the birth of this person has led to a situation where both fire worshippers and the worship of fire have gained strength and have been promoted, and where the roots of oppression have become increasingly firm. And this is especially the case in our own country of Iran. One side of the story in Iran concerns the fire worshippers who live in and around Yazd 154, and who have been given so much encouragement and support, that according to the newspapers, these American fire worshippers even wrote to the Shah thanking him and stating that no one else had hitherto supported and honored their faith to the extent that he had. It was God’s will that our people soon awoke. Even though they awoke after the fact, they nevertheless awoke in time and were thus able to prevent this person from 153 Khosrow I, known as ‘Anushirvan the Just’, a king of the Sassanid dynasty (acceded to the throne in 531 AD), had all of his brothers and their male offspring killed at the onset of his reign. Within one day this man massacred the Mazdakites who are said to have numbered 80,000, while other of his cruel deeds included the murder of Buzurgmehr, his learned minister, whose execution he ordered. 154 The province of Yazd, situated in the south of Iran, is the Zoroastrians’ capital (Zoroastrianism having been the religion of Iranians in the ancient past) and its fire temple, having retained its fame, is still highly regarded by Iranian Zoroastrians. By holding the two-and-a-half millennia celebrations, building up Iran’s past via publicity campaigns, and promoting ancient beliefs- in particular the Zoroastrian faith and invented religions such as Baha’ism- the Iranian regime intended to obliterate the religion of Islam, or at least to weaken it and place it on a par with other religious faiths. This policy was continuously promoted by broadcasting and publishing special programs and material, and to this end, several meetings and seminars were held each year. That which was in fact promoted by the Shah however, involved much more than the Zoroastrian faith alone. Today, the Zoroastrians in Iran are officially regarded as a religious minority in the Islamic Republic. They are free to conduct Zoroastrian religious ceremonies and have their own representative in the Parliament.

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following his plans through. The American fire worshippers and the wealthy among them had intended to impose their will upon him (the Shah), or perhaps it was also a case of him being found willing, but whatever, there was more to this affair than that which I have mentioned. There was much more involved than the issues I have pointed to and indeed these issues were of a more delicate nature.

THE SHAH’S TREASON OF PROMOTING ZOROASTRIANISM AND CHANGING THE HIJRI CALENDAR It all began when he helped to promote some of the fire temples and changed the calendar whereby time was reckoned according to Zoroastrian history rather than that of Islam. God knows that this act of betrayal by him toward Islam and this affront to the Holy Prophet (s) constitute a crime of much more serious proportions than that of these killings which he has brought about. If we were to balance all these killings against this one deed which involved changing the official calendar of Islam, changing the symbol of monotheism, the symbol of humanity, into these things which relate to fire worshippers, into a fire worshippers’ calendar, a calendar for the Zoroastrians, then we would see that this crime outweighs all of the other crimes that he has committed against us. This person wanted to ruin Islam’s reputation and worth; he wanted to destroy the symbol of Islam. He has sent our oil to them, taking it and giving it away to them. These are things which matter in material terms only but which nevertheless clearly constitute a crime. Giving a country’s reserves away to foreigners constitutes a crime against a nation, but changing the calendar constitutes an affront to the reputation of Islam. And this is exactly what this person has done. Indeed, if it were not for that punch which the nation gave him in the mouth, thus compelling him to bring back the Islamic calendar and dispose with the Zoroastrian calendar, then this affair would have developed even further. Basically, they had intended to return things to the way they were before the Holy Prophet of Islam, to the time of those tyrannical kings; those vicious murderers; and they had intentions of behaving as the latter had done and of bringing about the same state of affairs that had existed at the time of these kings.

“PAN-IRANIANISM”155 IS THE BELIEF THAT IRAN MUST PRESERVE ITS IRANIAN IDENTITY! But do the ancient kings mean everything to you? Are the ancient kings all that you can claim to have had in the past? Just look at what these kings did to the people. And the same goes for that group which comprised the Magi156 and others like them, just look at how they treated the people of Iran.

THE PROPHET (S) AND IMAM ALI’S (AS) CONDUCT IN GOVERNANCE As for the other side of the story, this concerns how the Holy Prophet behaved toward his own people when he came and called on them to believe in monotheism, and even how he behaved toward those infidels who paid tribute to the Islamic state, those people who were against religion. Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), may God’s peace be upon him, once said that he had heard of an army of soldiers- apparently they had been Mu’awiyah’s soldiers- arriving at a certain place and of them stealing, among other things, an anklet from

155 The idea of reviving the Great Iran. 156 The Zoroastrian clergy, which constituted a powerful and influential class during the Sassanid Empire.

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the foot of a non-Muslim (dhimmi)157, from the foot of a woman who was either Jewish or Christian. Accounts describe how Hazrat Amir then said: “Even if one died of grief because of this incident, this would not be an overreaction.” This is the kind of person he was. This is the kind of ruler we seek. We seek the kind of regime whose ruler, whose king- indeed, it is impertinent of me to call Hazrat Amir “king”whose ruler, whose leader, is like he who governed over a range of countries including the Hijaz, Iran, Egypt and so on; like he who showed concern for all of his subjects, including the person who was not of his own faith. On the very day that they swore allegiance to Hazrat Amir, accepting him as their sultan as it were, as their Imam and Caliph, once homage had been paid to him, he took up his pick and went to work, for he was someone who used to get things done himself, through his own toil. But why should he have done this- why did he dig the soil? Once he had in fact dug a well; someone came to him to congratulate him after which he replied: “It is the succeeding generations that you should congratulate.” He then asked that a pen be brought to him and he endowed the place in question to the indigent.158 Yes, we seek a ruler like Hazrat Amir, who would sit and reckon the accounts of the public treasury in the light emitted from one lamp, from one paraffin lamp or oil lamp or whatever kind of lamp they used at that time. In fact, on one occasion Hazrat Amir was busy making such calculations when somebody called on him to discuss something which bore no relation to the work in which the Hazrat was engaged at that moment. Imam Ali therefore turned out the light saying: “Until this moment I was reckoning the accounts of the public treasury. This light is public property and I was using it to enable me to do work which relates to the people’s property, but now that you wish to speak to me about something else, something which bears no relation to the public treasury, why should we continue to use the people’s lamp?” Of course, no one can behave as Hazrat Amir did, no one in the world is capable of this, but the least we ask is that our ruler be someone who is not a thief! Now we have reached the stage where we will be content to have a ruler who at least does not steal to such an extent, a ruler who will not plunder the wealth of these people so, or oppress them in this way.

VAIN ACTIONS As I previously explained, the birth of the Most Noble Messenger (s), led to the fires in the fire-temples being or rather it can be said that he extinguished the fire-temples of oppression, but on the contrary, his (the Shah’s) intention to relight the fires in such temples. According to what they say, he has actually given his approval and support to some of the fire temples which are located around Yazd. Furthermore, he changed the calendar and he had intended to continue with this line of action, putting such plans into effect one by one that is, of course, until the nation came to the rescue and caused the columns of Khosrow’s Palace to tumble to the ground, meaning that oppression needs to be destroyed in the same way. Do you now see what he did to this nation? Do you see how he has oppressed and continues to oppress this nation? Yet even at this late hour, now that his number is up and his efforts are in vain, he has come up with certain ideas! From what they say, the regime has sent a certain group of people to Kerman, people who are supposedly kolis, people whom they call vagrants- now whether the regime paid these people to go there or not I do not know- but it is similar to what happened in the year when Fayziyyah Madrasah was stormed. 157 Dhimmi: non-Muslim citizen of the Muslim state, whose rights and obligations are contractually determined. 158 Refer to Bihar al-Anwar vol. 41, p. 39.

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On that occasion I was present; I was in Qum when those SAVAK agents and those commandos posing as “peasants” charged into Fayziyyah Madrasah, setting fire to the Qur’an, setting fire to turbans, flinging people to their deaths from the roof. And all this was supposedly done because the peasants no longer favored the akhund! It was claimed that these peasants no longer desired to follow the Qur’an, that they did not want the akhund! But is this really the case? Whenever the peasant is questioned as to what he desires, he replies that he desires both the Qur’an and Islam.

A MEMORY OF THE THWARTING OF ONE OF THE PLOTS IN 1342 SH (CIRCA 1963) Those commandos and the others who you (the Shah) trained in order to crush Islam, are they really our peasants? Yes indeed, I was present to witness events and to see what they (the regime) did on that occasion. They even came to my home at that time, but the harsh reaction I showed toward them prevented them from fulfilling their intentions. The whole incident at Fayziyyah began during a gathering there. Certain speakers wished to speak at this gathering, and I had either already spoken or was due to speak when someone told me, and indeed I myself witnessed, that an uncalled for salawat had been chanted. I then instructed a friend to announce that should anyone attempt to cause trouble at the gathering, then I would ascend the pulpit in the courtyard of the holy shrine of Hazrat Masumah (sa) and would speak out to the people there. Those agents present were not the sort of people to persist with such behavior knowing that it would bring about such consequences; and since they were at a loss as to what they should do, they left the gathering. It was on that same day that they poured into Fayziyyah Madrasah and went wild; it was on that very same afternoon that they committed those outrages in Fayziyyah Madrasah.

ON THAT DAY UNDER THE GUISE OF ‘PEASANTS’ AND TODAY UNDER THE GUISE OF ‘KOLIS’ On that particular day it was in the guise of peasants that they ran riot and behaved so disgracefully and now they have started to claim that it is the kolis who are doing whatever. The regime’s agents poured into the city of Kerman in the guise of kolis, and they have done the same elsewhere, in other cities, cities such as Hamadan where the people were so savagely attacked. It is said that the same has also happened in Zanjan. As for Qum, disturbances, shootings and killings have been going on for the past two or three days now, and the city has been in a state of unrest as have some parts of Tehran. Even today, I listened to a number of reports broadcast over Iranian radio which named many different places where there is unrest and so on. And so there we have the people’s celebration for October 26, the day which commemorates his birthday! Black is being worn today. Yes, the radio mentioned one or two places- I think it was Maragheh159 or somewhere- where this and that had happened, and then the radio continued to give some account or other of events there. As for who did what, I do not know how valid their accounts are or who was actually involved in these events; but having said that, the fact remains that many cities have been quoted over the radio even though the truth is without doubt something other than that which they have been reporting. There is certainly more to it than this, and news of what actually occurred during these events will no doubt reach you later.

159 Maragheh is a city in the Central District of Maragheh County, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, and serves as capital of the county.

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FIRING UPON PEOPLE INSIDE A CINEMA While two important events came to pass because of the Most Noble Messenger’s birth, those being: the end of polytheistic and fire-worshipping tendencies, and the collapse of the columns of oppression, now his (the Shah’s) birth has in fact served to rekindle fire-worshipping! If he had been given the chance he would have revived the principles of fire-worshipping, for we already saw how he had changed the calendar, and had erected those towers besetting oppression. It is such towers of oppression which give rise to these holocausts of fire. What exactly had those poor people who had gone to the cinema160 done to warrant the Chief of Police going and closing the doors (while the cinema was ablaze) and refusing to allow the people to open them? Of course, it must be said that the cinema in Iran is not really a place which one should frequent. This is one of the tragedies in Iran that the cinemas there serve to corrupt and ruin our youth. In spite of this fact certain people had indeed gone to the cinema on this occasion, but even so, why should they have been treated in this way? Evidently certain incendiary devices had been planted there with the intention of creating a fire, of burning those poor people alive, of turning them into ashes. And the whole purpose was to make others out to be terrorists! Surely though, there was no need to go so far as to commit such a terrorist act yourselves and then to place the blame on other supposed terrorists. But then these are the kind of people they are.

SHAH, THE AGENT OF ALL THE TYRANNY This is the kind of regime the Iranian people have to put up with. They (the regime) committed that shameful act in Kerman, storming the mosque there, suffocating a group of those present by means of certain gases, killing another group comprising men and women, adults and children, setting fire to everything in the mosque, in the Muslim’s place of worship; and then they invaded the bazaar, looting it and setting it ablaze. Yet now, after all that, they say that they intend to send some people to discover who actually committed such a deed! But who does he intend to send to make enquiries? Does he mean to send the same people that he sent to discover who had caused the incident in Abadan (i.e. the Rex Cinema tragedy) ?! Does “His Imperial Majesty” Wish to punish the ruthless brutes who committed this act? He himself is that person! It is he who is the source of all the tyranny and misery suffered by the people.

IF THE PEOPLE OF IRAN DO NOT MAKE A MOVE If the people of Iran do not make a move and put an end to this soon, then there are many things which he intends to do. This nation must be rescued. Everyone, wherever they may be, must help these people; otherwise this man will destroy the very fabric of society. Now, having behaved so disgracefully in Kerman and having laid the blame on the kolis or whoever- no one being more of a koli than he (the Shah) himselfyes, now he has sent people to conduct a so-called public enquiry into who carried out such an act, who committed such an atrocious deed! But sir, the nation can no longer believe these things that you say. From the very beginning of events in Abadan, the people of that city took to the streets of their own volition for they realized that they (the regime) were the ones who were responsible for this crime. They realized this because it was evident that if someone or some trouble-maker had wanted to carry out this deed in such a 160 The tragedy of the Rex Cinema in Abadan, a city in the province of Khuzestan in the southwestern part of Iran, on Mordad 28, 1357 SH/August 19, 1978. This outrage which had been planned in advance, involved the horrendous immolation of over four hundred people.

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smooth manner, if he had wanted to create a fire with such skill, to plant incendiary substances so effectively and then to close the cinema doors thus preventing anyone from leaving the cinema... there is no way that he could have achieved this. And this is why people began to make their voices heard (in protest), and why now, whenever such incidents occur, the people themselves are aware of who is to blame. Again, antiregime protests were widely held when the people went to visit the cemetery.161 And this is how things now are in Kerman; how they are in Hamadan; how they are in Zanjan. Now he (the Shah) has recently made the decision to silence the people in this way. The people all know that these acts of oppression are all performed on his orders. There is no way that a member of the police would set people on fire unless he had been given leave to do so by him (the Shah). Do you really think they would dare to kill someone without his permission- without his instructions, without his strict instructions?

SHAH, THE COMMANDER OF THE KHORDAD 15 MASSACRE On Khordad 15 (June 5), he himself was in command. From what they say he commanded the forces himself. He who is in command in all of these different places is this very man. This man’s birth has been the source of all the sufferings of the people of Iran; God willing, this source of oppression will be removed [the audience cries, “Amen”], may He cast this black flag to the ground [the audience cries, “Amen”]; and soon so He shall, God willing. This is something which is about to take place. This kind of frantic action that we now see is that of an animal whose head has been severed and who now wants to make a last desperate struggle.

OUR DUTY IS TO FIGHT AGAINST THE SHAH’S SLANDEROUS PROPAGANDA Be that as it may, we are all duty-bound, all of us. Those of us here all have a duty to perform. Each one of you, if possible, must pass on written material about Iran to the newspapers here, to the journals here, to your fellow students and to the universities here. Pass on information about the situation in Iran. Tell the people about Iran.

THEIR PROPAGANDA IS WIDESPREAD. Even now there may still be certain people who are not aware of what is really going on. Is America right in saying that the people are upset because they have been given freedom, because they have been given too much freedom too quickly? Have the Iranian people got indigestion because of the freedom that has been given to them?! Has the nation raised its voice because it has been given too much freedom?! Indeed, this is how Mr. Carter sees it! And the newspapers- either Kayhan or Ittila’at- have quoted him as saying that a quick democracy has been brought about, a sudden new-found freedom has been given, and that this is why the people are now opposing him (the Shah) ! Is this really the case? Is it that he has granted freedom, and because of this the people still cry out: “We want freedom, we want freedom?!” Are they crying out because of the independence and the ‘great civilization’ that they enjoy?! Again only today, this man (the Shah) - I do not know what he is made of- was talking about how everyone could see for themselves how much freedom there is in Iran; how everyone could see the freedom he had granted to this nation. Only

161 It refers to the anti-regime protests of the people of -badan at the city’s cemetery, after the Rex Cinema tragedy.

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today, October 26, did he say these things. I really can’t figure out what makes these people tick! I am astonished! God knows there is indeed call to be astonished, firstly, at the kind of people they are.

THE RUMOR OF IRAN’S BECOMING COMMUNIST And secondly, at the fear that has arisen among the Muslim people that, as the Shah puts it: “If it weren’t for me the communists would take over.” The world would in fact come to an end! Without him (the Shah) there is no Iran! Indeed, Iran is Muhammad Reza! Without him Iran would no longer exist! Thus, he argues that we Iranians wish to live in our own country, we wish to resolve our differences or whatever in our own country; but he says that if he were not there then there would no longer be an Iran! Those young people who shout slogans162 such as these, slogans which are false and groundless; those people are presently assisting the regime. On the one hand they are assisting it by trying to make a group of people afraid of a possible communist takeover should the Shah leave- although in fact these kinds of remarks no longer frighten the people. On the other hand, these very differences of opinion which exist between us and between the young people themselves, this dichotomy which is to be found among the young people, serves to assist this regime whereby those of you who are under the impression that you are helping to bring the Shah down, are in fact, paradoxically strengthening the bases of his oppression. I regret the fact that these youngsters are assisting the regime in this way without even being aware of what they are doing. Those who ask you to chant these slogans are those who are actually allied to this very regime. These communists who belong to the officially recognized Tudeh Party, these leading communist figures, in actual fact serve his (the Shah’s) regime and our children, our youngsters, will have been taken in if they go along with their game. The light of Islam still lies within these youngsters but they have been deceived. They ought to break away from these criminals, from those who urge them to join their outfit. These people in fact want to save the Shah and you are unaware of this. It makes no difference whether they are inside the country or abroad. Propaganda is being disseminated under various pretexts in order to save this person (the Shah). Whatever means possible are being resorted to so that this person can remain, and this affair (concerning the supposed threat of communism) is one such means. Wake up. These youngsters of ours are to pay close attention to what is currently going on for events which are now unfolding are crucial.

THE DEFEAT OF COMMUNISM IN IRAN If what they say is true and one and a half thousand students have staged a pro-communist demonstration, then this itself is a sign of the defeat of communism in Iran. The very fact that a mere one and a half thousand people are standing in confrontation against a population of thirty million, all of whom have risen the banner (of Islam) and are crying out for the Qur’an, is itself proof that these (communists) have suffered a defeat in Iran. Hence, it is not the case that the communists would take over should he (the Shah) leave. If he should leave, not even a single communist would be found in Iran; for even if we suppose that instead of one and a half thousand people, five thousand people are now standing in confrontation against the rest of the population, these youngsters of ours in Qum alone could easily deal with them. There would be no need for those in Tehran to assist in any way, for our youngsters in Qum alone could deal with these communists. What on earth are the communists capable of doing? They have tricked you. Everything that

162 Irreligious and communist slogans.

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they say is mere rhetoric. They wish to use you to the Shah’s advantage. They have now exploited you; they have made fools of you.

CRY OUT IN UNISON Do not listen to what they have to say. Unite and cry out with one voice. Join the Muslims in their cries. If you were to cry out in unison, then it would be all over for him (the Shah). Do not sow discord. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Today, the presence of differences means suicide for the Muslims. Everyone must unite. Everyone must cry out in unison. Everyone must cry out for the same thing, they must all cry: “Death to this Shah and to this monarchy; death to those who support him, such as Carter and others like him.” This is what we are crying out and this is what will make the people succeed. Do not be afraid of these things that they say and all this commotion that they make. Can a nation which has risen up to make a legitimate claim carry on living under oppression? We all saw for ourselves how the martial law governments were unable to do anything about the situation. In Qum for example, isn’t martial law still in force there? Yet for the past three or four days now, anti-regime slogans have rung out in the city. Clashes have broken out there. Unrest prevails. And what about the situation in Tehran, is that any different? No indeed, the situation there is the same. I beseech God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant good health to all of those brethren both inside the country and abroad, who are making sacrifices for the sake of Islam. May God grant you all success. May He grant you all good health. Everyone must make an effort to assist this nation which has now risen up and is shedding its blood. Everyone must cooperate seriously with this nation so that, God willing, it may succeed. Right now, in order for you who are abroad to cooperate, you must propagate the nation’s message. The people there in Iran are having to deal with commandos and those so-called “kolis”- who are in fact commandos also- and they are presently shedding their blood, whereas those of you who are here, abroad, must help your fellow countryman in whatever way possible by means of propagation [those present chant a salawat].

44th Speech Date: October 28, 1978/Aban 6, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 25, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The politico-devotional dimensions of Islam and the characteristics of Islamic government Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

MAN, NOT ONLY AN OUTER APPARENT BEING; A HIGHER PLANE EXISTS ... for all of those dimensions which pertain to the human being. The human being does not solely comprise this outer, apparent being which eats, drinks and performs those other functions which animals also perform. This is not the extent of his being; differences exist between him and other animals. Other creatures also live an animal existence in this material world to the extent of that seen to be lived by the human being.

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Other living beings, whatever exists in this material world, whatever lives an animal existence, exists on a material plane as does the human being, and the same applies to the living matter which lives the life of a plant, an existence which is on a lower plane than that of the human being. Among all the living creatures which exist in the natural world, the human being possesses certain properties not possessed by other creatures. An inner faculty, an intellectual faculty, a faculty even more superior to that of the intellect is innate in the human being. From birth it is in man’s instinct to transcend this material world to that world which lies beyond our comprehension, and each of the stages to be passed on this journey requires guidance and instruction. Just as there are relevant instructions and guidelines to deal with the material life of this world, so too there are further instructions which pertain to other stages of being, some of which man is able to grasp and others- which form the majority- of which are beyond man’s comprehension. God, the Blessed and the Most High, is He who is All-Knowing and the mission of the prophets (as) is to develop, promote and give instruction on those stages of man’s existence of which man himself is unaware, stages which others, the materialists, are incapable of understanding and concerning which they cannot therefore instruct man, those stages of man’s being of which mankind itself is oblivious. And such instruction is necessary, for without knowledge of the malady and the remedy, there can be no cure. The ultimate level of understanding which can be attained by any of the materialists, irrespective of the actual level they may indeed reach, is confined to that which they grasp of the features of this material world. But there is both a mundane world and a supra-mundane world, both of which enjoy a similar existence; although in reality the latter exists on a much higher plane than the former. Now, we are in fact asleep and cannot perceive that (metaphysical) world with our natural eyesight. But because man is capable of being trained and so can discover those spheres of existence which lie beyond the material realm, and because there is no one who can offer mankind the necessary training and instruction, God, the Blessed and Exalted, has appointed the prophets to come and instruct man so that he may reach those metaphysical stages, so that whatever possesses potential may realize that potential, so that instruction given may be divine instruction.

WORSHIP, THE PRESCRIPTION OF REAL DOCTORS FOR LEADING MAN TO PERFECTION Those of you gentlemen who either reside outside Iran or are living inside the country, you young people of whom we are truly fond and whom we look upon as our own children, you who have entered a new stage in your lives; be you abroad or within Iran, you can now only see the visible exterior of this world and the actions you now take are taken in accordance with this vision. What I mean to say is that you are aware only of that material realm and of those things which pertain to it such as these acts of revolt which are now taking place. Although these acts of revolt are divinely-inspired and are of course divinely-decreed, their purpose being to allow these people to win their rights, nevertheless, even once this aim is achieved, these are material matters, matters which are related to the life of this world. Yet there are in fact higher levels of existence of which you must take note. These acts of worship which were brought to you via the prophets and which the latter urged you to performacts such as prayer, such as fasting, such as performing the holy pilgrimage and so on- these are a set of commands, a set of prescriptions prescribed by those original and authentic doctors who came to help you reach the various stages on the road to perfection. This they did, so that just as you continually make use of the material world throughout your natural life, so too when your souls have departed from this material

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existence and your newly-enlightened souls have departed for another world, you may go to that world having received the correct instruction and you may live a life there which is full of bliss and happiness.

SOME YOUTH’S NEGLIGENCE OF PRACTICES RELATING TO WORSHIP I hear that some of our youth do not properly or fully perform all of the externally visible Islamic acts of worship, acts such as prayer which is of extreme importance in Islam. And that which grieves us is that, God forbid, as Muslim youth you are not acting in accordance with these divinely-prescribed rules which have been given to us by the physicians of the soul, and that later, on the Day of Judgment, when remorse may fill your hearts, there may no longer be anything that you can do about it. Islam is unlike Christianity in that it has not concentrated on one aspect of man’s being; Islam contains instructions to meet all of man’s requirements. Those instructions, which are to be found in Islam- be they with regard to politics, to government, to the society as a whole, to the individual, or to Islamic culture- these are all instructions to match man’s needs. That is to say, no matter what kind of needs man may have, no matter what kind of material needs he may have, Islam contains instructions, which pertain to those needs. This need within man for the metaphysical- a need of which at present you and I are unaware- is also provided for in Islam by relevant instructions and guidelines. Hence, this need can be satisfied, or in other words, Islam can offer us the correct training and can lead us to happiness.

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE PROPHET (S) AND IMAM ALI’S (AS) ETHICS AND METHODS God, the Blessed and the Most High, is not at all in need of our deeds or of us ourselves. Neither do the prophets need you and I or the deeds performed by us. When one examines the kind of lives led by the prophets and sees to what pains they went, when one examines the lives of Moses and Jesus, may God’s peace be upon him, and especially the life of the Most Noble Messenger, our own Prophet (Muhammad (s) ), and when one considers the history of Islam and the historical accounts given of these prophets and the lives they led, one realizes that a number of the latter actually formed a government during their lifetime, that they have certain rules and guidelines which relate to government. But in spite of this, when one takes another look at the lives and character of these prophets, one sees that they were in fact nothing like the presidents and kings of today. The prophets were different; they lived and conducted themselves differently. During the Most Noble Messenger’s lifetime, for example, although he ruled over both the Arabian Peninsula and certain other countries, at the same time, when we look at his life and the way he interacted with others, we see that his way of life doesn’t even bear a remote resemblance to the life lived by a district Chief of Police. As the sovereign of the Hijaz and as its supreme commander, the Holy Prophet, when seated beside his friends and companions in the mosque, could not be distinguished from the rest of the people. Those who entered the mosque could not identify him as that prophet who rules over all of those vast lands. This was the way in which he interacted socially. Do not suppose that just as I, because of my age, have been asked to sit on this seat here, so too he, the Prophet, used to sit on such a seat. No indeed, he used to sit there where you are seated (i.e. on the floor) and would sit as you are now sitting. Thus, people entering the gathering at which he was present, could not tell who the Prophet was and who was not. This is how he conducted his life, unlike the present heads of state, to obtain an audience with whom, one has to go to such great lengths and for such a long period of time, and even then not everyone is granted an audience for only certain people are allowed to meet with them. With regard to the Prophet however, the

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door to his mosque was open to everyone, and everybody would go to visit him: the wealthy, the poor, the dervish, the orphan, whoever, they would all go to talk and discuss their problems with him, to listen to what he had to say in reply, to listen to his teachings and so on. And once he had a house and had built a mosque there, do you suppose that this mosque was like that in Medina now? Not at all- it consisted of a piece of land around which they had built a kind of protective fence in order to prevent animals from entering, a fence which was made from pieces of wood and branches taken from trees. That is what his mosque was like. Initially they built two or three houses there, two or three rooms made from mud. The Prophet’s house didn’t even have the trimmings and decorations found in my and your homes. This is what the Holy Prophet was like. What do we find when we turn to Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), may God’s peace be upon him, the rightful executor of the Prophet’s will, and we examine his life at the time when he was the sovereign- to use the word “sovereign” is in fact impertinent of me- when he was the leader of certain vast countries and when the entire Hijaz, the whole of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran were under his rule and formed part of his sovereign dominion. What kind of life did he lead? Was he like an emperor? In fact, the Hazrat possessed one pelisse made from sheepskin which, according to the religious traditions and historical documents, he would spread on the floor at night in order for his wife and himself to sleep upon it. During the day he would scatter grass upon this very same covering so that his camels could come and eat; such is the Islamic government. Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him, used to construct wells single-handedly, by using his very own pick. History relates how on that day when they paid allegiance to Hazrat Amir as their caliphthe caliph of such a vast domain at that- on that same day, allegiance having been paid, Hazrat took up his pick and spade and got on with the job in hand (i.e. the digging of a well). He worked. The work in which he was engaged at that time was not for his own personal benefit; it was not for him to gain some kind of return from the well. But rather, when water gushed from beneath the ground, like blood from a camel, he took up pen and paper and bequeathed the well to the poor. He bequeathed it to the poor for it to be used by them. This is the kind of ruler we want. We who go to such lengths and who shout out in protest, urge the nation of Islam to join us in our demands for a ruler, for a king, who is not treacherous. Hazrat Amir was busy reckoning the accounts of the public treasury, he was making a written account of the religious and other forms of taxes which were due from the people to the public treasury, and he was doing so in the light emitted from an oil-lamp- it seems that in those days oil used to be burned to give light. However, according to written accounts,163 when someone came to speak with the Hazrat , the latter turned out the light and said: “Before, when the lamp was lit, it was lit to enable me to reckon the public treasury of the Muslims, but now that you want to speak with me concerning something which bears no relation to the public treasury, I have turned out the light. This lamp belongs to the public treasury and thus I have no right to use it under these circumstances.”

WHAT TYPE OF ISLAMIC SYSTEM On the contrary, just look at how these heads of state behave today, how these kings behave. Since we are not familiar with these people, let us take a look at Iran. Just take note of how this man (the Shah) behaves-

163 Ibn Shahr Ashub, Manaqib-e Abi Talib, vol. 2 (fi al-Musabiqah bi al-’Adl wa al-Amanah).

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this person who now stands responsible for so much corruption. Just look at what he does with the public funds, with the public treasury of the Muslims. The kind of ruler we seek is like those rulers described earlier. They continually ask: What is Islam? Islam is not something, which wants to disrupt everything. Islam preserves and follows the exact laws of nature: it roots out all forms of corruption one by one. Islam says that there is to be a government but that this is not to be a government of a plunderer, a government of a traitor. Hence, it is not a case of Islam wanting to destroy the governmental system. Indeed as we saw, Islamic rulers themselves in fact adopted a governmental system. But in Islam sovereignty means government, it does not mean committing these offences and so on, it means governing by Islam. In Islam the ruler is to be Islamic; the system is to be Islamic; and it is to be devoid of these plunderers and these acts of theft and betrayal. Sovereignty in the opinion of the Shah’s regime means treachery and plunder When we cry out for an Islamic government and we shout out: “Death to this depraved sovereign rule,” this is because by looking back in history we are able to see for ourselves that former kings in fact committed very few acts of treachery. Yes, they were tyrants and so on, but whatever they were, they were nevertheless not treacherous. They were cruel tyrants, they were evil, they oppressed the people, yet even so, they did not give their country, their country’s assets, away to other countries. I myself have never heard of a former king selling his country to someone; of him offering his country’s assets to someone. This is something which has only taken place in the recent past and especially during the reign of this man (the Shah). This kind of thing has appeared during the reign of this depraved king who has destroyed whatever we had. Yes, that is the kind of life he lives, and this, as you see, is the kind of life we live, having to sit here in damp places such as this. I have said this two or three times on previous occasions- I can’t remember now whether I read it somewhere in a magazine or whether someone wrote to me about it- and that is that one of this gentleman’s (the Shah’s) sisters has purchased a villa somewhere or other, the cost of which was some phenomenally large figure; I can’t remember what exactly. What I do recall however, are the words: “Five million dollars has been spent on flower-beds and floral layouts.” That is thirty-five million tumans!164 Yet we have seen how another sultan turns out the lamp for it not to give light during the two minutes it takes to speak to someone about customary issues, or to hold a friendly conversation for example. And as for his court and palace, we see that this is the mosque. He comes to the mosque, sits down, and everyone comes to him to discuss whatever they will. He also uses the mosque as a military base from where to assemble an army, which he then dispatches here and there in order for Islam to spread. Yet we see how the life he leads such that I described when I spoke of a sheepskin pelisse. On the eve of the Hazrat’s demise, the night before his martyrdom, he was a guest in his daughter’s home and the latter brought him some salt and milk. According to written accounts, he then said: “When did you ever see me eating two different kinds of food at the same time?” So his daughter took away the salt, but the Hazrat told her to take away the milk instead. Thus, this sultan of the Hijaz, of Iran and Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, Jordan and elsewhere, ate bread and salt. This was how this sultan, in spite of all his power and might, spent the last night of his life. And as for his daughter, what a great and noble lady she was! The criminal sister of this criminal man (the Shah) however, spends five million dollars on floral embellishments! This is the figure which was quoted as the cost of the floral layout 164 Tuman: every tuman is equivalent to ten rials.

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for this villa she has purchased abroad. And only yesterday evening, in one of the local newspapers that had been brought to me, I read that the Shah and Farah (the Shah’s wife) had held a celebration alone on the eve of October 26 (the Shah’s birthday)! This had been because all of the other members of his family have gone. They have taken the money and gone! The nation’s wealth has now gone to America. And furthermore, it has been said that several days prior to this, someone had telephoned from Iran and had said that an airplane full of jewelry, the crown jewels, had been flown to America. Now he (the Shah) realizes that he will probably be leaving soon, he is plundering the people; he is taking their wealth out of the country.

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT, NO CHAOS AND PLUNDER When we say we want an Islamic government we do so because we do not want such a chaotic situation to exist. Yet they say that the reason we want to rule via Islamic government is in fact so that we can bring the wheels of progress in this country to a halt! What they say is wrong however. This is nothing but false propaganda. Indeed, we want to set the wheels of progress in motion. At present, the wheels of this country are traveling in the direction of Europe. Your oil is now on its way to Europe and to America, and this is what we want to be stopped. We want a reasonable quantity of oil to be sold, and moreover; we want to be paid in cash for it rather than having our oil taken away and in return weapons being brought into the country and a military base being set up there for America. What we say is that such a chaotic state of affairs is not to prevail in our country, and not that we do not want any form of government. Yes, we do want a government, but a government like that described earlier, although not the same (as that established by Imam Ali), for there is no doubt that neither we nor anyone else is capable of achieving what he did. Nevertheless, we want a government, which will not thieve; a government, which, at the very least, will not indulge in crime and treachery; a government which will not kill a group of people should the slogan: “Death to the Shah” rings out at any time. But in any case, this is the task now ahead of us and this is the Islamic government for which we must strive. Do not let them make you afraid of Islamic government. Islamic government is a government of justice. It is a government, which will afford you a life of ease and happiness, God willing. It is in the people’s best interests. It is something, which can only benefit the people. And it is hoped that this task of establishing an Islamic government will soon be accomplished, God willing [the audience cries: “God willing”].

45th Speech Date: October 28, 1978/Aban 6, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 25, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Neglect of spiritual matters as dangerous for the continuation of the movement Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

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ISLAM NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS The house is small and the respected gentlemen are uncomfortable... may they be successful and enjoy good health.165 I feel it necessary to remind the young people, both inside Iran and abroad, of a few things. A while after the appearance of Islam, it was the wont of different groups and scholars to devote all of their attention to the spiritual aspects of Islam, to those Qur’anic verses and traditions, which were concerned with spiritual matters, with self-purification and things beyond this physical world. The Holy Qur’an contains many verses pertaining to spiritual matters, that is, to that aspect of the human being, which is of the unseen world. For a while this was the situation and scant attention, if indeed any at all, was paid to the social and political laws that exist in Islam. Then gradually some groups appeared who began to address themselves to social and political affairs and issues of the day, but they took matters to the extreme, they concentrated solely on social and political issues and the rules for government and paid no heed to spiritual matters. So there now existed a group of people who concentrated solely on these matters, just as up until some time ago the other group, which comprised scholastics, philosophers, mystics and Sufis, looked only at one side of Islam and spoke only of its spiritual aspects and invited people to these- some of them even strove to change the meaning of those verses and traditions which dealt with matters of this world, with social and political affairs, into a spiritual one and tried to convince everyone else to see them in the same light. This was unfortunate for Islam, for to concentrate only on spiritual matters, to ignore those verses of the Qur’an which pertain to social affairs, to disregard those verses and traditions which deal with the government of Islam, with the politics of Islam, with social affairs and with reforming this world was tantamount to paying no heed to Islam. This group has only understood one aspect of Islam and has ignored the other which deals with worldly affairs, for Islam comprises this aspect also; it is concerned with all matters that relate to the human being. So, the fact that those belonging to this group- theologian, philosophers, mystics, and Sufis- strove to give a spiritual meaning to all the verses of the Qur’an and the traditions which pertained to social and worldly matters constituted a blow to Islam, for they concentrated only on the inner or secret (batin) meanings of Islam and ignored its external, obvious (zahir) meanings. Now the blow to Islam comes from the fact that our young people, our intellectuals and scientists who have studied the natural sciences are striving to give all the traditions and the Qur’anic verses, even those pertaining to spiritual matters, a temporal and mundane meaning and they are neglecting spiritual matters. This group of people is both mindful and heedless of Islam; they have read about one aspect of it and have neglected the other. Neither of these two groups has understood Islam properly. Islam’s call is restricted neither to the spiritual nor the material, it contains both aspects. The Holy Qur’an was revealed to train and develop the human being in all his dimensions.

165 In Neauphle-le-Chateau (situated twenty-five kilometers from Paris) two small houses had been placed at the disposal of Imam Khomeini and his entourage. Imam along with his family resided in house number one which was very small; house number two, which stood opposite, was set aside for gatherings and the use of Iranian students and members of Imam’s office. It was in this house that Imam held prayer gatherings. Another building was rented and used as a hostel where students and others visiting Imam could rest. This hostel was administered by Mahdi ‘Araqi (who was later martyred) and because of a shortage of space, sometimes twenty or thirty people had to sleep in one room. Those visiting Imam could stay here for a period of two days and nights. Imam was very particular about how religious funds were spent and he would not allow the rent for this building to be paid from money given as sahm al-Imam for charitable disbursement, instead it was paid by those Iranians whose financial situation allowed them to do so.

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MAN’S LEVEL IS HIGHER THAN THAT OF A PLANT AND ANIMAL If you consider the human being, you see that in the beginning he grows and develops no differently from a vegetable organism. A date seed, for example, or any other seed, is planted in soil which nourishes it and makes it grow. Soil is its special place where it grows. Animals too begin life as a seed, they have their special place where they are nourished and that is the womb. If at any time another place is created which has the same qualities and can perform the same function as the womb, then it is possible that their sperm can develop there; this applies even to a human being. So, in the beginning man is no different from a plant; he grows just as a plant grows; and although he has his special place with certain qualities and the plant has its, nevertheless they are like one another in that they have both been planted and this planted seed begins to grow through the power that God, the Blessed and Exalted, has placed in the earth and the womb. So at first they have this in common. However, the seed which is cultivated in the soil develops into a vegetable organism; remains such and produces fruit of the same type, whereas the seeds of animals, including man, gradually develop beyond the plant stage and find an animal spirit while still in the womb. They become distinct from vegetable organisms, but they are all animals in that they have sense organs, can move and possess an animal spirit. Animals are distinct from plants in another aspect and that is that at the required time they are born into this world and are cut off from their place of development (the womb). If a plant is separated from its place of growth (the soil), it will die, but animals are cut off from the womb when that aspect about them, which they have in common with plants, has been fully developed and they take on animal characteristics and no longer need the womb. So, they enter this world as animals, sharing common characteristics: they eat, sleep and have the same desires. They are all animals, all the same, bearing no difference in their animal characteristics, it is in their degree of perception that they differ from one another. Monkeys have a higher level of understanding than other animals. Man is distinct among the animals in that he can advance further; he is different from them in both his perceptive capability and in the extremes to which this can reach. Animals can perceive only to a certain degree beyond which they cannot pass. Man, on the other hand, is almost unlimited in his perceptive ability and his capacity to be trained. Man is a microcosm of this world and more. He has things in common with all that exists in this world, from the beginning of his existence up until the stage where he is distinguished from them; he has things in common with all animal, plant and mineral life. However, he has something more; he possesses the power of reason and a higher power which the others do not possess.

ISLAM’S INTENTION OF TRAINING MAN IN ALL DIMENSIONS If man were meant to develop only to the degree that the other animals do, then there would be no need for prophets. What would we need prophets for if man were simply meant to come into this world and live an animal existence, to eat and sleep like an animal until death? Man needs prophets because he is not the same as other animals, he does not have an animalistic limit which cannot be surpassed. His limit is beyond that of animals and he can attain a stage higher than the animal stage, a stage beyond reason (‘aql), until he reaches a stage that we cannot explain, although this final stage has been described by some as

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“annihilation” (fana)166 or “god-like,”167 among other interpretations it has been given. So, man needs prophets, because the training of a human being in all his dimensions, his physical, spiritual and intellectual dimensions and beyond these, cannot be left up to ordinary men, for they are not aware of all a human being’s needs and do not know how to educate a human being in the metaphysical. If you put all of man’s abilities together, you see that he can understand only this world and the attributes of nature, even then he has not discovered all that nature has to offer and although in recent years many of the doors to nature’s secrets have been unlocked, many more remain for posterity to find the key. Whatever man discovers up until the end of time will be of this natural realm, of this world, of this side of the coin.

MAN ONLY UNDERSTANDS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF NATURE Those things that man can understand, that are within the bounds of his understanding of nature, lie within the world of nature. Even if we suppose that one day, man discovers everything there is to know about natural phenomena, his understanding will still be confined to the realms of nature, it will not have extended beyond. He will have gained no knowledge of the other side of the coin. If man tries until the end of time, he can only come to understand the relationship that exists between things in nature, the cause and effect. He can be trained and educated but in the end, he will only discover the nature of this tangible world with all its attributes and its relationships. For example, he may understand how an earthquake affects the earth, when it will strike, he may determine the results and effects, how long it will last, and whether it will occur vertically or horizontally. He may understand all of this, the relationship between the nature of man and all other things, and we may suppose that there is nothing left for him to uncover, but his knowledge will still be confined to the realms of nature; he will not have stepped further than this and will not have understood what lies beyond this.

THE DENIAL OF THE METAPHYSICAL IS A RESULT OF INCOMPLETE UNDERSTANDING Thus, there is a group of natural scientists and philosophers who, because they cannot comprehend the metaphysical, because they cannot sense it or see it, have denied its existence, denied it without proof. They have said that because they have not seen it, they do not know of it and because it has not come under their knife, they can say that this non-material intellect, for example, does not exist. But it is wrong for a person to say something “does not exist,” He must say “I do not know if it exists or not.” There are things of which man knows nothing. There are those who will say: “I have reached this stage and of this much I am sure, but I do not know about the rest.” Denial stems from ignorance. You do not comprehend everything that exists in the world, so you should not deny its existence. This group of people has reached a certain level of understanding, and even if they were to uncover all the secrets of nature their understanding would still be confined to the realms of nature. This understanding can attend to the human being’s material desires, that is, our material requirements. When nature in all its aspects has been discovered, when all the powers 166 Fana: extinction, cessation, annihilation, passing away. As a technical term in Islamic mysticism it is used to indicate a stage in the mystical experience in which all man’s imperfections and earthly ties are annihilated or extinguished, and he is absorbed into the Deity losing consciousness of the self and those things which impeded his spiritual perfection. To put it another way, fana means that man ‘dies to himself’ so that he may be ‘born in God.’ 167 It is the world of essence [dhat], attributes [sifat] and actions [af’al]. Islamic philosophers believe in four worlds or four beginnings: the world of nature or mortals; the world of fancy or angels; the rational world or the world of dominion; and the world of the godhead or the divine world.

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of the natural world and the relationships that exist between the elements of nature have been discovered, even then only our material requirements will have been met, no more than this. Our material requirements vary according to our level of development, to what has been discovered so far. Travel nowadays calls for the use of an airplane, whereas in days gone by man traveled by camel, and in the future he will travel by something more advanced, but it still belongs to the realms of nature and is satisfying man’s material needs.

MAN’S NEED OF DIVINE RELIGIONS TO ATTAIN HIS EXISTENTIAL PERFECTION If man were confined to the bounds of a natural dimension, possessing no other, then there would be no need for something to be sent from the unseen to train his spiritual dimension, because this would not exist. However, man is a reality independent of this natural world. Nature itself implies an existence beyond this natural realm. For the human being possesses another dimension besides his natural dimension, and, according to the proofs which are established in philosophy, something beyond nature exists in the human being and man possesses a potential non-material intellect which will later be actualized. The training of that dimension, which is man’s spiritual dimension, should be in the hands of one who has knowledge of the Hereafter, a true knowledge, a knowledge of the relationship between man and the metaphysical, one who has this level of perception. This is a task, which does not belong to ordinary men, for they do not have this level of perception, ordinary men can only understand matters which pertain to this natural world, whatever can be put under the microscope; the metaphysical, however, cannot be seen under a microscope, it requires different means. The relationship between man and the celestial world is hidden from man. However, God, the Blessed and Exalted, who is the creator of everything, gave knowledge of it through divine revelation to some individuals who had attained spiritual perfection and understood.168 They were sent among the people to develop and give instruction on this second dimension of man, and to educate them in this regard.

THE PROPHETS (AS) WERE SENT FOR DIVINE TRAINING AND MAN’S HAPPINESS God, the Blessed and Exalted, needs neither us nor our training; whether we are polytheists or monotheists makes no difference to Him; He does not benefit from our being monotheists; we are the ones it makes a difference to. The prophets were sent to educate us, to give us the training we need for the next life, to ensure that we are trained in such a way that in the other world our life will be a blissful one. If man were not given this training and he entered the next world bearing the same animalistic nature he had in this world, then his life in the Hereafter would not be a happy one and he would be in a state of misery; man would enter into darkness in that world. The prophets came to gradually educate us away from this natural world- for otherwise we would remain as animals confined to this natural realm unable to perceive further than this- and, through the revelation of God, the Exalted, to give us the spiritual instruction needed to prepare us for the next world, so that when we are taken from this earthly existence to the Hereafter, our life there will be a happy one too. The whole point of the prophets’ coming is to educate mankind, for man is capable of being educated and is superior to other animals, so that just as in this world- material circumstances permitting- he enjoys a happy life, the

168 A relationship was formed between man and the world of revelation.

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next too will be blissful for him. The fact that man is capable of being trained is a kindness from God, the Blessed and Exalted. The training which man receives from the prophets through divine revelation concerns those things that form a relationship between this world and the next. If we act upon that which we are instructed to do, it will have a hand in our spiritual training. We are told to do certain things and we do not know what the relationship is between us performing the ritual prayer (namaz), for example, and our happiness in the next world, but God does. Just as you and I who are not physicians do not understand what the connection is between the tablets the doctor prescribes and the illness, but a connection does exist; he who is knowledgeable in this field understands the relationship and tells us what we should do to cure our illness and we must follow his instructions. The prophets, through the revelation of God the Blessed and Exalted, knew about the relationship that exists between our actions, our virtuous actions, and the other world. They were sent to tell us that if we perform certain virtuous acts, this will have a bearing on our life after death, and will train our spirit so that we will be happy when we enter the next world.

DIVINE ENJOINING (THE RIGHT) AND FORBIDDING (THE WRONG) IS FOR MAN’S HAPPINESS IN BOTH WORLDS Likewise, the commission of sin is like a poison, which affects us in the metaphysical and spiritual world. If a human being eats something, which is poisoned, he will suffer from the effects of that poison and may even perish. There are some sinful acts or beliefs, which, if committed or believed in by man, are like a deadly poison taken in degrees, sometimes there is a cure but if taken persistently there is none. The prophets have informed us of these things; they have told us what to do and what not to do. Of course, some of their teachings pertain to the organization and reformation of the material world and society, but there are many which concern the metaphysical. Because the human being is a creature of many dimensions, with many needs, the prophets came to answer these needs and teach man how to act in order to attain true happiness.

THE CONDITION FOR UNDERSTANDING ISLAM- CONSIDERING BOTH THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS AT ONE TIME Therefore, neither of these two groups has understood Islam, neither the one which concentrates solely on spiritual matters ignoring social concerns nor the other which focuses on social and political matters, science and such things, disregarding spiritual matters. He who understands both the spiritual and material dimensions of Islam knows Islam. He who wants to have an understanding of Islam must look at both these aspects. He must try his best to understand the Qur’anic verses, Prophetic narrations (riwayat) and injunctions (ahkam) which have been revealed and passed down to us concerning spiritual matters, just as he must understand those verses, commands and traditions which are to do with regulating and setting right social, political and governmental matters. He, who understands these two aspects, as much as man is indeed capable of understanding them, has understood Islam.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ISLAM AND DISTORTED CHRISTIANITY Islam is not monastic like Christianity. Of course, the Christian religion has been changed and that which is practiced nowadays- with the emphasis being solely on spiritual matters- is not true Christianity. Neither is Islam like the religion of Moses, which concentrates mainly on temporal issues. The message and laws of Hazrat Moses (as), who was one of the great prophets of the book, were of course, for his time complete and sufficient to meet the needs of man then, but his book, along with that of Hazrat Jesus, has been lost. The content of the books which are in the hands of their followers today is proof itself that they are not the original Torah and Gospel. Our book (the Qur’an), however, praise be to Allah, has been preserved throughout the years; even the Qur’an written by Imam Ali in his own hand or that by Imam Sajjad are still extant.169 We do not have anything else which has remained totally unchanged except for the Qur’an.

THE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO SPIRITUAL MATTERS AND THE DIVINE ASPECTS Islam was revealed to educate us and if we do not follow its teachings in all their aspects, then we will not learn. So, at the same time as you, our dear youth, involve yourselves in the pursuit of the natural sciences or in the jihad which are necessary for you to carry out- indeed a jihad which all of us must carry out now is to assist our Muslim brethren who are suffering in Iran, by at least propagating their cause- you must not neglect the supreme jihad170, you must not disregard the spiritual aspects of Islam. For you are not a unidimensional being, you do not simply possess this dimension, you are not only men of jihad, or men of the natural sciences, you are human beings and a human being possesses both spiritual and material dimensions. Your material dimension is being satisfied by that which you are doing now, but you should struggle to satisfy your spiritual dimension also. You must take heed of all God’s commands, a Muslim cannot say that he accepts the aspect of Islam which pertains to jihad, but not its spiritual aspects or vice versa. We should accept it all. A Muslim is he who accepts and acts upon all the teachings of the Most Noble Prophet. So, although you may find it difficult to understand the relationship that exists between the spirit and the outwardly apparent acts of worship that God commands us to perform in this world, you should not count them as insignificant. They are important for you. They are important for your life in the next world. You should continue with your jihad and your pursuit of the natural sciences and complete your work in these areas, but at the same time pursue spiritual matters so that you will find true happiness.

169 A number of copies of the Qur’an ascribed to Imam Ali (as) can be found in libraries and museums throughout Iran. They include a copy in Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad- written in Kufic writing on parchment and beginning with Surah Hud (the Prophet Hud) and ending with the final verses of the Surah al-Kahf (the Cave) - at the end of which appears the inscription: “Written by Ali ibn Abi Talib.” Another copy can be found in the Amir al-Mu’minin library in Najaf, Iraq, written in the Kufic style and at the end of which this line: “Written by ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib in the fortieth year after hijrah,” appears. The Iran Bastan museum houses a copy written in Kufic on parchment at the end of which we read: “Written and illuminated by Ali ibn Abi Talib.” A copy of the Qur’an ascribed to Imam Sajjad (as) and written from verse 180 of Surah al-Baqarah (the Heifer) until the end of the book is in the Qur’an Musuem of the Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad. It is written in the Kufic style on parchment made from deer skin. The name of Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib appears on this copy. 170 That is, the struggle against the appetitive soul. For more information, see Imam Khomeini, The Greatest Jihad: Combat with the Self, tr. Muhammad Legenhausen (Tehran: Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works, 2003. Available at: https://www.al-islam.org/jihad-al-akbar-greatest-jihad-combat-self-sayyid-ruhullah-musawi-khomeini

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OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROPAGATE ISSUES RELATING TO THE MOVEMENT TO THE WORLD May God grant you all this happiness. May we all act upon our duties, one of which, now that a movement has begun in Iran and the people are relinquishing their lives, their wealth, their children and their dear ones for this cause, is for us who are over here to do our utmost to help them. You gentlemen should speak about the problems of Iran and propagate the Iranian cause among the people of the countries in which you reside at present, be they one of the European countries or America. Speak to your friends and your acquaintances, whenever you get together tell them about the problems in Iran and about the crimes committed by the Pahlavi dynasty and this Shah, who is more treacherous and criminal than all other past kings, or rather who is just as criminal as they were but more treacherous. This man is ruining Iran; he is destroying it; he is getting ready to leave the country and he wants to destroy it before he goes. Tell your American and European friends about this. Speak to your friends at the schools that you attend. God willing, a wave of support will be created among these people and they will help the Iranian nation, and their governments, those which are just, may also help Iran to rid itself of this man. God willing, the evil of this man and the foreigners who assist him will be uprooted from the land and Iran will be yours for you to administer yourselves.

46th Speech Date: October 29, 1978/Aban 7, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qaadah 26, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Freedom and independence, the two legitimate demands of the Iranian nation Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I seek forgiveness from you gentlemen for not being able to maintain much contact with you due to my age and weak constitution. There is no barrier existing between me and you and anyone wishing to see me may do so, I welcome everyone. We are all brothers together and I am very fond of you gentlemen who are performing a service for Islam and your country here abroad. The reason I cannot come out and contact you much must be put down to my heavy workload, which does not give me much time,171 and also my old age, which saps my strength, otherwise I would very much like to keep in constant contact with you all so

171 During his stay in Paris and in addition to delivering speeches and meeting with students and others daily, Imam Khomeini was kept busy with the following tasks: issuing legal opinions; studying the translated text of the important news reports and analyses from foreign newspapers; studying the news reports received from Iran on the progress of the Revolution and events taking place in the country; reading letters sent to him by political and religious personalities from around the world and replying where necessary; holding private meetings with different individuals; giving interviews to foreign and Iranian reporters (in the book The Vanguard of the Islamic Revolution, one hundred and thirteen interviews given by him during his stay in Paris have been published); writing messages and issuing directives and declarations; observing religious duties, performing supererogatory prayers and reading a section of the Qur’an at eight specific times, as well as spending time with his family members.

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that I might express my appreciation and thank all you young Muslim people abroad who are busy both with your studies and with serving Islam and the Muslims.

THE FIRST ISSUE: FREEDOM Today, I do not have anything new to add to that which I have already said before; my words have always revolved around the same thing. From the very beginning of the Islamic movement, which began about fifteen years ago or more and which has passed through different stages, sometimes progressing quickly, sometimes slowly, up until the present when, praise be to God, it has reached its peak, our aim, one in which we have persevered, has been the same, and that is to secure freedom and independence for the Iranian nation. Both these demands are legitimate rights that all human societies, those that is which have not strayed from the path of humanity, recognize. A nation of thirty or thirty-five million people is being suppressed; for fifty years this thirty-million-strong nation has been stifled and repressed and has suffered difficulties in every respect. Throughout this period, it has enjoyed neither a free press nor has its radio been a national radio run by the people its preachers and orators have not been free to speak out on different matters. All have been under police pressure and control. But now this thirty-million-strong nation, having been deprived of its legitimate right for fifty years, has risen up and is demanding its right. The people are saying that they want to be free and this is a demand that all human societies recognize, for it is a just demand. The Iranian people are not asking for something, which is not their right.

THE SECOND ISSUE: INDEPENDENCE Secondly, we demand independence. There have been many periods in our history, and especially during the rule of this father and son, although more so during the rule of the son, when our country was dominated in all aspects by foreigners. Our economy is now disrupted because it is being controlled by foreigners. They are taking our oil and in return they build bases for themselves in Iran, that is, they sell us the weapons for bases to be built for themselves here. They have kept our education in a state of backwardness; they do not allow our young people to receive a proper education, lest some of them begin to oppose what they are doing here.

THE REGIME’S ATTEMPTS AT DEFEATING THE POWER OF ISLAM AND THE ULAMA They do not permit our Islamic culture to develop, and through their propaganda, they try to distance the people from Islam and the ulama of Islam, for they know that the two oppose their designs. They realize that were true Islam put into practice in Iran, or in other countries, the foreigners would have no place there. One of the commands of Islam states that foreigners should not be allowed to interfere in the destiny of Muslims. If the ulama of Islam acquire power, they will not permit this command to be forgotten; they will put it into practice. So, these two forces, the forces of Islam and the ulama, must be defeated (in the view of the foreigners).

KEEPING EDUCATION BACKWARD For many years their specialists studied the problem and arrived at the conclusion that those barriers which could possibly stop them from achieving their aims should be destroyed, and they determined how they should be destroyed. After much research into the matter, they decided that one of these barriers is the country’s culture and education, such that if Iran were to have one proper university, one non-parasitic and

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independent university, then righteous people would be found there, independent-minded scholars would be found there who would not let them do whatever they want to do. This itself would be a barrier blocking these opportunists in their aims. So, education must be kept in a state of backwardness so that the foreigners can take the advantage.

EFFORTS AT RELATING ISLAM WITH DICTATORSHIP Another barrier which is greater than all the others is Islam. Islam is an obstacle to their exploitative plans so the Muslims must be made to view it disparagingly; they must be distanced from it. To this end, their propagandists, wherever and in whatever way they can, spread the idea that Islam contains rules which pertain to one thousand four hundred years ago and that it is of no use today. They describe it by using words such as “reactionary” and “retrogressive,” among other such inappropriate adjectives, while others say it is dictatorial. A person here yesterday said that some people believe- and perhaps he was airing his own views but was too shy to say so- that once we get rid of the Shah’s dictatorship we will be faced with the problem of an Islamic dictatorship! I asked him: “Which Islamic government have you seen up until the present that has led you to believe that Islam is dictatorial!” I will relate some of the stories that I have in mind now so that these gentlemen who presume that Islamic government means a dictatorship will realize how uninformed they really are on the subject.

THE JUSTICE-SEEKING PERSONALITY OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM (S) One story, which has been fully confirmed, concerns the Prophet, who is the head of Islam, and the other is about Imam Ali. The first is about the time that the Most Noble Messenger was the ruler. It is related how one day, toward the end of his life when he was ill, this leader of Islam, who, according to the logic of the gentleman who was here yesterday, was a dictator, went to the mosque and ascended the pulpit where he told the congregation that if any one of them was nursing a grievance against him to speak out so that he might put it right. An Arab gentleman stood up saying that he had a grievance against him. When the Prophet asked him what it was, he said: “You struck me on the shoulder,” upon which the Prophet told him to come forward and return like for like. The man said: “When you struck my shoulder it was bare.” So, as the story has it, the Prophet bared his own shoulder so that the man could strike it. However, the gentleman came forward and kissed the Prophet’s shoulder instead.172 Tell me, is this how a dictator acts?! The head of a nation declared that if anyone had a morally just or legal claim against him that person was to speak out so that he might put it right, even if the Prophet had taken

172 Ibn Babiya quotes from Ibn Abbas an event which occurred just before the Prophet’s demise. He relates how the Prophet went to the mosque and ascended the pulpit from where he spoke to the people. During his speech the Prophet said: “The Most High God has sworn that He will not overlook any unjust or oppressive acts so in God’s name I beseech whoever has suffered an injustice at the hands of Muhammad to rise up and take their revenge, for retribution in this world is more desirable to me than retribution in that world in the presence of God’s angels and the prophets.” Sawadah ibn Qays then stood up saying: “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you oh Messenger of God, when you were coming from Ta’if I came to greet you, you were riding upon your she-camel with your staff in hand and when you raised it to strike your camel you struck me on the abdomen. I do not know whether you did it intentionally or whether it was an accident.” The Prophet replied: “God forbid that I should do such a thing intentionally,” and then he ordered for his staff to be brought to him and asked Sawadah to return like for like. Sawadah rose up and approached the Prophet, but when he reached him he began to kiss his body. The Prophet asked him: “Are you taking your revenge or granting your pardon?” Whereupon Sawadah said: “I am granting my pardon.” Muntahal Aamal, vol. 1, chap. 7, “Concerning the quality of the demise of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad al-Mustafa (s),” pp. 101- 103.

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ten pennies off someone, that person had the right to say, “You have wronged me, you have taken my wealth.” But no one said anything, only this one man who said that the Prophet had struck him, and then it became clear that this was merely an excuse on his part to kiss the naked shoulder of the Prophet. Now if among all the world’s governments, all those governments which you consider to be democratic, you can find one leader who will stand before the nation, before peasants, and tell them to speak out if they have a morally just or legal claim against him, if you can find one government in the world which acts in this way, then you can say that the Islamic system of government is dictatorial.

A LITTLE ABOUT ALI’S (AS) GOVERNMENT OF JUSTICE Another story which I would like to relate for you concerns Imam Ali, may God’s peace be upon him. A Jew went to a judge, whom Imam Ali himself had appointed, complaining that Imam Ali had a coat of mail belonging to him. The judge sent for Imam Ali, who came and sat before him with the Jew, even insisting that he be shown no preferential treatment while the Jew’s case was heard. At the end of the hearing, the judge found in favor of the Jew and commanded Imam Ali to give him back his coat of mail! Imam Ali was the leader at that time; he was the caliph, the sultan, yet the judge, who had been appointed by him, summoned him to court and Imam Ali complied and sat before him along with the complainant, who was a Jew, while the case against him was heard,173 and at the end of the hearing it was Imam Ali who was found to be in the wrong! If you can find just one government from among all these democratic governments which acts like this, then you can say that Islamic government is dictatorial. Yes, did you think that an Islamic government is that which is in power in the Hijaz at present?!174 The government there has nothing to do with Islam; they (the rulers there) too are dictators who only pay lip service to Islam. Or did you suppose it was like the government of that military ruler in Pakistan?175 He knows nothing about Islam.

EQUAL RIGHTS IN ISLAM An Islamic government is like that which was in effect at the time of the Prophet and Imam Ali, its leaders act as they did and in the eyes of the law they are on par with the lowliest in the land. Do not think that were an Islamic government set up, it would torment the people or ignore education and take everything back to such and such a time!

BELITTLING OF THE ULAMA AT THE TIME OF REZA SHAH This is just idle talk, which is spoken to deceive the people, to frighten them away from Islam and belittle the Islamic ulama in their eyes. At the time of Reza Shah, the Islamic ulama were disparaged to such a great extent that when a clergyman wished to ride in a taxi, the wretch of a driver would not allow him into his car saying: “You and certain others176 are people we will not allow into our cars!” This is what it was like at the time of Reza Shah.

173 Khwarazmi, Manaqib, p. 98. 174 It refers to the government of Khalid Abdul-’Aziz. 175 It refers to General Muhammad Zia al-Haqq, the then President of Pakistan. 176 Prostitutes.

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THE ULAMA OF ISLAM DO NOT WORK FOR THE COURT Indeed, their propaganda has been so effective that they have led our people, our youth, to believe that the mullahs work for the court! Well, if this were correct, then why did they clench their fists and rise up against the court? These people who have now clenched their fists are following the example of the ulama, this movement began with them. Are they then courtiers? Of course, there are those who wear turbans on their heads and have joined the service of the court, but they number only three or four and the people know who they are. They are not true members of the ulama, they are people whom SAVAK has issued with a turban and describe as mullahs! When have the ulama ever been affiliated to the court?! This idea has been created by imperialist propaganda to distance you from the ulama, for when the power of the ulama has been separated from the power of the people, then the ulama can do nothing. This is all part of the imperialists’ plans to distance the youth, through different forms of propaganda, from Islam and the ulama of Islam, for once this has been achieved they will be able to do whatever they want (in the country).

TORRENT OF THE REVOLUTION, THE DESTROYER OF SHAH AND THE PLUNDERERS However, be that as it may, this uprising, this movement which is taking place in Iran now is becoming more extensive day by day. As we sit here a revolution is unfurling in many Iranian cities, the people have raised their voices in protest; there are clashes and killings. Iran is now gripped by a revolution which like a flood, is sweeping away the Shah and destroying the interests of those who have benefited from his rule. God willing, it will succeed. We ourselves want to administer this country, which is ours and which has been passed on to us from our ancestors. We do not want the American President to send people to administer it! We do not want him to send someone to control our army; we do not want our universities to be under his control or our Members of Parliament to be appointed from the list which the foreigners give. We want our nation to appoint its own parliamentary representatives. For fifty years now the people have not enjoyed true parliamentary representation.

THE PEAK OF SUPPRESSION DURING THE REIGN OF PAHLAVI From the time that the Constitution came into being up until the present it has not been observed as it should have been. Before the establishment of the Constitution our country was always subjected to the rule of despots, but its situation since then has been even worse. When at the time of the despots were there so many killings? When at the time of the despots did the country suffer from so much suppression? Our clergymen have not been free to speak out, nor have our politicians, our academics or our students. No one has been allowed to utter a word. Two years ago, this was still the case, however today, praise be to Allah, things are slightly better and the people are speaking out a little more freely than before.

THE REGIME’S ATTEMPTS AT CAUSING DIVISION The imperialists are trying to divide you through this propaganda that they disseminate. They want to distance you from Islam and other Muslims through different means and by employing different names so that they can execute their plans. To this end, they create deviations and promote much propaganda about how the clergymen are “retrogressive” and “reactionary!” Who are the reactionaries? Which manifestations

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of civilization are the clergy opposed to? We accept all aspects of civilization, what we do not accept are these deviations.

OUR OPPOSITION IS TO PROSTITUTION, POVERTY AND PLUNDER We say that a country in which the centers of corruption outnumber the libraries or whose inhabitants stand in line to sell their blood cannot be a country for us! According to what we are told, the poor people have to queue up to sell their blood in order to get a few tumans to subsist on! We are saying that this situation has to change, the centers of fornication must go; this plundering must end. We are saying that one group of people should not have to live in hovels or go into holes in the ground to sleep while another owns multimillion dollar villas at home and abroad. This is what the ulama of Islam are saying. They are calling for the establishment of Islam, of justice, of Islamic justice; they want the nation’s wealth to be distributed more evenly and Islamic laws to be implemented. This plundering must be stopped.

THE NEED FOR EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN A JUST ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT An Islamic government is a just system of government, far better than the present one; it is a government minus the thieving, the plundering, the wrongdoings and the bullying. There should be no bullying or oppression, plundering should not be allowed, the wealth of the nation should not be stolen and devoured. All the people should live comfortably, the poor should be helped; the poverty-stricken hovel-dwellers who have nothing should be taken care of. The wealth of the nation should not lie only in the hands of the elite and the aristocrats. The government should not see solely to the needs of the aristocrats. No, the government belongs to all sections of the community; it should work for everyone, it should work more for the weak and the poor in order to help them attain a suitable standard of living. Gentlemen, do not listen to their propaganda.

THE NEED FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ISLAMIC RULES OF WORSHIP Another thing I must remind you of is the importance of performing those deeds, which Islam has made known to you, for they are for your own good. The rules that Islam has brought are to train your spirit so that in the next life you will enjoy a happy, good life there also. All the deeds which you are told to perform are to ensure your own happiness. So, just as you engage in struggle and pursue your studies, so too you must perform those deeds which God has enjoined you to do. Do not neglect these. Do not view namaz (ritual prayer) as being of no account; it is necessary for you to pray. Fasting and the other deeds which you are told to perform are to train you and guide you so that you reach higher degrees of perfection and attain (true) happiness. Thus, I ask you all most sincerely, I advise you all not to desist from performing those deeds which belong to the branches (furu) of religion. I say this now because on different occasions I have been told that some of our young people have begun to neglect those aspects of the religion. Do not neglect these things, gentlemen; they are for your own good; they will benefit you. If you strengthen your relationship with God, He will help you all; He will remove all the evils that afflict you and He will make you independent and free. I pray to God, the Blessed and Exalted, for your health and for the greatness of Islam and the Muslims. May God grant you all success and assist you.

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47th Speech Date: October 29, 1978/Aban 7, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 26, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The illegal nature of the Pahlavi regime; the Shah’s unpardonable crimes; the powers’ incapability in the face of the nation’s will power Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE CONFESSION OF THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER A matter about which we have spoken repeatedly was made public by the British Foreign Minister. From the very beginning we have said that the previous Shah (Reza Khan) carried out a coup d’état on the orders of the British and came to power to preserve their interests; he was thrown out of the country and taken off to the island of Mauritius only when he transgressed their bounds and broke their rules. The present Shah also came to power in Iran to protect the interests of the Allies: the Russians, Americans and the British, and throughout his rule he has worked for their interests. A few days ago, the British Foreign Minister confirmed this saying that they could not remain silent while someone who was in Iran to preserve their interests was in such a situation! The Iranian nation which has risen now has done so because of this matter of which the British Foreign Minister speaks.

IRAN UNDER FIRE AND IN BLOODSHED The nation of Iran- a nation which has been dragged into so much bloodshed and whose youth have been killed in such great numbers- all the important cities of Iran, the towns and large villages of Iran are now in the grip of revolution. They have written that Zanjan is aflame with fire and every corner of Tehran is seething with revolt. The situation is the same in Qum and other cities. A full-scale uprising is taking place which I am afraid may result in a revolution that no one will be able to stop. The British Foreign Minister and those foreign ministers of other exploiting countries do not have the sense to realize that they cannot treat a nation in this way. The heads of the superpower nations think that because they are superpowers they can devour the whole world!

THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY GOVERNMENT AND COUP D’ÉTAT But when a nation rises and gives everything it has for the sake of its freedom and independence then this fire cannot be quenched with bayonets, martial law or a military government. They are mistaken by thinking it can. If they want to set up a military government for instance, what good is it actually going to do them, for twelve cities are already under martial law; indeed, the whole of Iran is unofficially under martial law. The government in Iran now is like a military government, but the people have not succumbed to it. Someone who is ready to sacrifice everything is not worried by a military government. Suppose that a military coup d’état does take place and a military figure comes to power, he177 will be no different from this person. As it is now that the Iranian government is (like) a military government. 177 Ja’far Sharif Imami

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The people have stood up and are demanding their rights. They are not calling for something which is illegal; they are calling for something to which they are legally entitled. It’s been more than fifty years! Our forty and fifty-year-olds were born into suppression.

AN ILLEGAL REGIME AND UNPARDONABLE CRIMES The people have two things to say: firstly, that this Shah is not a constitutional monarch, he is a despot, and secondly that the crimes he has committed are unforgivable. Even if we suppose that he is truly repentant now, as he says he is, and that when he promises not to do such things again and to act in accordance with the Constitution from now on, he is speaking the truth- which he is not, but let us suppose that he is- could the people ever accept the repentance of someone who has committed all these crimes and has killed so many? According to Islamic law, the penalty for someone who orders the killing of someone else, even though he does not actually carry out the killing himself, is life imprisonment. Now someone who has ordered the killing of a multitude of people turns around and says: “I will reign, not govern!!” The hell you will! Rule is for he who is legally appointed to rule and who then rules according to the Constitution and does not govern.

THE PAHLAVI DYNASTY, A DYNASTY OF BAYONETS AND FORCE We all know that the Pahlavi rule is not at all legal. The Pahlavi dynasty came into being through the power of the bayonet. It began with Reza Shah who carried out a coup d’état, he was an army commander, then he became Minister of War and then temporary governor, and all this took place through the force of the bayonet. Initially, the Iranian nation was not aware of the kind of man he really was, so they said nothing. Later, however, he gradually began to show his true face, that of a person who respected nothing. He destroyed Iran’s dignity; he formed a Parliament at bayonet point and this Constituent Assembly that he created in order to depose the Qajar ruler and put himself on the throne did not have any connection with the people. The people were not aware of what was going on, they had no say in the matter. It was created by him himself at bayonet point! Those who were a part of it voted for him, it was set up only to give him the vote! Articles were removed from the Constitution and others put in their place so that the Qajar monarchy could be disposed of and the Pahlavi monarchy brought in its stead: this was all done through the power of the bayonet, it was not lawful. These articles which are now in the Constitution are not constitutional articles; originally the Constitution did not contain such articles. They were put there by force of the bayonet, and the people were not aware of what had happened. So, Reza Shah came to power against the wishes of a nation through the might of the bayonet in an un-constitutional manner. After him, rule was passed onto his son who himself said that the Allies had told him that he must rule! An unlawful rule! From the beginning his rule was unlawful! This Shah is a criminal; it wasn’t only his father who was a criminal; he is one too. The people could not speak out, but now, praise be to Allah, they can; now they give lives and speak out.

THE DISMISSAL OF THE SHAH FOR THE CRIME OF TREASON In sum, everything that our nation is saying is that this man is a traitor. Let us suppose that his rule has been legal- which it hasn’t and according to the rightful law it has always been invalid- but let us suppose that it has been legal and that he has ruled according to the Constitution, when he betrays a nation, when he diverges from the constitutional law, then he should be dismissed; he should no longer be the ruler.

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Throughout his rule this man has deprived the people of freedom. He even admits this himself. When he says that he will give the people freedom, it means that he had taken their freedom away from them. He had it in his pocket and now he wants to give it to them! This is admitting a crime. If he is tried in court, which God willing he will be, the fact that he says he gave the people freedom is confessing to a crime, for according to both the constitutional law and the shari’ah (Islamic law) the nation is supposed to be free; the constitutional law has granted the people freedom so when he says he will give them freedom it means that he had taken it away from them and thus he is admitting a crime.

THE PEOPLE’S CRY FOR FREEDOM One of the things that the people are shouting is that they have never had freedom, neither throughout his rule nor that of his father. Our youth have never tasted freedom. When they first opened their eyes (to this world) there was a policeman standing over them, a military agent, a government agent or a plunderer, they have not witnessed a day of freedom and neither have we. From the time of Reza Shah to the present there has not been a hint of freedom. One thing that the people are shouting for is their freedom. The young children are shouting for freedom, the old men are shouting for freedom, the people from the universities and others are all shouting for freedom, everyone wants freedom. He has deprived a nation of freedom and so he is not fit to rule; thus, even if we suppose that his rule was once lawful, it is no longer so and he no more is the ruler. Moreover, even if we suppose that he were the legal ruler, the whole nation is now saying that they no longer want him; they are saying, “death to this Pahlavi monarchy”! This is itself a referendum; all the people from all over Iran are shouting that they do not want him. They are shutting down the bazaars; they are showing their opposition in governmental institutions. The people do not want him, and even if on the basis of the Constitution and the votes of the nation this man was once the Shah, as soon as the people refuse him their vote, he is Shah no longer. Now our people are saying that they do not want this man. One of the reasons why they do not want him is that he has deprived them of their freedom. For fifty years he and his father have deprived them of their freedom and now they are saying that they no longer want him.

THE SURRENDERING OF IRAN’S RESOURCES AND WEALTH TO FOREIGNERS Another reason why they want to be rid of him is that he is selling off their resources to foreigners. Whatever the nation had he has given to others! God forbid that his rule should be perpetuated for a few more years. If his rule continues for a few more years he will give all of our oil to America, Britain and other countries! At present he is recklessly giving away our oil without us knowing what the oil money is being spent on. Yes, we know that the regime buys arms from America, arms which are used only for creating American bases in the country. America wants to create military bases in Iran against the Soviet Union, so it takes our oil and builds bases for itself in the country with the money it pays for the oil! It takes our oil and uses the money it paid for itself! So this too is to its benefit! What need does Iran have for these sophisticated weapons which the Iranian army knows neither how to use nor what they are good for? Only their own experts know how to use them. He is a person who has disrupted our economy. On the one hand he is giving our oil away to others such that if he remains in power, in a few years’ time there will be neither oil nor other resources left for us. On the other hand, in the name of “land reforms,” He has destroyed the agriculture of Iran and has turned the country into a market for the consumption of American goods. So now everything we need we have to get

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from abroad, and if they ever stop the imports, Iran will be left with no food supplies. If he remains in power for a few more years, he will exhaust the oil reserves; he has already destroyed the agriculture so how will the future generation live? What will they have to live off? Nothing!

A BARREN AND DEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM So, this is the state of our country’s economy. Now, what of its education? The hands of foreigners will not allow our children to receive a proper education; they prevent them from being educated properly. Today, the call of all the teachers and students is that they want to be independent, they want to be in control of their own affairs, they are shouting: “You do not allow us to live our own lives.” They (the foreigners) have a mission to keep our education in a state of backwardness; they do not allow our educational system to train true human beings, they do not permit our youth to receive a proper, independent education for fear that they will become independent thinkers. They do not want a generation to be produced which will think independently and which will grasp the reins of power in their own hands. Our educational system must produce only parasitic individuals whose sole concern is with the policies of America, Britain and the Soviet Union, so that these countries can take advantage! So, we have no education now, he has destroyed both our education and our economy. What is there then left for us?

A DEPENDENT ENEMY When we look at the army we see it is an army which is under the control of American advisers. So do we have an army? An army which does not enjoy independence, an army which cannot do anything for itself, is not independent in its actions. Sixty thousand American spongers have come to Iran under the name of ‘military advisers’, I have no idea what they are actually doing there; but our army is under their control. So, we have no army either. What then do we have? What does Iran have? This Iran that he says has reached the gates of a ‘great civilization’! Is this his great civilization?!

CARTER’S SOPHISTRY Carter says that the cause of opposition to the Shah stems from the fast freedom that he has given the people! According to Carter’s logic, all this shouting by the people is because they have had their fill of freedom; he has given them so much freedom that they can’t digest it; it is giving them indigestion! That’s why they are shouting, so they say! Carter said this just a few days ago. It was reported in our newspapers that he had said the Shah had given the people a ‘fast freedom’ and that this was the source of the people’s opposition to him! This is why the people are shouting out so much for freedom!

KILLINGS ALL OVER IRAN Now, as we sit here, I do not know exactly what is happening in Iran. I know that incidents are taking place, but I have no information on where or on how many people have been killed in them. Any newspaper which comes from Iran now reports on some incident or other, and even though the press may not be able to give all the facts, we can get an idea of what is happening there from their reports. In Kabudar-ahang, a village in the vicinity of Hamadan, the newspapers reported five people killed in incidents there. Five people in one village! This fire which has been lit in Iran now is spreading and is engulfing all the villages of Iran, all the towns of Iran, and all the Iranian cities, both large and small. It bears glad tidings or us, for it shows

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that the disaffected have raised their voices. They are being killed and not without reason; they are being killed because they are shouting out that they do not want this man. If they do not shout “death to the Shah” they won’t be shot at. The agents are ordered to shoot at them whenever they utter the name of the Shah without saying “His Excellency Aryamehr”! All the people of Iran today, from the small children to the elderly gentlemen, are shouting just one thing and that is: “We do not want this man; he has to go.” Such a nation cannot be anything other than victorious.

THE POWERS’ INCAPACITY IN THE FACE OF THE NATION’S WILL POWER A nation cannot be trifled with. Do not be afraid of the support that Carter, the British Foreign Minister and the Kremlin have said they will give the Shah. This is all talk; do not let it scare you. When a nation, no matter how weak, says “no” it means “no”, and no one can make it into a “yes.” The military cannot do this and neither can the armies of America and the Soviet Union; it simply cannot be done. The Shah and his government keep talking about how they must sit down and find a solution to this impasse which they themselves have created, but the solution does not lie in the hands of a minister or a representative of the Parliament. It lies in the hands of the Shah! Nobody but he can quench this fire, he holds the key and that is for him to go, to leave the country and let the people be! When he goes, then there will be peace, and when those who supported him gather their forces and leave after him, the country will be calm. And why shouldn’t Iran be calm? The Iranian people are a peace-loving people, but when they are put under so much pressure, then they raise their voices, otherwise they are a peace-loving and noble people. It is because of their noble nature and their strength of character that they are shouting out now.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF IRANIANS ABROAD May God assist you all, all the people of our country. Every night, gentlemen, I repeat that we all have a duty to perform; you who are here have a duty to perform. We are indebted to the Iranian nation. There are those in Iran now who have sacrificed their children, mothers and fathers have seen their children killed; we are indebted to them. They have risen for the benefit of the whole nation; they are not doing this just for their own benefit; they have risen for the (whole) nation. We too are a part of the Iranian nation, so they have risen for us too. So now wherever you are, here, America, Britain, elsewhere in Europe, you should serve this country; and the service that you can do is to propagate the Iranian nation’s cause. You can all do this; each one of you has contact with a few individuals and can tell them about Iran’s problems.

DENIAL OF REACTIONISM IN RELATION TO THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION These people (in the West) have been misinformed about the circumstances surrounding events in Iran by the evil propaganda that has been disseminated. It has been said that they (the clergy) are reactionaries, that they want to put the clock back, they want to take the country back to how it was some one thousand and odd years ago. No, they do not want to do this. You (the Shah) are the one who wants to put the clock back; you are the one who changed our current calendar, adopting one of two thousand five hundred years ago: a Zoroastrian calendar! This is reactionary, not that which we say. We want our history, our own vital Islamic history. They say that the Iranian people are reactionaries. This is not so; they are not reactionary; they are progressive; they want freedom and independence. Is someone who wants freedom and independence a reactionary?! He who deprives the people of freedom and he who wants to go back to the time of the

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tyrannical kings is reactionary. The reactionary is he who takes away freedom, he who betrays a country and a nation, not the people who ask why he betrays them, why he deprives them of freedom. I hope that, God willing, you will all serve your country and tell the people in your universities about the situation in Iran, tell them how this man has oppressed us. If we suppose that every one of ten thousand Iranians (and there are more than that number here) tells ten people of the facts, then a large number of people will be informed about the situation in Iran and even if they are already informed you can enlighten them further. Thus, the problems from which this nation suffers will be made clear to them and they will realize that this nation wants to be free. God willing, a wave of support will be found over here for the Iranian people’s cause which will bear fruit soon. There is no doubt that it will eventually bear fruit, but let us pray that it will happen soon. May God keep you all. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

48th Speech Date: October 30, 1978/Aban 8, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 27, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The form of government established by the Holy Prophet (s), and the struggles of the Imams (as) and the Shia clergy against the tyrannical rulers of their day Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE ENEMIES’ PROPAGANDA AGAINST ISLAM We are now confronted by a propaganda campaign which was launched by the foreigners when they first made inroads into Iran and conducted research on the country with a view to taking away Iran’s resources. At that time they began to propagate that the people saw Islam and the Islamic clergy as something which was against this life, something against reason, something reactionary, something of no use to their everyday life, and so on. Via this extensive propaganda campaign, they accused the different religions of essentially being an opium to stupefy the people,178 of being a creation of the capitalists, and they accused the ulama of Islam of being the agents of these capitalists, who serve to stupefy the people so that they remain acquiescent, so that there is no chance of a revolution taking place at any time. This kind of propaganda was spread by those missionaries and others, who regarded Islam as something which stood in the way of their interests, and who saw the ulama of Islam as another such barrier.

178 The misconceived phrase: “Religion is the opium of the masses” is one of Lenin’s celebrated theories. During the third congress of the Communist Youth Association, Lenin said: “Marxism is materialism and as such it is the dour enemy of religion... religion is the opium and morphine of the masses and Marxism has always held all modern religions, churches and the entire religious establishment to constitute anachronistic means employed by the bourgeoisie to preserve exploitation and to poison the minds of the working classes.”

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THE QUR’AN AS THE SCRIPTURE OF ISLAM During my past few days here, I have spoken on different occasions about many of the issues involved in this regard to the gentlemen in the audience, an audience which of course changes from day to day as people come and go. An example of those things of which I have spoken and which need to be repeated, is the question which asks: if one were to study the scripture of Islam, that is the Qur’an, or were to learn its teachings, then would it be as if he had taken opium? Would this person then retire to his home and become torpid? Does the Qur’an invite people to retire to a monastery? Or is the Qur’an a stimulus for society? Does it not support the elimination of oppression and of those acts of cruelty which take place?

THE PROPHET OF ISLAM (S) AT WAR WITH THOSE HOLDING POWER Whoever is in any way familiar with the logic of the Qur’an, realizes that indeed it was the Qur’an which led the Prophet of Islam to constantly wage war against the capitalists, against those who were capitalists in the Hijaz, in Ta’if, in Mecca and so on, and who possessed power and were cruel. It was the Qur’an which urged the Holy Prophet to wage war against those who did not respect the people’s national sentiments and who acted as a barrier to the interests of the social masses, unfairly exploiting the latter. It was the Qur’an which urged the Holy Prophet to do this and to establish some form of justice. Those battles which were declared by the Prophet during his lifetime, once he had mustered up the troops needed to go to war that is, were always fought against the holders of power. They were fought against people like Abi Sufyan and others like him, people who possessed power and who wanted to appropriate the people’s assets, the assets of their own people, for themselves; and they were fought at a time when oppression, injustice and acts of cruelty were rife. And those battles which took place were fought between the oppressed in society, those in society’s lower social stratum, the poor, and those with power, those who wanted to take possession of what rightfully belonged to the indigent. That which the Qur’an has to say about war and about waging battle against these polytheists who were the holders of power at the time, is by no means exiguous; those verses contained in the Qur’an in this regard, are by no means few in number. There are numerous verses which relate to war and to struggle against these men of power. If anyone is able to find one verse throughout the entire Qur’an which tells the people to act moderately toward these powerful men, and to go home and sleep leaving the latter free to do as they please, then indeed he is entitled to say that this Qur’an and this religion have come to stupefy the people, that they are the opium of the people; opium in the sense that like a narcotic substance which is consumed and which subsequently induces man to feel drowsy, the Qur’an too has come to make people feel drowsy!

THE PLOT TO SEPARATE THE MUSLIMS FROM THE QUR’AN This has all been but propaganda directed against the Qur’an, and its aim has been to separate the Muslims from this holy book and to destroy the logic contained in it in full view of the Muslims so that those Easterners who are Muslim and who possess valuable resources no longer have the power to put up a fight. If there is no Qur’an and no religious ministers of the Qur’an, then these people and popular masses will not put up a fight. It is due to the very fact that we do have the Qur’an and its religious ministers that putting up resistance is indeed a possibility... This kind of research has concluded that that which constitutes an obstacle in the path of Western interests is the Qur’an and those people who have read its teachings. These people may at some time stand in the way of the West’s interests. Hence, these two barriers must be

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destroyed in order for the path to be cleared. They destroyed- to use their own words- the Qur’an, or they intended to do so that is, by using the argument which holds that essentially religion, not only the religion of Islam but religion in general, has always been a kind of opiate from time immemorial. And they used this argument not because they were unaware of the facts, for they were indeed aware; they were fully aware of the facts; but rather they did this because they were involved in a plan which was meant to deceive. It is we who were unaware of the fact that we were being deceived. They were involved in a deceitful plan, and their plan had a purpose, a political purpose from which they hoped to gain; but as for the Muslims, they were duped. We were the ones who were ignorant of the facts. Even now that Islam, the Qur’an, the clergy and so on have such firm foundations among the youth in our society, they are trying to shake and destroy these foundations. Someone who is working for the foreign powers, or if not, then someone who has been fooled by them, might still forward the same argument and insist that the Qur’an, and for example the clergy, are in fact opiates! Even though they are witnessing this movement, a movement which got under way fifteen years ago and which has now caused such upset- not only to the Shah, but to America, Britain and the Soviet Union. They are trying to discover how to find deliverance but cannot, since the bayonet can do nothing when faced with the will of the people- nevertheless, even now some ignoramus from among them may still be found to utter such foolish words.

FOREIGNERS’ LOGIC IS TO SEPARATE US FROM THE QUR’AN All of the former prophets, those of whose life histories we are aware that is, were from the lower social strata, they were from among the poor in society, and yet they rose up against the sultan of the day as did Prophet Moses, may God’s peace be upon him, for example, against Pharaoh. A simple shepherd with staff in hand rises up and invites the people to lead a virtuous life. He then goes to Pharaoh whom he wishes to guide aright in order for him to become a true human being. It wasn’t a case of Moses being appointed by Pharaoh to stupefy the masses! He himself (Moses) came from the masses. That is, God chose him from among the popular masses to confront the might of Pharaoh; and the same goes for the other prophets (as), those with whose lives we are familiar that is. The Most Noble Prophet (Muhammad) lived nearer to us in time than did the other prophets and we know more about his life than we do about the lives of the other prophets. Hence, we know about all of the battles in which he was involved, we know how many battles he fought and against whom he fought; and all of these battles were in fact fought against people who were oppressive and cruel. Therefore, the logic which argues that Islam or indeed other religions are opiates is an argument forwarded by those foreigners who want to appropriate your wealth; those who want to distance us from the Qur’an so that we would be devoid of support. If a support such as the power of the Qur’an were not behind us and we become ideologically divided, each person holding a different opinion, then their propaganda would be effective in misleading our youth and this would mean that they (those in power) would be free to get on with whatever it is they want to do.

THE WAR OF THE PROPHET, HAZRAT AMIR AND THE ULAMA AGAINST THE TAGHUTS When we take a look at those who propagated religion, like the Prophet himself, like Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), peace be upon him, like the caliphs who succeeded the Prophet- or rather those pseudo-caliphs who

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succeeded the Prophet while it was still a question of becoming caliph and not sultan179 - and later, like the ulama of Islam, we see on examining history that the wars engaged in, were always between these aforesaid people and the tyrants. The former were never seen to sit back in silence. However, when they fought they did so according to their strength and power which at that time was in fact very little. There were reasons for this of course, reasons which involved certain shortcomings on their part.

THE ULAMA’S RESISTANCE TO REZA KHAN Within my own lifetime, during the period that I myself have been witness to events, I have seen this same sector of society fight against Reza Shah. When the latter came and staged a coup, wreaking the havoc he did, and committing those acts of oppression and those injustices against all classes of society, no powerful force stood up to confront him except for that of the clergy. And thus, many uprisings ensued, all of which I can call to mind. Yes, there have been many uprisings, uprisings such as those initiated by the ulama in Isfahan, when the latter all assembled in Qum along with the ulama from other cities; or again, like the uprising which sprang from Khorasan when all of the ulama of that province who had risen up were arrested and taken to prison, ulama such as the late Aqa Sayyid Yunus180, the late Aqa Zadeh and others like them. During the uprising which arose in Azerbaijan, the distinguished ulama of that province, such as the late Mirza Sadiq Aqa, the late Angaji and others, were arrested and sent into exile. Yes, there have been many uprisings. Again, with the uprising initiated by the late Aqa Qummi when he went to Tehran only to be refused true support from the people, this too resulted in Aqa Qummi’s arrest and exile. (Ulama) such as these have risen up in revolt on many occasions and history shows that it wasn’t a case of them urging the people to remain calm and to say nothing in the face of oppression, to hold their tongues in the face of those tyrants. It has been propaganda which has brought us to the present stage where even now such false accusations are made. That is to say that those who have been misled still say these things even now, and are thus in fact aiding this regime of oppression.

COMMUNIST GAMES AND PROPAGANDA Those who whisper about these issues are either themselves allied to, and serve, the regime, or they have been deceived by the regime’s agents. The same applies to those who chant these so-called communist or Marxist slogans, for they are a group of youngsters who have been fooled by these very slogans. These youngsters have not made any enquiries as to what those who have called on them to support communism or to support Marxism are actually like. They haven’t looked into the lives of these people to see what kind of people they actually were. Stalin for example, whose life we all witnessed in the recent past and who was a contemporary of mine and of some of you, just what kind of a person was he? What kind of a person was he that made these youngsters want to follow him? 179 Mu’awiyah changed the caliphate into hereditary monarchy. 180 Sayyid Yunus Ardebili (1876- 1959) was one of the famous Shia maraji’. He left his place of birth (Ardebil) for Zanjan to study fiqh and usul under Akhund Mulla Qurban Ali Zanjani, and rational sciences [Ulum al-maqul] under Akhund Mulla Sabz Ali Hakim. In 1892, he traveled to Najaf where he attended the theological centre studying under notable instructors. He later moved to Karbala to study with Mirza Shirazi the second, eventually returning to Ardebil in 1916. In 1923, at the time of the struggle against Reza Khan, Sayyid Yunus went to Mashhad. Following events at the Goharshad mosque, he was arrested and sent to Ardebil. In 1938, he once again returned to Mashhad where he began teaching. He died there not long after his return. His body is buried in the Dar as-Sa’adat at the shrine of Imam Reza (as).

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STALIN WITH HIS SPECIAL COW! When World War II broke out soldiers from the Russian army came to Iran. They were to be found in that part of Iran which stretches from more or less the other side of Tehran to Khorasan and that area, and they had captured the areas which were formerly occupied by Britain as well as those which were formerly occupied by America, each of these countries having had a presence in Iran and each having claimed a part of the country for itself. And we all saw this for ourselves; I personally witnessed this. During that momentous period a certain event occurred which itself came to be equally famous. This event involved the Allies’ visit to Iran, that is, when the leaders of the Allied countries, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill, came to Iran. When Stalin came to Iran- Stalin, the person whom these gentlemen insist was a Communist, was in favor of the popular masses, behaved fairly with the people and so on, the person whom they used to call “qardash,” the person who was a comrade and so on- they even had to bring along a milk cow for him, so that this gentleman wouldn’t have to drink the milk of an Iranian cow! When this man, he who sat in the Kremlin and whose comrades comprised those members of the armed forces as well as the popular masses, when he came to Iran during the period of global warfare to hold negotiations, it was a well-known fact that he took a special kind of cow along with him for its milk, for, God forbid, that he should have no milk of his own and should therefore have to drink milk from an Iranian cow! This was the kind of aristocratic life he led.

BEGGARY OF THE SOVIET OCCUPYING FORCES DURING THE WORLD WAR II And on another occasion I personally remember coming across some Russian soldiers as we were traveling from Tehran to Mashhad by bus, and how these soldiers believed that we and Stalin were each other’s brothers and that we all had things in common! These soldiers used to come up to us and beg for cigarettes or some other thing! Once they had been given a cigarette, they became so pleased that they would whistle as they walked away! Yet when he (Stalin) came to Iran, he came by airplane traveling in such grand style and surrounded by such a great entourage and so on; a milch cow also being brought along so that this gentleman could drink its milk!

EXAMPLES OF THE METHODS OF COMMUNIST LEADERS Yes, indeed, they are leading the people on. Lenin, whose praises they sing so loudly, initially made a name for himself because of a love affair gone bad and opposing those who held a religious faith. He opposed the religious scholars of that time, the religious scholars in his own country. Some kind of love affair was involved which the latter had declared to be forbidden leading Lenin to become outraged. It is said that at that time Lenin had proposed the need to make a calculated assessment to ascertain both the income and expenditure of those in the country. He is said to have argued that we are of course to hold on to those individuals whose annual income and expenditure are found to balance or whose income is found to exceed their expenditure since they earn enough to meet their own living costs and we too stand to benefit in some way! But as for he whose expenditure is not less than his income, he who earns less than he spends, this person must be cast into the sea! This is the kind of person that this philanthropist was! He whose praises they now sing so loudly, is someone who argues that the poor who are unable to work, that person who has now reached old age, who has become infirm, who, because of some impairment, is unable to earn enough to cover his own living costs, is someone who is no longer of any use; he is to be tossed into the sea. And

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even then, note that he is to be tossed into the sea to preclude the need for a ground burial and so on! Yes, they are deceiving our youth, and their words are mere propaganda, words which bear no truth. This is what their form of government and their leaders are like. But we too have a form of government which we shall make known to all- that form of government which we now seek.

METHODS OF THE ISLAMIC RULERS The form of government which we seek is epitomized by that of the Holy Prophet who himself was someone who once governed. I now want to take a look at such leaders, to consider what former leaders (in Islam) were like, to consider the way in which they behaved. One of these leaders was Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), and another, ‘Umar.181 Let us ask ourselves whether today’s leaders are even like ‘Umar was. And then let us ask the same about Hazrat Amir. Whoever has written about how the Holy Prophet himself actually lived, has told of how he in fact led a life more simple than that led by the ordinary people in Medina at the time. The Prophet lived in a home built from mud; he lived in a mud-built room within the mosque. He used to ride a donkey and would seat a passenger behind himself. He would discuss religious issues with his passenger during their journey and would give him instruction and guidance. Now just name one governor, one chief of police, one village headman who is like this, who behaves toward the people as did the Prophet. It is related that when the latter used to go to the mosque- which is where governmental administrative affairs were conducted- and he used to sit and talk with the people there, anyone who did not know the Prophet and entered the building would not be able to distinguish who was the ruler and who were the ruled, who was the Prophet and who was not. He did not lead anything like an aristocratic life. Yet in spite of the simple life he led personally, at the same time he took care of the indigent and the weak so much that it defies description.

SOME ASPECTS OF ‘ALI’S (AS) LIFE And then there was Hazrat Amir, someone who was sultan- indeed it is impertinent of me to refer to him as ‘sultan’- someone who was the caliph of many countries, just one of these countries being Iran, another one being the Hijaz, another Jordan and another Egypt. Yes, this is how vast his dominion was at that time. Let us now take a look at his life to see whether it was he with such a great dominion who caringly looked after the people, or these other leaders that they (the communists) speak of. Just look back in history and make a comparison of the lives that they lived. According to written accounts182 Hazrat Amir owned a pelisse made from sheepskin on which he and his wife would sleep at night. During the day he would use this sheepskin on which to scatter grass for his camels to eat. This is the kind of life which was led by Hazrat Amir! He probably never once ate a wholesome piece of bread in his life. So, you can tell what kind of diet he had. According to written accounts, the Hazrat ’s diet was such that he would seal the lid of the container183 in which barley bread was kept in order to ensure that no one would open it up and add something to the bread inside- some kind of fat or whatever which his children, example Zaynab184, may 181 182 183 184

Umar ibn al-Khattab was the second caliph who succeeded Abu Bakr, the first caliph. Bihar al-Anwar vol. 40, p. 323. Manaqib, vol. 3, fi’l-Musabiqah bil-Zuhd wal-Qina’ah, p. 113. Zaynab: the daughter of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) and Fatimah az-Zahra (as) who played the crucial role of mouthpiece of the revolution of her brother Imam Husayn (as) and the tragedy in Karbala. For more information on her life account, see Badr Shahin (comp.), Lady

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want to add as a kindness to their father. Yes, the Hazrat would seal the lid so that the bread could not be tampered with. This was the kind of food eaten by Hazrat Amir, May God’s peace be upon him. On the eve of Hazrat Amir’s death, the night on which he was struck a blow, he is said to have been a guest in the home of Umm Kulthum (Hazrat Ali’s daughter)185, and on being brought salt and milk by his daughter with which to break his fast, to have asked the latter when she had ever before seen him eating two kinds of food on the same occasion. When the Hazrat then told his daughter to take one of the two foods away and the latter was about to remove the salt, the Hazrat is said to have implored her to take away the milk instead. He then took two morsels of bread and salt and ate them. This is the kind of government we are looking for from the rulers of our government; this is what Islamic government is like; this is what a true Islamic ruler is like; and what was said previously is what the communist and Marxist rulers are like.

THE ENEMIES’ PROPAGANDA IS FOR PLUNDERING US One must consider carefully to discover how one has been cheated. One must ask oneself: what was all this deception for? What was all that propaganda for? You must question the real reason for their wanting to turn you away from Islam and wanting to alienate you from Islamic government. The real reason for this is that one gentleman wants our country’s gas, and another our country’s oil. But the fact of the matter is that certain people already own this oil and gas and they may well begin to shout out in protest and cause an outcry. Islam says that no power has the right to impose its will upon the Muslims; yet these (powers) want to impose everything upon them. They want to bring someone by the name of Muhammad Reza, and to install him here to fulfill a mission, a “Mission for My Country”! They want to commission this person to give whatever is of worth in this country to them. But since there is a possibility of the akhund voicing protest against this, they silence him. They say that akhunds are parasites! That all the akhunds are parasites! Yet the life led in the madrasah chambers by this akhund who is now supposedly living a parasitic existence, consists of nothing but a few books, a short-napped and coarse carpet, and other such things. Those who say that these akhunds are parasites are in fact the ones who own this and that. They say that these akhunds are lazy! But is it the akhunds who are lazy- those who have never relaxed their efforts in the struggle over the past seventy years, those who see a job through to the end in order to protect their own nation and their own faith- or those people who generally just do not give a damn? The latter say that they (the akhunds) are lazy! The aim of all this propaganda is to discredit the akhund before the nation, to strip the nation of this potent force. It aims to wrest the power of Islam, a power which exceeds all others, and to tear away the power held by the promoters of Islam. Once these two powerful forces (i. e. Islam and the clergy) have been removed then Muhammad Reza will be free to do whatever he pleases, in his own good time, with no one there to question his actions.

MUDARRIS’ RESISTANCE TO REZA KHAN AND THE IMPERIALISTS By the same token, when Reza Shah came and committed all of those outrageous acts, again it was an akhund by the name of Mudarris, may God rest his soul, that stood before him in the Majlis and voiced

Zaynab (Qum: Ansariyan Publications, 2002); M. H. Bilgrami, Victory of Truth- Life of Zaynab bint Ali (as), available at: https://www.alislam.org/victory-truth-life-zaynab-bint-ali-muna-haeri-bilgrami/womanhood 185 Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 42, Hadith 37, p 226.

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protest. No one else did this other than Mudarris and a few of his supporters. Nowhere else in the entire country did any other opposition force stand up to confront Reza Shah. Mudarris was a man who wore a turban, he was a mullah, a virtuous man, and dressed in a particular kind of shirt, a particular kind of ‘aba and canvas trousers- trousers which were humorously called “canvas trousers” in the poetry which used to be recited as a tribute to him at that time- he stood up before Reza Shah and said “No!” When Russia issued an ultimatum to Iran- an ultimatum which concerned some affair or other the details of which have now escaped my memory- having mobilized its troops until they had reached a certain area in Iran, the ultimatum in question was then taken to the Majlis for the deliberation of the deputies there. Indeed, it was a case of the Russian army having entered Iran, of it intending to advance even further, and of an ultimatum having been issued by the Russians which threatened that if such and such an action wasn’t taken then Iran would pay the price! Hence, to quote accounts given by the Russians themselves, all of the Majlis deputies were seated in silence believing that they were unable to do anything about the situationindeed, what could they have done- when a sayyid, a man wearing a turban, a certain mullah, is said to have ascended the speaker’s rostrum, his hands trembling (from age and infirmity), and to have said: “It may be the will of God that our liberty and sovereignty shall be taken away from us by force, but let us not sign them away with our own hands! No, we reject these demands.” And so the ultimatum was rejected and the Russians didn’t do a damn thing about it. According to the Russians themselves, other deputies found courage186 and also cast a negative vote, thus refusing to succumb to Russian threats. As for the Russians, they did absolutely nothing about it. They merely want to scare us.

AMERICA AND BRITAIN’S SUPPORT OF THE SHAH And even though you are still under the impression that (it is not this way) nevertheless, it was only the other day that they sent yet another telegram to mark October 26 (the Shah’s birthday). Only a few days ago did these parasitical, oil-devouring state leaders send telegrams to congratulate the Shah on the occasion of his birthday, telegrams in which they expressed their firm support for him! And this especially applies to Carter who in expressing his support pulled out all the stops saying: “We are firmly behind you” and so on. While only a few days earlier, the British Foreign Minister had also accurately described the situation! he had said something to the effect that the Shah was the protector of their interests, that they had certain interests in our country, and so they had to give him (the Shah) their support!

INTERNATIONAL THREATS No, we will not allow you to give your support. The nation is no longer fooled by these words. Even now, despite the things they (the foreign powers) say, do not be under the impression that if the people were to stand up in revolt, if they were to make firm their ranks and dismiss all of the threats made against them, then they (the foreigners) would bring in their troops from abroad. This is not the case; it is all talk, all lame verse. Indeed, today’s world would not allow anyone to take such action against a nation which is making sense, a nation which is speaking the truth, which is saying: “We do not want you to take away our assets, we do not want you to take away our resources, we want to enjoy national independence, we want to be free. You yourselves have spoken of this in the Declaration of Human Rights; hence, we want to act in 186 Because of Mudarris’ statements.

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accordance with this Declaration. We want to be free; we want national independence; we want freedom.” Our children are also shouting this message; our old men too, they are saying the same thing. You cannot fight such a nation with the bayonet. A martial law government can no longer stand in the way of this nation, nor can a non-military government. It is just not possible. Neither can Carter stand in its way, nor can those in the Kremlin. It simply cannot be done. They go on saying these things because by saying them they hope to frighten the living daylights out of you, but the fact remains that they never follow their words up by coming and creating an onslaught. Each of these foreign powers has certain interests, certain international interests and so on which means that country dare not make a move for fear of the other and vice versa.187 These countries are each afraid of the other. But this being the case, they nevertheless now say these things so as to frighten us. At that time an akhund188 stood up and said “no,” but the people were not behind him; they were not yet ready. Propaganda189 against the clergy has been such that at one time no one would even give an akhund a lift in their car, I swear it. The late Haj Shaykh Abbas Tehrani190, may God rest his soul, once said that while in Arak191 he had wanted to take a taxicab and that the taxi driver had said: “There are two kinds of people that we do not allow on board: one is the akhund, and the other, the prostitute.” This is how things were for the akhund at one time, that is to say, this is what the situation brought about by the regime was like. They (the regime) alienated the people from the akhunds, and Reza Khan went ahead and did as he pleased. As for the gentlemen (clergymen) in question, they rose up in revolt, some of them that is. They weren’t able to succeed however because the people had been duped and did not therefore give them their support and the akhunds had no army of their own with which to fight. Likewise, today there is a constant bombardment of propaganda; propaganda is unrelentingly churned out. “So-and-so lives in a country mansion” they say! “That is where he lives and the young people go to visit him there” they say! (Imam laughs). This is our country mansion in which we do not even have a room for the gentlemen to sit in. Instead they have to remain standing like this! (Imam laughs). It is nothing but propaganda. And this is how they hope to alienate the people from religion. But today Iran no longer heeds their words; the words they speak are now redundant. The people have seen the light; they are now aware of these tricks. They no longer listen to what they say. This person (the Shah) must go; there are no two ways about it. If you would like Iran to be put right then know that this is not possible while Muhammad Reza and this evil Pahlavi dynasty remain. He must leave in order for Iran to be put right. And following this, if the country is to be straightened out, the hands of America, Britain and Russia, these three superpowers, must be severed from Iran and Iran must enjoy national independence. God willing, this is in effect what we hope to achieve.

187 188 189 190

America and the Soviet Union. Sayyid Hasan Mudarris. By Reza Khan. The late Haj Shaykh Abbas Tehrani was among those clergymen who have a leaning toward hermeneutics and gnosticism; and in the year prior to the events of 1961- 63 AD (1340- 42 SH) he had associated with Imam Khomeini. On several occasions the latter made fond mention of Haj Shaykh Abbas Tehrani in his literary works. Imam Khomeini’s students remember Shaykh Abbas Tehrani for having initiated the weekly meetings in Hujjatiyyah Madrasah in Qum at which the Nudbah prayer used to be read, a prayer which indeed is still read but now in memory of this great man.

191 Arak is the capital of Markazi Province, I.R. Iran.

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WE ALL HAVE A DUTY Now let us ask: What is the duty of those of you who are sitting here? I am tired and can no longer continue. What is the duty of us all? Our brothers in Iran are presently fulfilling their duty. What I mean to say is that even now as we sit here, have no doubt that some kind of disturbance or other is taking place in Qum or elsewhere. Wherever one goes in Iran, be it Tehran, Zanjan or elsewhere, something or other is happening; some movement or other is under way; screams are being heard; beatings are taking place; murder and plunder are being committed. Those in Iran are now caught up in these affairs, whereas here, you and I are unfortunately not confronted by the same events. Each one of you however is able to propagate the cause, here, abroad. Whoever has some connection with the schools and universities go and talk to ten of the foreigners there. Tell them: the situation in Iran is like this; this is what they (the regime) are doing there; this is how these state leaders are oppressing us; this is the way in which the Shah is committing acts of tyranny; this is how they are killing the people; the people’s rights are these; this is what they are demanding; the people are not barbaric or uncivilized. This man (the Shah) is saying: “The people in our country do not yet deserve the freedom we have given to them!” He says that they do not deserve freedom! While Carter says so much freedom has been given to the people that the latter have begun to shout out in objection! All of this killing and plunder then is due to an excess of freedom according to Carter’s logic, a logic which he expresses so unequivocally. Really, this kind of mentality is beyond me! I do not understand the kind of person he is! One of the newspapers- either Ittila’at or Kayhan- quoted him as having said that the Shah has granted a fast freedom to the people and that this is what has caused all of these conflicts! This “fast freedom “Has caused the people to cry out: “O freedom! O freedom!” And in so doing, they supposedly mean to say: “We do not want freedom! We do not want freedom!” Or so Carter maintains! This is the light in which they are interpreting things. This scoundrel (the Shah) - even the other scoundrel (Carter) is better than this one- says that these people of ours do not deserve freedom, that freedom ought not be granted to them! He says that they should not be given freedom since if they become free they won’t want him! This is what he’s saying [laughter of the audience], he’s saying that as soon as the people were told “you are free”, they began to say “death to the Shah.” As for the other scoundrel (Carter), he says that they (the regime) gave the people so much freedom that they are shouting out in protest! So, one says one thing while the other says quite the opposite. This is what we have to contend with. We who are seated here and who are in contact with each other, and those of you who are in touch with those European or American friends of yours, are to speak out about these things. You are to tell people about the pain and suffering of Iran and its people. Tell them about how they are killing these small children, about how they are killing these seven- or eight-year-old children. [A member of the audience: Are we to solve this matter or is it the job of others?] Imam: Please pay attention. No, we shall solve the matter ourselves, we just need some help. We want to mend the image portrayed of us abroad which presents us as barbarian people. Something was written quoting a journalist- who was European, maybe British- as saying that: “I was just leaving the Eid al-Fitr192 gathering toward which people were advancing in a most orderly fashion and where slogans were being

192 Eid al-Fitr: the Islamic feast marking the end of the fasting month of Ramazan.

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chanted, a gathering which was nonetheless peaceful, no skirmishes taking place at all, when an American, on seeing that I was foreign, stopped his car. I got in the car and he said: “Just look at those barbarians.” To which I retorted: “You say they are barbarians? Where in the world do you know of that a crowd of half a million, that one million people have set out and walked with such poise and order? These people are merely demanding their legitimate rights; does that make them barbarians?” Yes, those abroad have portrayed the people in Iran as barbarians; and a barbarian is not to be set free; a barbarian belongs in a zoo, and his cage door is to be securely locked!

ALL OF IRAN IS SAYING ONE THING This is the picture they are painting of you and in order to erase this image from the minds of the foreigners you must tell them our side of the story. You must tell them how the Iranian people see things; tell them that this is how we see it, so that the minds of the foreigners may be cleared of this image. Once this image has been erased then a wave of support will appear here also and these foreign governments may, to a certain extent, take note of the public opinion in their countries. This is why we must take this step (to tell those abroad the truth of the situation), and not because we want these foreigners to come and solve our problems for us. We must solve our own problems. But you must nevertheless erase this image that they are creating of the Iranian people- an image which shows them to be barbarian and incapable of handling freedom, or which presents them as a nation which is crying out in protest at being given too much freedomand you must explain the situation with which the Iranian people are faced, explain why they are crying out in protest and exactly what it is that they are seeking. The nation’s eight-year-olds are crying out: “Freedom, independence, Islamic government.” Its old men are also now demanding this as are its mullahs, its preachers, its intellectuals, those in the bazaar, those in the high schools- they all want to be free. They were in a wretched state; for fifty years they were repressed; they now want to be independent. For many years, for more than fifty years, they were in fetters; they now want to break free from these fetters. We must propagate the Iranian cause here abroad. That is, we must tell the people of this country193, we must tell whichever of them we associate with about the problems facing Iran. We must tell them these things in order to destroy the image they have of the Iranian people which depicts them as a bunch of savages setting fire to the bank! And if at some time arson is committed we must explain that this has probably been the work of the regime’s agents. We must erase this image which tells people: these are nothing but a bunch of savages! If they set these people free there’s no telling what they’ll do! Thus, we must tell them: no, this is not the case. These poor souls are crying out for freedom; and they are sacrificing the lives of their children so as to prevent the possibility of a return to the fetters and yokes laid upon them by the foreigners. May God protect you all. May you be successful and may you cause Islam to grow stronger. We pray that this nation which is now in such difficulties will achieve victory, and God willing, so it shall.

49th Speech Date: October 31, 1978/Aban 9, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 28, 1398 AH 193 France.

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Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The need for preserving unity and refraining from disunity Addressees: A group of Iranians students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

UNITY IS THE ONLY WAY TO VICTORY Different doctrinal beliefs and ideological leanings can be found to exist between these groups that are now around. I myself more or less sensed that there were differences when I came here (to Paris). A group of people who share the same aim and who want to see this aim through to the end, people who want to prepare the ground for this aim to be realized, who want to win the day, can be likened- both the individuals within this group and the group as a whole- to drops of water, to streams, floods and seas. If you take a look at individual raindrops you will see that each one, when in isolation from other raindrops, is not even capable of wetting a leaf; one raindrop is even insufficient to make a leaf wet. Even if you were to consider millions of such drops, drops which existed in isolation from each other, which were not linked together in any way, they still would not be able to achieve anything worthwhile. While each raindrop remains isolated from the rest it can achieve nothing. Now it may well be that a number of raindrops join together while others remain unconnected. For example, imagine that raindrops have fallen somewhere and that a certain number of these drops have joined together whereas the other drops have either not come together or they have indeed joined together but remain unconnected to the former group of inter-connected drops. Here, one group of drops forms one stream or canal while the other group forms another. Of course, if these drops did not join together in the first place then they would remain as the individual drops they initially were. But having come together, this stream which will have been formed will be capable of achieving something yes, but it will not be anything of great significance. This link which will have been established between these drops of rain and which will have given rise to the formation of a stream, could possibly serve to irrigate a piece of land for example which could then be cultivated, but even so, there will be a limit to what this formation of raindrops can achieve. And the same goes for the other stream which will have been formed. As for any drops which may have remained separate from the rest, they will be able to achieve nothing at all. Were these streams to join each other however, and give rise to a flood of water or a river, then the power at their command would increase. Initially, before forming a flood of water they would have been individual raindrops whose capability was that possessed by a raindrop, and hence they would have been neither able to wet a leaf nor make it stir. On joining together however, and thus giving rise to the formation of a stream, these drops would become a powerful force by virtue of this very interconnection. That is to say that minor forces would have come together, those without power would have come together and as a result a unitary force would have come into being, a force which would be commensurable to the number of drops it comprises, or even on occasion a force which would exceed the sum of its contents. But even so this would be a limited force, a force which is sufficient to irrigate a piece of land, or, were it to find momentum, a force which is sufficient to create a flowing stream, to set a piece of straw in motion. However, were these streams, these canals formed from individual raindrops, to combine and thus form a flood of water, they would increase in power whereby this newly-formed flood would become a raging flood, a flood which may well uproot certain trees, a flood which because of its raging nature may destroy certain structures.

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Moreover, were all these floods of water, these rivers to combine thus forming a sea of water, then the powerful force which would come about as a result would be so great that merely one wave of this sea would be enough to wreck ships. Indeed, the same principle applies to this society of ours. If each person were to be regarded in isolation, then even if there were one hundred million individual persons, even if there were a society one hundred million strong in which each person was an isolated individual, no one having anything to do with anyone else, this society would be able to achieve nothing. Each person’s capability would be confined to the individual level and because there would be no link between these people they would be unable to achieve anything. They are like those drops of water which could not cause a leaf to stir. One individual person possesses a certain power, a certain capability, but his power is far, far too limited to achieve anything of crucial importance; he cannot achieve anything. Even if we were to suppose that a certain group of people somewhere came to share the same ideas as this one individual person, and that they joined him in trying to achieve the same aim, when the rest of the people in society either do not share the same ideas as them or worse still hold ideas which are quite the opposite, when the rest of the people are not of the same opinion as this group, then there is only so much that the latter can accomplish for it has a limited capability. Yes, indeed, it can accomplish minor achievements due to this newly-found strength it has acquired from the bond which has developed between its members, and especially if there is nothing there to act as a hindrance, then yes, it is able to achieve something. But should another group of people disagree with the course of action adopted by this group, should they want to adopt another line of action, they would then present an obstacle and this newly-developed obstruction would mean that any action taken by the former group would be undermined. That is, neither would the former group reach its goal nor would the latter group. If the latter group of people should want to succeed in achieving its objective then it is not to get in the way of things. Should you want to go from here to somewhere outside the city for example, you will only be able to do so if there is nothing obstructing your path; but if you are faced with some obstacle or other, by some kind of flood, if some kind of mountain is there to cause you a problem, then you will not be able to leave the city.

DISUNITY IS A FACTOR IN UNDERMINING THE RESISTANCE Let’s now imagine that this group which we have conjured up has been formed from a limited number of people and that these people have co-operated with each other to reach a certain goal and they want to take certain action to this end, if another group of people were not confronting them and causing them problems then they would be able to take some kind of action and even achieve some minor success as a result. But if another group of people were to appear, and were to stand in the way of the first group, neither group would get anywhere. Just imagine a group of people a hundred, two hundred strong, two hundred people who have united to form a group, but two hundred people who all hold different views and follow different lines of action, people who are a hindrance to one another- the case not only being that they have nothing to do with each other but that they hinder each other too- then the potential strength of this two-hundredstrong group of people would be undermined by these ever-arising obstructions. That is to say, this group would become a lame duck; no one would achieve his goal; everyone would fail to realize his objectives. When can the objectives of a group of people be realized? It is when the people in that group are united, when the Muslim people say, people who number something like eight hundred million or maybe by now

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one billion194, become united. The reason why these one billion people can be seen to lie under the domination of others- there not now being any part of this one-billion-strong community, this community whose members are all Muslims, which is not under the influence of the superpowers- the reason one billion people lie captive to a superpower of say two hundred or one hundred and fifty million people is that this one hundred and fifty million people have united to achieve one goal, whereas the one billion Muslim people are not only disunited, they even oppose one another. When you take a look at Iran, when you consider Iran and her neighboring countries, you see that these countries are not in fact her neighbors. This is what has become of the Islamic countries. But this state of affairs has not arisen out of the blue. It is not a case of these Islamic countries- countries which disagree among themselves, which stubbornly disagree with one another and on occasion go to war with each otherjust happened to have turned out this way. Indeed no, it is the intrigues weaved by the superpowers which cause these countries to jump at each other’s throats and to be disunited so that this one-billion-strong force will not become an obstacle and gain universal predominance. But what must these superpowers do to achieve this? They must separate these countries from one another; these countries, countries which are like different rivers but rivers which do not converge, must be separated from one another: this country must follow one policy; that country must follow another policy; the other country must follow yet another policy, and so on. Each country is to have a policy of its own and is to be in conflict with the other countries; there is to be quarrelling and fighting. And this state of affairs has arisen because of the acts of betrayal committed by the leaders of these countries, of these Islamic countries, or because of their blindness and ignorance whereby they have failed to reach any mutual understanding or to combine like the waves of the sea in order to smash whatever confronts them.

194 The estimated Muslim population at the time of this speech was 800 million people. The exact number of Muslims in the world has never been ascertained, while any statistics issued in this regard are far from accurate, an official census on the Muslim population in certain countries not having yet been conducted. Furthermore, in certain other countries the people are not in a position to reveal their religious faith, while in some places census-takers try to make the number of Muslims there appear smaller than it actually is for political or religious reasons. In Europe and America, only the details of one’s sex, age and occupation are usually sought in censuses taken, a person’s religion not being accounted for at all. Therefore, one cannot say with certainty exactly how many Muslims there are in countries such as these. Again, in countries such as America and India, Muslim converts are unaccounted for in statistics gathered. Nevertheless, an approximate estimate of the world’s Muslim population is held to be about one billion people, this being a figure which has undoubtedly risen dramatically during the past decade.

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MUSLIM UNITY IS THE WAY TO SAVE PALESTINE Indeed, you can see for yourselves how in Palestine195 a certain number of Zionists196, a limited number of Jews have behaved in such a way with so many Arab countries, countries whose population exceeds 100 million, that some of the latter have surrendered to them while others, although wanting to take action, can’t actually do anything about the situation. How many years is it now since Israel went and usurped this land which belongs to the Palestinians, yet throughout all this time this vast Arab population and all of these Arab countries haven’t been able to rid themselves of this problem in Palestine. They say that America is supporting her (Israel) and they can therefore do nothing. But this is not so, it is you (the Arabs) who are feckless! Yes, they are feckless. It is not a case of America preventing them from taking action. If this onehundred-million- Arab population were to join forces, then even America wouldn’t be able to stand in their way and neither would the European countries. No country would be able to stand in their way. But the fact is that they are not united. Yes, indeed, what the foreign powers do is to ensure that these Arab nations are prevented from joining forces. If at any time they suspect that these Arab governments plan to unite, what they do is to act so as to foil these plans. Hence, for example, they take the Egyptian President to America where they sign a treaty with him or whatever.197 They thus lead him along a path which is not open to others, while they lead another Arab leader along a different path which, again, is not open to anyone else. It is because of our lack of understanding and our inability as Muslims to do something that we are all under foreign domination and that America, Russia and other countries like them are taking away whatever is of worth in the East. It is because even in those places where they have combined together, these drops of water have not in fact united. You can see for yourselves that this is the case; but now let us turn to that which we intended to look at which is the case of Iran. When Iran is now claimed to have a population of thirty-odd million people, and these thirty-five million people198, thirty-five million individual lives, then they are only able to act on an

195 Palestine is a small and extremely important territory which, like a bridge, acts as the connection between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, and which (from a geographical point of view) is lodged at the heart of the Arab world. It is a territory 20, 700 square kilometers in area and is situated in south-west Asia. In the past, it was known as Canaan but its name was then changed to Palestine. Before the advent of Islam, Palestine was attacked on numerous occasions by various clans, however, after the advent of Islam it became a part of the Islamic realm. Following the decline of the Ottoman Empire, Palestine was occupied by Britain and in 1920 was mandated to Britain by the League of Nations. In the same year, due to pressure from Britain and America, the League of Nations officially recognized Palestine as the chosen home of the Jews. The settlement of Jews there had in fact begun some time before this but henceforth it increased considerably. In 1948 [1326 SH], the United Nations declared a resolution that Palestine was to be partitioned into two independent states: a Palestinian state and a Jewish state. A year later, the British withdrew their troops from this territory and armed Zionist Jews then attacked the Palestinian state killing many Palestinians there and rendering some homeless. The freeing of Palestine, the first qiblah of the Muslims, is something which all Muslims seek to achieve. 196 In 1920, twenty-six years before the Jewish state was established, Palestine had a population of 747,000 people of which 663,000 were Arabs (590,000 Muslim Arabs and 73,000 Christian Arabs) and 84,000 were Jews. In 1948, the year in which the United Nations Organization decided to divide Palestine between the Jews and the Palestinians as part of a British and American plot, the Jewish population in this territory reached approximately 700,000 (following the arrival of Jewish immigrants) - this figure including all Jewish residents in Palestine, both women and children, young men and old, some of whom were Zionist Jews. 197 Anwar Sadat, the former President of Egypt, made two visits to America: the first was in April 1977 [Farvardin 1356 SH], to hold talks with Carter; and the second was in September 1978 [Shahrivar 1357 SH], when he met with Begin, the then Israeli Prime Minister, at Camp David and when the treaty known as the Camp David Accord was signed by both men. 198 The quoted figure of 35 million refers to Iran’s population prior to the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The 1986 [1365 SH] census put Iran’s population at 49, 445,010 people.

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individual basis and can only achieve that which can be achieved by a single person. They cannot act as a social group because there is no unifying link between them. Now supposing that these people join together and form some kind of social group, others may then cause disagreements over the very idea of them having formed such a group and may try to prevent their continued existence. Different camps would then be set up. Do not be mistaken in thinking that these parties that you now see in Iran- remember we are now discussing the case in Iran- that these parties which more than likely initially appeared on the scene subsequent to the Constitutional Revolution199, came together as different groups and then formed various parties just by chance, for indeed this has come about as the result of a devilish conspiracy. In order to prevent the people of Iran from uniting, the powerful nations have set up one party calling it such-and-such, and another party, calling it something else. This party is hostile to that and that party is hostile to this. They have implanted different parties into the womb of this society; they have caused different parties to be formed. Moreover, it is not a situation where these various parties and fronts get on with their own business and have nothing to do with the other parties and fronts. No indeed, they in fact oppose each other; they are against one another. One of the ways in which the West can use us, and in which America and Russia can benefit from our resources and wealth, is precisely by doing this; by sowing discord via various means into the very heart of a society, a society which ought to be able to stand on its own two feet and achieve some kind of progress. They engineer disputes between different camps: the conflict between the Turks and the Persians; the conflict between the Kurds and the non-Kurds; the conflict say between the Baluchis and whoever, are all examples of disputes engineered by them. They are the architects of such disputes. In a country where everyone should be united, they lead each person toward a different path. That is to say, these plots of theirs take the people in different directions. And it is by means of these very differences, differences which lie at the heart of the society itself, that they prevent this society from developing. The superpowers take full advantage of the situation, and the people busy themselves with internal conflicts. The former come and take the people’s oil away and take the people’s gas away, plundering whatever they have, and no one says a thing about it because there is no consensus in the society; people hold divergent and diverse views. Therefore, this range of differences are differences which they implant into the heart of our society, differences which have not appeared by mere chance but which are in fact part of a deliberate scheme to sow discord. Another issue concerns their planning some divisive scheme before the arrival of the holy months of Ramazan and Muharram, the two months when the Muslims come together- Ramazan being a month of social activity, a time when the people become preoccupied with the social gatherings which are held in the mosques; and Muharram also being a month of social activity in Iran, a month in which even those in our own government co-operate with the people, yes, even the members of our own government. When these two annual occasions next come around test the validity of my words for yourselves and see whether they (the regime) do in fact come up with some divisive scheme or not before these periods.

199 It refers to parties such as the Tudeh Party, the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the Party of Justice, etc. These parties had turned Iran into an arena in which to promote their own policies. For information on those parties which were active prior to the Revolution, refer to Documents Discovered from the US Espionage Den, Nos. 20- 22, under the heading “Political Parties in Iran”, published by the Muslim Students Following the Line of Imam.

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We actually saw over the past two or three years- and the repercussions of this incident are still in evidencewhat a great commotion they caused over the book Shaheed-e Javid!200 There was discord between all groups: between the orators, the preachers, the merchants and so on. A tug of war ensued. People wasted the entire months of Ramazan and Muharram as well as days which lay outside these periods (debating this issue); their energies were dissipated and “His Imperial Majesty” Was free to appropriate the nation’s wealth at his leisure, while at the same time strengthening his rule over the people! The gentlemen of the clergy all know by heart what is written in the book Shaheed-e Javid and where it is written; they know what the book is and is not trying to say! They argued and differed over these issues, everyone’s efforts and harangues, speeches that should have been addressed with a view to destroying this dam which serves to obstruct Islam, to check the spread of Islam and to check the country’s development, this dam which is personified in the figure of Muhammad Reza, were instead used to dispute issues concerning the book Shaheed-e Javid! For several years these gentlemen wasted their energies. And even to this day the traces remaining from this affair can still be seen. Following this yet another matter was sparked off. The late Shamsabadi201, may he rest in peace, was killed thus giving rise to yet another song and dance. Again for another year the people were kept in suspense as to who did and who did not kill Mr. Shamsabadi. People even argued over an issue as obscure as this.202 But this didn’t come about by chance. Do not imagine that it just so happened that someone was killed and someone else did whatever, for this is not the case. These matters all form part of a deliberate plan, a plan which has been carefully thought out. Whenever you are about to come together as a social group and those in authority fear the outcome of such a social gathering, the latter come up with something of the nature already discussed; and once this particular affair has become somewhat outworn, they again come up with something else.

200 Shaheed-e Javid [The Eternal Martyr] is a book written by Nimatulluh Illihi Nafajabadi about Imam Husayn’s uprising. In this book, the author has argued that initially Imam Husayn had risen up in revolt in order to establish a government and to make reforms in society, but that later, because of the situation in Kufah the Imam had decided against continuing with the uprising and had intended to return to Mecca. However, the author continues to argue that since Yazid’s troops had prevented Imam from returning to Mecca the latter was forced to engage in battle with them and that it was at this point in time that he prepared himself for martyrdom. In the author’s opinion, at the outset of his journey Imam Husayn (as) was optimistic about establishing a government and believed that he would be supported by the people in Kufah. Shia ulama who have conducted research in this regard however, hold that the Imam knew of the horrendous events which were to happen, prior to his having set out for Kufah, but that he nonetheless went to Karbala in order to fulfill his duty to God and to honor the pledge he had made to Him. For a long period it was issues relating to this book that were the subject of argument and discussion in religious circles rather than matters relating to the struggle against the regime in Iran. Meanwhile, in the thick of the revolution, the said author decided to publish another book which discussed the Tradition of the Cloak [Hadithe Kisa’]. However, Ayatullah Sayyid Hasan Tahiri, a lecturer at the theological center in Qum, was appointed from among Imam Khomeini’s close associates to pass on information to the latter concerning this book so as to prevent another contentious affair from arising during the height of the struggle. Having passed on information to Imam via Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, Ayatullah Tahiri then conveyed a message to the said author from Imam which said that he was to refrain from publishing this book and as a result publication was postponed until a later time. 201 Abul-Hasan Shamsabadi is one of the clergymen of Isfahan. 202 SAVAK had received instructions from the Shah to spread false reports about Imam in order to make the people wary of him. In 1976 [1355 SH], when Ayatullah Shamsabadi was killed by a group led by Sayyid Mahdi Hashimi, SAVAK blamed this death on someone who they claimed was a terrorist and a follower of Ayatullah Khomeini (see the Ittila’at newspaper of May 15, 1976/Urdibehesht 25, 1355 SH). Similarly, in the Kayhan newspaper of May 15, 1976, it was announced that Ayatullah Shamsabadi’s murder had been committed by someone who approved of the book Shaheed-e Javid and who was a supporter of Khomeini. Following this, some of those who had been deluded by the regime’s propaganda created a public outcry.

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Ali Shariati203, just look how much of our energies and the energy of Islam they managed to exhaust over the controversy surrounding this man’s works. Look how they succeeded in directing everyone’s attention toward each other, and how they succeeded in sapping everyone’s energies, all with a view to sowing discord among the preachers and orators. All hell was let loose; and disputes were held concerning the role of the preacher and the role of those in the universities and colleges. These differences of opinion still persist today and it is these very differences which have allowed your real enemies to sleep soundly and to praise the Lord that the people have lashed out at each other and are fighting among themselves! The need for the young generation to wake up The younger generation must wake up. It must awaken to these devilish conspiracies that they devise. In Europe right now, there are several thousands of you. If these several thousands of people were to fight for the same goal, that is, if those of you who are in France, others of you who are in Germany, and others who are in America, were to set out with one aim in mind, if you were to operate efficiently, if you were well organized, then should you wish to devise a plan of action you would be capable of achieving great things. Regretfully however, this is not the way things now are. Differences still exist. So-and-so has formed one group, and so-and-so has formed another, and these groups are in conflict with each other. X comes and accuses Y of something or other and Y comes and accuses X of something or other. This is the way things are in Iran. But now that Iran has pulled itself together somewhat, and now that conflict over this ultimate aim is either slight or nonexistent among the popular masses in Iran- those among whom discord is to be expected either being in the minority or having now put their own house in order- it is not the time for us to sit down and argue among ourselves over these trivial matters. For you to do this would be like sitting down together and discussing what suchand-such a story is about; it would be like sitting down somewhere and relating stories to each other while an earthquake is taking place in some city or other which is about to destroy homes and kill everyone. Now that the Muslims in Iran have all joined forces and are standing up to the various powers that be, now that they are standing up to the Shah and those powers which support him, it would be tantamount to treason against Islam for us to sow discord among ourselves and for us to differ with each other. It would be a betrayal of the nation were this momentum, which has appeared in Iran, to come to naught because of these differences among us. Should this momentum which has appeared in Iran come to naught- a momentum which is unprecedented in history and not only in Iranian history, for you won’t find any other time when a child so small has cried out for the same thing as an old man, when everyone was so united in their demands- God forbid, but should this uprising, this historically unprecedented movement which has now appeared in Iran stagnate, having achieved nothing, then you will remain under foreign domination for evermore. You will remain servile to foreigners for evermore; they will put an end to you and your progeny once and for all.

203 Dr. Ali Shariati was someone who was very active in Husayniyyah Irshad (an institution of religious learning in Tehran) from 1971- 1976 (1350- 1355 SH), and whose speeches and books were widely published. Certain ulama and clergymen objected to the views and beliefs held by this man. The younger members of the society who thought highly of this person could not tolerate opposition to his views, hence much controversy and debate arose with regard to Shariati’s opinions, and certain people in supporting the latter, either knowingly or unknowingly became engaged in a campaign against the clergy. Moreover, a number of clergymen, again either knowingly or unknowingly, aggravated the situation in various ways during their sermons. Meanwhile, SAVAK benefited to the full from this embroilment.

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THE OBLITERATION OF THE SHAH AND HIS MASTERS DEPENDS ON UNITY OF THE SOCIETY They have now realized that these people command a certain power. The people in Iran hold some kind of power. It is a kind of power which cannot be destroyed by the military; martial law cannot stop that which has already been started. A certain powerful force now exists in Iran which has truly frightened the superpowers and has baffled them as to what they should do next, what devilry they should get up to next to curb this force. Right now, they are busy researching, investigating and planning ways to harness this power, ways to quash this uprising which has now appeared, an uprising which is driving forward like a raging flood and which is foiling their plans. They are considering which plan they should put into action to quash this uprising, to arrest this movement. God forbid, but should this movement fails to accomplish its aims and should it die away, then Iran, Islam and the Muslims will live under European and American rule forever. If this is the case, although in truth there is no ‘if’ about it, but if indeed we do believe this to be the case or suspect that it may well be so, then religious law and reason dictate that we must all be united in our demands. A situation where there are differences between us and where each person follows a different path is unacceptable.

WE ARE ALL TO CRY OUT IN UNISON. WE ARE ALL TO SAY: NO! No to Muhammad Reza Shah! No to the Pahlavi dynasty! No to London! No to America! No to Russia! We are to say yes to Islam, to the Muslims, to ourselves. Should you manage to accomplish this, should you now succeed in maintaining this unity and in making further headway, then you will have found deliverance. But should you fail to find deliverance now, then, God knows, you will remain in a state of wretchedness forever. O Lord! I told them- I told the gentlemen (of the clergy) all I know; I told the people of Iran all I know. Thus, I am not to blame. The matter in hand is not one to be taken lightly. It concerns a nation which throughout history has suffered under the rule of kings. Throughout a two-thousand-five-hundred history it has been under the rule of kings, kings who have brought it nothing but suffering and misery. Even those supposedly just rulers were also evil; even that Anushirvan the Just’ was an evil ruler in Iran; even that Shah Abbas who is now said to “dwell in Paradise” was a perverse ruler like the rest204 – he was someone who blinded his own son.

204 Shah Abbas (1571-1629 AD), known as “the one who dwells in Paradise”, was one of the despotic kings whose cruelty and hardheartedness has been chronicled in part of volume two of the book, Zendegani-ye Shah Abbas-e Awwal authored by Nasrullah Falsafi. Page 123 of this book reads: “Shah Abbas employed special executioners to kill, torture or punish criminals and offenders. These selected executioners, all of whom were selected from among men who were thickset, tall and of an unpleasant character, numbered up to five hundred men... Practices ordinarily carried out by these heavily-built men included decapitation, the gouging of eyes, kicking a person to death, and the severance of ears, noses and tongues... Shah Abbas commissioned Shaykh Ahmad Aqa-ye Mirghazab to go to Gilan in order to capture offenders there with the help of a number of local governors, but because a month later this search had still led nowhere, there being no sign of any outlaws, Shah Abbas became furious with the people of Gilan and sent an order to Mirghazab for them all to be slaughtered. In this regard, the author of Tarikh-e Naqawatul-Asar writes: ‘Cruelty under the rule of Shah Abbas had become such that women deliberately miscarried their pregnancies from fear of this man. The stomachs of some of those women who had not deliberately miscarried were cut open, babies then being removed from the womb and suspended at the end of bayonets.’ Again, on page 130 of the same book the author writes: ‘Another form of persecution which Shah Abbas would order to be carried out entailed boring through the feet of a convicted criminal, inserting a rope through the hole thus produced and then suspending the said criminal from a tree so that his shoulders

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Yes, throughout history this nation has lived under the rule and oppression of these evil kings.

THE COLONIALISTS HAVE BEEN PLOTTING FOR CENTURIES Two or three hundred years ago, when the foreigners found their way into Iran they conducted certain investigations and a thorough inspection of the situation there. They studied the mentality of the people there; they studied the land there; and they traveled to our desert regions by camel to conduct research, to see what was and what was not to be found there! Just take a look at historical accounts- at a time when there were no buses or the like, these foreigners traveled by camel, they covered the entire desert regions of Iran, regions with neither water nor vegetation, mounted on camels. They studied these regions and examined the mentality of all those who live in Iran including the members of its tribes. Their investigation included everyone from the Baluchis to the Kurds to the Lors, so that they could discover how to keep these people in a backward state. The foreigners convinced these people that they were never to revolt, and from that time onwards we have remained under the domination of America and Europe. Initially, we were under the domination of the European countries, of Britain and so on, and now America has entered the sceneAmerica, a country which is worse than the others. Russia and America- each has attacked the country from different sides! Indeed, if they want to take away our resources, to destroy whatever we possess, to capitalize on the situation and to keep us in a wretched state of backwardness, what should they in fact do? Having conducted investigations they have reached the conclusion that they must cause the people to be divided. They have many plans in store, numerous plans, and if their plans are to succeed they must firstly create division among the Muslims- Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and so on must all be separated from one another and each must be at war with the other. This is one way, one means of preventing these people from getting their act together and from uniting with each other to confront the superpowers.

RESISTANCE TO ISLAM AND THE CLERGY IS THE IMPERIALISTS’ OLD PLAN They have endeavored, through various means, to do something within every country to ensure that the different forces there do not unite, as they have in today’s Iran. At the time of Reza Shah, they humiliated the akhund so much that the latter was unable to leave his home, not for fear of the government, but for fear of the people! This is the extent to which they had influenced the people. The people used to say: “These akhunds are all affiliated to the Royal Court!” While that member of the Royal Court (Reza Shah) was in fact busy behaving with such hostility toward the akhunds, the people believed and argued that they (the clergy) were affiliated to the Royal Court! This ‘Royal Court’ was killing our akhunds, our mullahs, it would imprison them and kill them, yet at the same time the people believed that they were all affiliated to the Royal Court! They had brainwashed the people into thinking that any mullah who stood up to confront the powers that be had to be ruined before the people of his own nation, that he was to be segregated from the people, for once they had done this he would no longer pose a threat for he would have lost any power he might have had. They had convinced the people that the akhund was not someone fit for leadership, or someone who could engage in active opposition while enjoying the support of the people. He was an akhund; and the akhund must be driven to the wall.

scraped the ground. If the king then decided that this person was to die, the latter was left to hang in this position until he starved to death, or alternatively, again while in this position, his stomach was extracted and torn to pieces’.”

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Moreover, they weren’t satisfied with ruining the akhund alone, but rather they claimed that Islam is an opiate, that religion as a whole is an opiate! They call this religion an opiate- this religion which serves to encourage all kinds of social action, this Qur’an whose verses with regard to battle are so explicit, whose verses with regard to social action are so explicit- they call this an opiate! That is to say they claim that this religion aims to put the poor people to sleep so that the holders of power may continue to devour. This Qur’an which has come to wage battle against those with power is said to have been produced by the powerful to enable them to fleece the poor and needy! Although the wars engaged in by that Most Noble of Messengers (the Prophet Muhammad) and by other Muslim personages were fought against these holders of power, the people have nevertheless been made to believe that it was in fact the latter who brought the Prophet to power! But these are all stratagems devised to make you disunited and to alienate you from the Qur’an. The Qur’an is an obstacle; it is a barrier in their path; it is something which, had it been adhered to- and at one time indeed it was adhered to- the Muslims would not have found themselves in such a wretched state. But we abandoned the Qur’an, we did not follow the teachings of this ‘obstacle’ and as a result we reached this present state where we are being struck on the head by them (those in power) from all directions. No matter where one may step out of line, an official has been placed there to beat him into silence. This Muhammad Reza Shah himself has said: “The Allies thought it fitting that I should remain!” And only the day before yesterday, the British Foreign Minister said: “He (the Shah) is on our side. Indeed, he is protecting our interests, so how could we not give him our support!” We are fully aware of the fact that he is protecting both your and America’s interests! This is precisely what the nation is shouting against, it is protesting against his having come in order to ‘serve his country’! He has a “mission” for his country! He has been given a mission by America and by Britain, a mission to behave thus with the people; to keep Iran in a state of backwardness; to destroy the education in Iran; to destroy Iran’s clergy; to push Islam into the background; to change the Islamic calendar. You were under the impression that what this demon had done was of no grave importance! Yet taking all of the crimes he has committed into account, from the very first to the last, nothing compares to his crime of changing the calendar of Islam, so could this crime that he committed be said to be of little significance? Yes, they all joined hands together in order to smash these barriers which stood before them. Now that the people of Iran have risen up and are crying out in unison saying: “Down with this monarchy,” for differences to exist between us, whether outside the country or within it, is self-destructive, it is suicidal. For differences to exist between the intellectual sector of society and the non-intellectual sector, or within the universities themselves between this and that group, is at this moment in time, tantamount to self-destruction; it is an act of suicide; it means the country’s undoing; it means betraying the country; it means betraying Islam. Over what do you disagree? Why do you, people who have come abroad and who are busily engaged with your work, why do you differ among yourselves? Come together; hold social gatherings together; follow one path; all cry out in unison, all of you, until your protest movement becomes transformed into a flood and until this destructive flood eradicates this dynasty’s set-up and the set-up of those who drain our assets dry with the help of this royal family. May the Lord keep you all safe from harm and may He grant us all His forgiveness [the audience cries, Amen].

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50th Speech Date: November 1, 1978/Aban 10, 1357 SH/Dhul-Qadah 29, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The inevitable fall of the imperial regime and the people’s inner changes Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE UNPRECEDENTED REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT IN IRAN ... I don’t believe that you will find a situation like that of Iran existing in any other country, whether from the point of view of the people there or with regard to the Shah and his government. I don’t believe that anything similar to either of these two: Either the people in Iran or the Shah and his regime in Iran can be found to exist anywhere else. As for the people, this popular uprising and this momentum which has now reached such an elevated stage, has never before occurred throughout history, other than over the past few years when a nation has become so self-motivated. If at any time in the past the people may have wanted to close down a city’s bazaar, this may well have been an impossibility. Let’s say in Qum for example, a city which has a thriving bazaar, even if the ulama of that city were to have told the people there to close down the bazaar; in all likelihood the people would not have done so. This is likely to have been the case. And then things reached the stage where whenever an incident would occur and the regime would act impertinently toward the ulama, the people would then close their shops down, but they would do so without relish, reluctantly, their hearts would not be in it. Now, however, the situation has become such that the people close down the bazaar at the slightest request or with the slightest excuse; and not only in Qum but in all cities. Across the entire country the situation has become one where Iran’s bazaar, including the bazaar in Tehran, which is said to be a political institution, is now in a closed or semi-closed state. This is what Iran, especially its bazaar, and especially the bazaar merchants, have turned out to be like; and these people who at one time found a one-day closing burdensome, now find it burdensome to be told to open up their shops. They have now on occasion complained about the fact that someone or other has for example said that the people are to go about their normal business The people would become annoyed at this. Or were it to be suggested for example that the closure had gone on for long enough, even if they were about to reopen their businesses, on hearing this suggestion, the people would again close up shop! The people now act of their own accord. And this revolution has boosted the people’s morale and strengthened their spirits so much so that it has reached the stage where they now become upset and angry at being told to go about their usual everyday business.

READINESS OF THE MASSES FOR SACRIFICE Furthermore, if at any time someone’s nose was made to bleed, if someone was delivered a blow, this was seen as a disaster for someone to be killed for example, was looked upon as a disaster. Now however, things have reached the stage where only last night I received a letter from a mother saying that four or five of her children had been killed and how proud she was of this fact, and it said that she and her family were now fully prepared to make any sacrifice. Today it has become quite normal for the loved-ones of a number of people in any given city to have been killed it has become something quite normal for the people. A

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tremendous impetus has developed and the fact that the people as a whole are engaged in struggle has now become an accepted fact of life in Iran; and this does not apply to just one or two cities in the country. As for the newspapers, although they may not paint a complete picture- and that goes for the radio too which doesn’t tell the whole story either of course- and even though we are only partly informed of the facts by these media reports or by the reports we receive from foreign radio stations, nevertheless, whenever you turn on the radio you hear of the strikes and killings in such-and-such a city, of the same having occurred in such-and-such a village. This situation now even having reached those villages which apparently it has been a village on the outskirts of Hamadan a village in which a number of people have been killed and where five thousand have taken strike action.

STRIKES CAPABLE OF BRINGING DOWN A CASTLE In the past taking political action such as this was never even thought of, no one ever spoke of going on strike. In the past people had no idea what the word ‘strike’ meant. Yet taking strike action has become something quite commonplace, strikes now being held by the people in all cities throughout Iran, and five thousand people having gone on strike in one village (a village in Hamadan) alone. I hear that strike action is now being taken by the people in all of the cities nationwide- strikes such as that held by the workers of the oil company, may God be with them. For some years now I have had it in my mind to say that these workers should be told to halt oil production so as to prevent others from taking our oil. But the point to note here is that... is now an undisputed fact- strike action is now being taken in Iran, and be it in the schools, among the workers, among those in the aviation industry, or wherever, the fact is that everyone is now out on strike. Whereas before, even if anyone had mentioned taking strike action the people wouldn’t have known what it was; now, they themselves go on strike of their own volition, without anyone having to urge them to do so. The government however, was under the impression that it could make out that these strikes were being held because This is what they would say when strikes first began to be held. A certain group of people, I can’t now remember exactly which one, sent me a message from Khorasan to say that what the government is saying about our strike action being in demand of a wage increase is a lie; we are on strike for political reasons. Likewise, the people are now declaring that these strikes in which they are engaged are being held to secure the release of political prisoners and to ensure that martial law is lifted and that these foreigners, who have set upon this nation and have ravaged this nation’s wealth, leave our country. These demands that the people are making are indeed of great significance! What exactly do they (the government) want from this nation? These figures of forty-five, fifty or sixty thousand tumans which are quoted as being the salaries paid to these Americans... are enormously high figures.

INTERNAL CHANGES WITHIN THE MASSES Now, going on strike has become something quite commonplace and normal, and so has being involved in bloody confrontations, and closing down the bazaars and thoroughfares, and staging demonstrations, and participating in acts of protest, and chanting “Death to” Whatever, and expressing the loathing felt toward the tyrannical regime; all of these are now looked upon as being quite normal. If, five years ago, a policeman entered any of these bazaars in Iran declaring that a certain flag was to be hung above the shops there- say it was Aban 4 (October 26, the Shah’s birthday) for example, Aban being a month which is now known for its wretchedness [laughter of the audience] - yes, if a policeman entered the bazaar and told those there that

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they were to hang a certain flag above their shops, he met with no opposition whatsoever. No one ever imagined that a policeman could be challenged, a policeman... [laughter of the audience]. It never occurred to the people that it was in some way possible to defy a policeman. Everyone used to do as he was told. One policeman would walk through the bazaar of Tehran, or Qum, or Shiraz, and would order those there to close their shops or whatever. He would order them to hang a flag above their shops, and so indeed they would hang a flag above their shops; or he would order them to festoon their shops with lights, and so they would decorate their shops with lights. Now however, the situation is one where the people no longer pay the slightest attention to martial law and to rule by the bayonet, or to rule by the Shah or any other form of rule! We have seen martial law being enforced in the past: in the past as soon as martial law was declared somewhere no one dared to show any opposition and everywhere became evacuated; no one even opposed a policeman let alone martial law... But as you can now see for yourselves martial law is in force in several cities in Iran yet none of the people there give heed to this form of rule. Instead they pour into the streets and shout out in protest. As for them (the regime), fear that the people may now stage a major attack has led them to relinquish their position somewhat, or rather, to relinquish their position considerably.

MONARCHIAL RULE IS THE VILEST REGIME OF THE WORLD This is the situation in our country with regard to its people. One must compare what this nation was like prior to the present movement and what it is like now. The situation of thirty years ago must be compared to the situation now in order to realize the extent to which our nation has developed its political awareness, the extent to which it has developed its religious awareness, its political awareness. In the past the situation was such that no one gave themselves the right to interfere in any of the country’s affairs, for (they asked themselves) what was it to do with us, the people? The country is embodied in the person (of the Shah) ! Yes, this is what was commonly said: the country is embodied in the person (of the Shah), in he who is running the country! And he is at liberty to do as he pleases! The nation belongs to him; everyone belongs to him! So, this being the case, he is at liberty to do as he pleases! Indeed, this was the logic of the people in general, except for some who were very few in number; those who, although not in a position to speak out, nevertheless did not accept this way of thinking. They did not accept this logic but were unable to say so. The bulk of the people held that there is the Shah there is his country, and there are his subjects! This was the accepted way of thinking! You must all surely remember how twenty or thirty years ago the situation was such that the mass of our oppressed people were conditioned by these tyrants and dictators into accepting their habitually being struck on the head as something normal. When a nation has been trampled upon by these people (tyrants) for so many years, for two and a half thousand years, when it has lived under this vile flag for two and a half thousand years monarchical rule being the vilest of the world’s regimes, and its rulers the vilest of the world’s people205 - then such a nation has become used to giving a free rein to its oppressive rulers to do as they please and it has become accustomed to not objecting in the least! Such a nation has become accustomed to believing that this is his (the Shah’s) right! That this is his country! That these are his subjects! This was the accepted way of thinking at that time. Muhammad Reza never dreamt that one day someone might ask: “Why did the Shah behave in this way?” What is the meaning

205 It is related in a tradition accounted to the Prophet of Islam: “The most hated of all titles in the sight of God is King of kings.” Refer to Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1688.

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of asking “why?” anyway? If this person happened to be the Prime Minister say, there was no way he would dare to ask “why?” In a certain gathering- sometime during the thirteen or fourteen years that Prime Minister held office206 - the latter became annoyed when the Shah was addressed as the country’s number one man! He argued that to use the words ‘number one’ means that there is someone else in this country who is to be called ‘number two! ‘; and he asked: “Why did you use the words: the country’s number one man?! Indeed, is there anyone else in the country whereby the Shah may be referred to as the country’s number one man?... There is no one else other than ‘His Excellency’. That is to say, the country does not have a number two man thus enabling him (the Shah) to be referred to as the country’s number one man!” Yes, this is how things were! In this way they were conditioning the people and indeed the people were conditioned into believing that there was no distinction between God’s command and that of the Shah! That the Shah’s command was God’s command! That there was no difference between God’s command and that of the Shah! And they put a false construction on certain words, words which in essence bore the truth, such as: ‘The king is God’s shadow’.207 Here they put a false construction on the word ‘shadow.’ Taking advantage of “God’s shadow” Nobody’s shadow exists independently, its existence, its motion- if it has any- are dependent upon him whose shadow it is. The shadow of a person who is walking somewhere or who is in motion does not move of its own free will. Its movement is subject to that of the person in question. That is to say, no matter how this person may move his hands the hands of his shadow also move in the same way. If he walks then his shadow follows after him. If he sits down, so too does his shadow. The shadow cannot act of its own free will, it does not enjoy an independent existence but rather owes its actions and its existence to the person to whom it belongs. The words: ‘The king is God’s shadow’ have sealed the doom of all kings, for indeed these are not true kings! The person who allows himself to act of his own accord, to behave in a way which is not in accordance with the behavior ordained by God, is not ‘the shadow of God’; he is an independent agent; his actions are self-motivated. The Holy Prophet is ‘the shadow of God’ because he is not an independent agent; he himself is of no significance; he is the “Divine Revelation”; He is subordinate to divine revelation; he is subordinate to God’s command; he is subordinate to God’s admonition; his actions are inspired by Him; His inspiration prompts him to act. Whatever battle he engages in is in accordance with His divine revelation. He has no selfish desires or aspirations of his own which could prompt him to perform a certain deed. Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali) (as), is quoted as saying that when he was engaged in a fight to the death with Amr ibn Abd al-Wud208 and once he had defeated the latter having thrown him to

206 The person in question is Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the son of Abdul-Malik and the grandson of a well-known Bahai in Iran. He was educated in Beirut and in 1944 [1323 SH] was appointed as a foreign diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1960 [1339 SH] he became a member of the board of directors in the National Iranian Oil Company and in 1964 [1343 SH] the Finance Minister in Mansur’s Cabinet. He succeeded Mansur as Prime Minister in 1965 [1344 SH] and remained as such until the year 1977 [1356 SH]. After success of Islamic Revolution in 1979 [1358 SH] he was tried and executed. He is believed to have been a follower of the Bahai school. His grandfather, Mirza Reza Qannad, was one of the devout activists and supporters of Abbas Effendi, a leading figure of the Bahai sect, and after fleeing Iran he went to ‘Akka in Occupied Palestine where he served Abbas Effendi as his servant. 207 The Most Noble Messenger (as) has been quoted as saying: “A just and modest king is God’s shadow and His spear on earth.” And again: “The king is the shadow of God on earth in whom the weak take refuge and from whose assistance the oppressed benefit.” 208 ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd Wudd (Wadd) ‘Amr’ was a famous warrior of the Quraysh tribe. During the Battle of the Trench [Khandaq] which took place in 627 AD, while the Quraysh troops were on the other side of the trench, he leapt over the latter on horseback and approached the

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the ground, Amr ibn Abd al-Wud then insulted him by spitting at him. The Hazrat rose to his feet- accounts relate how he rose to his feet and departed from the scene, after which he is said to have returned and killed his opponent. The Hazrat was questioned about his actions. In reply he said that he had behaved in this way since at that particular moment in time the person in question had done something to (offend) him and he thus feared that some kind of personal feelings may interfere in any action he might have then taken. Action is to be divinely inspired. This is what is meant by ‘the shadow of God.’ Yet they purposely misconstrued these words of truth, these words which seal the doom of all kings, which seal the doom of all tyrants and of those in authority, and which make clear just what the believers and the Muslims are to do with kings, with the kings of tyranny. They fed people the idea that he (the Shah) is “the shadow of God”... that “there is no distinction between God’s command and that of the Shah.” They committed these wrongdoings, these cruel and oppressive acts, and those acts of betrayal in such a manner that a nation became accustomed to them! Had these acts not been committed then perhaps the nation would have become accustomed to quite the opposite state of affairs! But what happened to make things change? Now our people have reached the stage where their twelve-year old children stand before a policeman in Qum and elsewhere and say “Death to the Shah!” This is the way things have turned out. Shouting “Death to the Shah” has now become something quite commonplace among the people of our nation! It has become commonplace! These are the first words to be uttered by the child who has recently learned how to talk! What glorious words they are [laughter from the audience].

UPRISING AGAINST THE 2,500- YEAR OLD MONARCHY So much for our people, for our nation from within which this dynamism has emerged and has gushed forth thanks to the movement upon which the people have embarked. No one can take the credit for this. No one has the right to do this. It is wrong for someone to say that this is his doing, that he is the one who has brought this about... No mortal is capable of transforming a nation in such a way. It is God who has done this. This is God’s doing. No power is capable, within the space of a year or so- it can now be said to have been a year and so many months, for things had gradually begun to change from some time back although nothing was yet visibly apparent- of bringing about this change and transformation which has been realized within our country and our nation, whereby the situation of the past hundreds of years has been changed meaning that two thousand and five hundred years have been trampled underfoot and wiped out. This cannot be the doing of just anyone. It can in no way be said to have been the clergy’s doing. It cannot be said to have been the doing of the people from the bazaar. No indeed, this movement is God’s doing; it has gushed forth from within the nation itself in accordance with God’s will, and it therefore holds promise. This is something from God, something which is hopeful.

SPIRITUAL CHANGES BY ALLAH’S FAVOR The situation among the people of our nation has now become one quite opposite to that which prevailed in the past when the norm was for people to believe that they must act in a certain way; that they must revere the Shah and the policeman and civil officials and the like. That they must behave in such-and-such Prophet’s camp, requesting that someone be his opponent in battle. ‘Ali (as) thus fought with this warrior and killed him. In this fight, when Imam Ali (as) was about to deal a death blow, ‘Abd Wudd spat in his face. Imam Ali (as) immediately released him and walked away. He then rejoined the battle and slayed ‘Abd Wudd.”

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a way; that they must take the blows and say nothing; that they must pay those unfair taxes and say nothing; that they must accept foul abuse without protest. Now the time has come for change, for this kind of change which has been bestowed upon us by God’s command. And the fervor which has emerged from among the people themselves has reached the point where it has now become the norm to shout out “Death to this monarchy” of whatever; this has now become the norm! Only a few days ago I received a letter which told of the small child of one of our own people saying such things. That is, it told of how this small child who had recently learned how to talk had actually spoken these words! Yes, this has become something quite commonplace now. Therefore, we are not to suppose that this service which the nation has so far rendered itself, this favor which the Divine Being of Absolute Truth has bestowed upon this nation, is the doing of some of those who in fact work for the regime and who repeatedly make suggestive sayings such as: “Well, what happened; what did all this bloodshed achieve? What happened? What did this movement achieve? What happened?” A nation which has known nothing other than suffering and distress and which has remained silent in the face of oppression, is now standing up to the oppressor like a mountain, and is fighting against the bayonet with its bare fists! What more do they expect? The people of a nation have sacrificed their youngsters. These youngsters stand before tanks and cannons and are killed and then the people announce that they have given their children’s lives in way of a sacrifice, and that if needs be they are prepared to do the same with the rest of their children! What else can be expected from these people? What could be better than this? What greater transformation could be wished for? What kind of spiritual development can exceed this, where a nation’s state of mind has become transformed into another state within the space of one year, within the space of thirteen months, where a nation’s state of mind has become so transformed?

THE MASSES’ NON-ACCEPTANCE OF INSULT AND THEIR SACRIFICES So much for the people and their present state of mind, a state the likes of which cannot be found to have existed at any other time; a state whereby people everywhere in the country have closed down their businesses, including people in those places which have never before in history held even a one-day closing to this end, people in certain cities who have never before in their lives involved themselves in such affairs, anyone who actually did become thus involved having been called a political akhund! If someone were to stand up to the government with regard to one of the affairs which affected the lives of these people, if he confronted someone or other on such an issue, he would have been branded as someone involved in politics, as someone who must from thenceforth retire to his home for he was concerned with politics! This accepted logic of the people became something to be manipulated by the menacing propaganda which has been spread by the regime throughout history in order to accustom the people to this way of life and to being abused, to having their resources taken away, and yet, in spite of everything, to giving the regime their support! This is a ‘service’ which is unprecedented in history. It has been rendered to this nation, and this nation has now undergone a transformation. One must not ask what has been achieved! Many things, many things have been achieved. But even supposing that this was not the case, that from now on there was nothing more we could do and that having reached this stage they were to seize us and strangle us, nevertheless that which we have achieved to date will have been worthwhile. That is to say, those sacrifices that the people of Iran have made, and this ensuing transformation which has followed have been worth the loss of hundreds or thousands of lives; it has been worth making such sacrifices in order for a state of mind

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such as this to be brought about. An alert state of mind such as this whereby you now no longer believe that they can force you to behave in the way they used to; their harsh treatment of you is now a thing of the past; they can no longer send a policeman to you with orders to beat the people. This is now a thing of the past; it is all in the past.

51st Speech Date: November 2, 1978/Aban 11, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The alteration of the meaning of those terms used in the vocabulary of the Shah and of the powers supporting him Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

‘OPEN POLITICAL CLIMATE’ MEANS SUPPRESSION One of the things with which we have to deal these days are these words and terms whose meanings have been altered. There are many words and terms nowadays in Iran, which have taken on a new meaning and for which a new dictionary needs to be referred to. For example, one of the terms which are now used is open political climate, a term which appears regularly in the Shah’s vocabulary. Thus, he speaks of having provided and brought about an ‘open political climate’ in Iran;209 and again, the same thing is repeated by his masters, by Carter for example, who keeps on talking about the Shah having created an open political climate. Only yesterday, it appears that the Crown Prince, meaning the Shah’s son- yes, the Crown Prince, who of course is like himself (the Shah) in every respect- was taken to Carter who once more sang the

209 Carter’s candidature for the American presidency and his so-called ‘human rights’ campaign, caused the Shah to panic. The latter believed that if a certain amount of freedom were to be given to the people in Iran, then the communists would take over! He had said: “Everybody interprets human rights in a different way, and there is no reason why our interpretation should conform to that of the Americans.” After Jimmy Carter was elected as President however, the Shah was forced to improve the stifling climate in the country and to create a so-called ‘open political climate’. Thus, on December 29, 1976/Dey 8, 1355 SH, the ‘Fundamental Reforms Bill’ was presented to the Senate and on February 3 [Bahman 14], sixty-six political prisoners were released. On February 29 [Esfand 10], the Shah said in an interview: “The country’s political and administrative posts are open to all of the people.” On May 11, 1977/Urdibehesht 21, 1356 SH, officials from International Red Cross went to Iran to visit political prisoners held by the Shah. On the following day, Cyrus Vance and David Owen (the American and British Foreign Ministers) request that the Shah give more freedom to the people. The Shah agrees to this, and commissions the Rastakhiz Party to publicize the new political policy. He also orders SAVAK agents to make fewer public arrests whereby the said agents then kill (rather than arrest) those involved in the struggle against the regime, both in the streets and in the latter’s homes! This newly-hatched scheme however is ineffective, and thus we see both the Muslim students from Tehran University and the Muslim people nationwide, staging massive demonstrations on the day which commemorates the Khordad 15 [June 5] uprising of 1963 [1342 SH]. In an interview with French radio the Shah said: “Allowing various forms of political freedom has put the monarchy in danger.” The Shah’s final publicity stunt- that being the announcement of an ‘open political climate’- did not pay off either, and it became clear to America that he was now in fact on the verge of being toppled from the throne.

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Shah’s praises for his having given (the people) freedom!210 This is again one of those words which in this day and age has lost its original meaning for something else. An ‘open political climate’ in Iran means the suppression of everything! It means the censoring of the entire press and the prevention of any opinion being expressed! Man is free to express his opinion, yet an ‘open political climate’ means the prevention of any kind of opinion being expressed! Man has no say in his everyday life, in his own destiny! The press has no right to print one word which falls outside that which it is told to write! Recently, I grant you, these newspapers have begun to say certain things to a degree, and that goes for the radio too. This public awareness and these clenched fists of our brothers in Iran have meant that they (the regime) can no longer behave as they would otherwise like to. But even having said that, there is still no freedom as such. Thus, one can see how in all of these newspapers, and in all of these radio broadcasts and other media used for propaganda purposes, they still cannot make mention of that key factor. We all know, they all know, all of the newspapers and their proprietors know that this key factor- the key factor when it comes to the servants that is, and not when it comes to the servants’ masters- is none other than the Shah! That is to say, all of these crimes which have taken place in Iran within our lifetime, within the present period in history- all of these crimes have been committed on the Shah’s orders! There is no way that a soldier would kill someone without having been told to do so first; or that an officer would allow people to be killed without having been told to do so first; or that a minister or Prime Minister would have the authority to order for people to be killed, to order for people to be wounded, to give commands such as these without having been told to do so first. All of these crimes which have taken place and which continue to take place, have been and are now committed on the direct orders of the Shah; it is he who has ordered for the people to be struck down. On Khordad 15 (June 5), as is now a well-known fact, he was personally in command and flew above the scene below in his private helicopter, giving out instructions. The order he gave was to strike in such a way as to ensure that there would be no wounded in the hospitals any more, that is to strike to kill.211 ‘Freedom’ and ‘open political climate’ mean no one has the right to express an opinion! Like our press, which even now doesn’t have the right to express an opinion. Should our press and the media, which is used for propaganda purposes, media such as the radio, television and so on, become free one day, the truth of that which is now going on and that which has gone on in the past will then become apparent. Meaning, at present, neither I, nor yourselves, nor the majority of the people, know about what has really gone on. We only know of what is visibly apparent; of these streets in which dead bodies have been heaped together, and of these visible factors. People like us are only aware of this outer surface. As for that inner surface and those things which have happened to Iran in the past, and continue to happen now, those matters which remain veiled, we don’t yet have knowledge of these things. But there are those who indeed do know about 210 Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran at that time, was undergoing flight training at a US air base in Texas, and in October 1978 [Aban, 1357 SH], on the occasion of his birthday, he was invited to meet with Carter, the US President. During this meeting, which was held for both political and publicity reasons, Carter stressed that the American government would back the Shah. He also expressed how pleased he was with the steps taken by the Shah toward establishing democracy, and he spoke of how vitally important Iran was to America. 211 It is said that on Khordad 15 and 16, 1342 SH [June 5 and 6, 1963], the Shah had given his military commanders the permission to “shoot as they saw fit”, and he had stressed that soldiers were not to waste their bullets, nor were they to fire into the air, but instead they were ordered to target the upper part of the body when firing. Furthermore, it is also said that on Khordad 15 [June 5] the Shah actually flew above the city of Tehran in a helicopter, from where he personally took it upon himself to command the operation in progress.

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these things and who have been deeply involved in them; and although evidence of all that has occurred in the past may not have survived to the present, nevertheless, most things have been recorded in the annals of history. You can be sure that there are now books which have been written but which they (the authors) have not been able to print and publish. But the day that they become free in the true sense of the word, is the day that these books will come to light. That is the time when material published will truly be worth looking at. Our press is still now being censored and hence the name of the true criminal is not to be revealed in any of our newspapers- and indeed, it has not been revealed. And again, not one of the distinguished figures (in Iran) has yet been able to openly speak out on such a matter, a matter which involves exposing the true criminal, this person who is responsible for all the crimes which have been committed, this person known as Muhammad Reza, the son of Reza. So far none of these figures have been able to come out with this fact, yet the people have. The people, including ten- and twelve-year-old children, are giving voice to this concern; people in the streets of Qum and Tehran, and in other cities, are giving voice to this concern, yet our so-called men of distinction are unable to do so!

EXEMPLARY MOTHERS WHO HAVE GIVEN MARTYRS These masses of people cannot be defeated. Not only are they prepared to lose a life, but rather to lose lives, or indeed, they even lose the lives of their young ones and then take pride in this fact. The mothers of today are one of a kind, I swear it. That is to say, history has never before witnessed mothers like these, save for those few who, their children having been killed, then came forward and rather than being upset, announced the sense of pride they felt. Some youngsters said to me that (the example of) these mothers caused them to remain fervent; that the reaction of these mothers who have lost a child keep them going and cause them to remain fervent, since it is they who give them courage; it is they who encourage them to carry on. So there you have our open political climate! That is to say, this term has been altered and has lost its true meaning. According to the logic of Mr. Carter and the Shah, it has now come to be understood as meaning all of those clamp-downs, clamp-downs which are enforced in the name of providing an open political climate! A ‘great civilization’ or educational dependence?! Words now used in this way include terms such as ‘great civilization’, ‘the gateway to a great civilization’!212 ‘Great civilization’ is another of these terms whose true meaning has been lost; to their mind it means something else. This term, like certain others, crops up a lot in the Shah’s choice vocabulary! And so too in the vocabulary used by Carter, his (the Shah’s) grandfather! He (Carter) also uses a term similar to a great civilization in his choice of words, a term which, in the vocabulary of these people, means to trample on and crush all the signs of a nation’s civilization! A nation’s education is considered to be of pivotal importance in a great civilization, for education is something which must be in tune with civilization. But when you look at education in our country, you see that it is an inferior education which is dependent 212 In mid-August, 1978/Mordad 1357 SH, the Shah said: “It is my hope that this new chapter we have recently begun in Iran, where as much freedom as the law permits is enjoyed by the people, has a good ending, and that it takes the country of Iran forward toward progress and greatness, and toward a great civilization. The course of action to be followed to this end has been described in the book: Toward the Great Civilization, and has been accepted by the Iranian Nation’s Reconstruction Organization. Those who would like to see the country advancing toward a great civilization know what is expected of them and how they are to cast their votes. And once the voting is over, they shall see just how great is the number of those who support the idea of taking Iran toward a great civilization.” (!) Quoted from Ittila’at, August 19, 1978/Mordad 28, 1357 SH.

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and unprogressive whereby they prevent our youngsters from advancing beyond a certain level, from taking one step higher than a certain level. This is not only the case in Iran, but it also applies to those youngsters of our country who have come abroad to study. Only yesterday, the day before or sometime, a number of these students, these fine youngsters, came to see me here in this room and said that they are currently studying in some country or other- I can’t remember exactly which one now- but that they are not being taught anything. They said that they are only really students there by name; that since they have come abroad the instruction they receive is of a lower standard than that they received when in Iran! Yes, of a lower standard! And thus, they argued that they were studying here abroad like this to no avail, and they asked my permission to go to Iran where they could at least do something useful, that is, where they could work alongside their brothers (in Islam) there.

MANIFESTATIONS OF A DEPENDENT EDUCATION In Iran in the past, the aim has been to bring about a dependent education, ‘dependent’ in the sense that we are to have an educational system, and we are to have universities so no one can say that we don’t have such things. We are to have universities, colleges, teachers’ colleges, all of these things which accompany and are in tune with the generally-perceived image of civilization, but we are not to have that which truly constitutes civilization, so that the external form resembles civilization but is one which is hollow within! From the very beginning when schools were first established in Iran- schools established with a view to helping the country to develop- this has been the way things were, except they weren’t as bad as they now are. From the beginning their intention has been to prevent an educational system in the true sense of the word from materializing; for they knew that if a real educational system and if properly-educated people were to appear in Iran, then they would get in the way of things; they would cause a problem by getting in the way of their goals and interests, interests which lie in plundering the wealth of this nation. From the beginning they planned things so as to hinder the materialization of an educational system which would be capable of developing our youth and of rearing a properly-educated youngster. And so now things have worked out as they wanted them to, whereby our educational system in fact bears no resemblance whatsoever to that which a true educational system should be like, and whereby they are wasting the lives of our youngsters. That is, going to these colleges and universities is nothing but a waste of the lives of the teacher and the student. And the teachers know this; the students know this; everyone knows this; but still, that is the way things are. When we say that this page (in history) must be turned back, that all of these schemes which the foreigners have initiated in Iran via these evil agents of theirs must be abandoned, it is because we see that everything we happen to point to is rotten to the core! Even if we could only be said to have one genuine school and university, how come the wealthy in our country, how come ‘His Excellency’ himself, on becoming unwell, must either bring doctors into Iran from abroad, or must themselves be taken to another country, to London, to receive treatment?! How come no one ever comes from London to Tehran to be treated, or to any other country for that matter? It is we who have to leave here; these people have to leave Iran and go to London for treatment! The reason for this is that we don’t have any proper doctors. Yes, we have doctors, we have doctors who have a license to practice, who have been awarded the appropriate certificates, doctors who have obtained all the necessary qualifications and who are called ‘professor’, but they are doctors who are not in fact properly qualified. They are not in fact doctors; they only appear to be so. Yet another of those words that has been changed

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is this word ‘professor’. That is to say, they have used this word to mean something that it does not. Hence, when someone becomes ill they say there is nothing else but for him to go abroad, for him to go to London! The doctors also say that he must go to London- yes, even the doctors themselves say this! Even once those doctors who have gone to Iran to treat the patient actually arrive there, they say there is nothing else but for the latter to go abroad, that the patient must go to London for them to treat him! This is the sorry state of our education, the sorry state of our universities, of our colleges. And they want us to be in such a sorry state too. Why should we have doctors? Our nation must remain in a certain state of need; it has to be in a state of dependence! They want our nation to be dependent upon these other governments and nations. And being dependent means our education being dependent, as it is at present. This is borne out by asking: Why, when we once had an educational system of our own, why, when we now want to construct a dam, must we make a contract with an American company, or with whatever other foreign company? On what grounds must we do this? Why are the laborers all from Iran? The one, who has to carry bricks and sand to and from on his shoulders for a paltry sum, for a meager reward, he who is to receive a small wage and must work from dawn till dusk, is taken from the Iranian workforce! The situation is the same in the oil company. It’s the same everywhere. This is in fact the whole idea, and this is how we have turned into a nation of thirdclass workers while at the same time having a great civilization! A ‘great civilization’ indeed! Essentially, in Iran this ‘great civilization’ consists of a group of laborers, or, that is, of a group of people who appear to be laborers. It would seem to consist of an educational system and of stooges who are to transport oil for these masters of theirs, and to feed it to Mr. Carter and his friends! These stooges are to work for a paltry sum, for a meager reward, as coolies, and they are to transport oil for them (their masters). And when they (the Iranian government) want to construct a dam, an expert has to come (from abroad); he has to give the instructions, and he has to say how the plans are to be drawn up. In return for drawing up the plans he receives several millions of dollars for each plan produced. After sitting down for a night or two and producing one draft, he then receives several millions of dollars! But what about us? You must do the hard labor! You and I, we must do the hard labor, we must carry the bricks! We are incapable of doing anything else. And why are we incapable? Because we haven’t received an education; we haven’t been able to construct our own dams ourselves.

A NAME WITH NO SUBSTANCE! Whatever one points to in this ‘great civilization’ can be seen to exist in name, but not in substance. Many engineers, doctors and the like can be seen to exist in name, but what of their caliber? They lack substance! When we examine our military, we see that it abounds with names and titles! We have enough lieutenant generals and field marshals to fill a regiment! A humorist once used to say: “There are only two or three field marshals- or words to this effect- there are only two or three field marshals in the whole of America, but in Iran there are rows of, there are hundreds of field marshals!” These titles all remain in force, but on closer inspection you find that ‘Field Marshal’ so-and-so is in fact no such thing!

REZA KHAN’S ARMY IN THE FACE OF THE ALLIED FORCES These titles were already around before the time when those foreigners, the Allied Forces, attacked and entered Iran; these phony titles such as ‘His Majesty’ were already around- of course, he (Reza Shah) was ‘His Majesty’ at that time, for this one (the Shah) was not yet born. He (Reza Shah) was then His Imperial

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Majesty, and all of his oppressive traits along with some additional ones were inherited by this one (the Shah) ! Yes, because the latter is advancing toward ‘civilization’ his oppressive traits have been added too! Indeed, he has clipped everyone’s wings. They talk about the whole of Iran now having become so independent that everything has become whatever, that the soldiers have become this and the police have become that and so on and so forth! Because they used to beat the intellectuals and the ulama and take them to the police stations; because they used to insult them and have in the past oppressed the women so- only God knows the suffering we have been through in Iran;213 and because they have treated both men and children in the way they have. Yes, because of all this, they had set the stage and their propaganda spoke of no other country being a match or something for our country anymore! At that time, the humorists used to talk of the first that didn’t have a second: a phrase which referred to that matter concerning a war in which they (the Iranian government) wanted to engage to protect the country’s borders, when an initial declaration of war was made which was never followed up by a second declaration! The war in question only lasted for three hours! When Reza Shah asked one of his officers why it had only lasted for so long, he received the reply that it should have only taken a quarter of an hour! We had nothing and they had everything. I myself saw how all of the soldiers just took to the streets. They abandoned their barracks and took to the streets, and this was because there weren’t in fact true soldiers, there wasn’t in fact an army.214 Do you really think that we now have an army of 250,350,000 which truly serves us as an army should? The titles used in this so-called army are the same as those used in all other countries, from the titles of its officers down to those of its lower-ranking members. Yes, the titles are the same, but on closer inspection

213 On December 2, 1935/Azar 11, 1314 SH, Mahmoud Jam, who had been appointed by Reza Shah to form a Cabinet, was asked by the latter: “How can we get rid of this chador (a full-length veil worn by women)? Ever since I went to Turkey and saw how the women there have discarded the black veil and the Islamic form of covering, I have come to despise any woman who wears the chador. Indeed, the chador is the enemy of progress and development. It has assumed the exact properties of a boil, in that it must be lanced with great care.” On January 7, 1936/Dey 17, 1314 SH, after having consulted with Jam, Reza Khan escorted his wife (Taj al-Muluk) and daughters (Shams and Ashraf) to a Teachers’ Training College ceremony, the latter having discarded their Islamic covering. Consequently, the wives of both ministers and certain figures of high national standing also attended this official function alongside their husbands, while lacking any form of Islamic covering. Once the occasion had drawn to a close, Reza Khan ordered Jam (the Prime Minister) to arrange for other such gatherings so that the women of Iran could get used to the new state of things in the country and could become accustomed to fraternization between the sexes! Hence, from that time onwards, many such social functions were organized to this end, and government officials received strict orders to treat those women who appeared in public wearing Islamic dress with the utmost harshness. 214 Those forces whose duty it was to silence the tribes, groups and clans, and to stop the occasional unrest in the military and among the leaders of various central government forces (all such operations being called for by the British), were later converted into a so-called national army which resembled the armies of Europe. The visible strength of this army was increased daily by the purchase of military equipment for the land, sea and air forces, and by sending members of the army to France and Italy for military training. But in reality this army was nothing but a big drum which was hollow within. On August 26, 1941/Shahrivar 4, 1320 SH, the day after the Allied forces had crossed over the Iranian border and had occupied the country, the supreme military headquarters issued what became its first and last declaration of war. In this declaration, it was claimed that the various military units of Iran were busy defending the country and that the people’s morale was very high and so on. But this declaration did not contain the least information as to how these military units actually fared. In fact the majority of Iranian brigades and regiments had actually broken up before confronting the enemy. Army generals and senior officers had abandoned their units before having received the Shah’s order to halt their defense. Hungry and thirsty soldiers wandered in desolate areas and along the highways without any supplies, and many of them fell to the ground as they neared their death. Thus, we see how an army which had been allocated one third of the nation’s budget over a twenty-year period, and which had been provided with the equipment needed to cope on such a day as this, in fact fell to pieces on the very first day of the foreigners’ attack on Iran!

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one sees that these titles are in fact forged; they are without substance. Indeed, everything has changed, and you can see how the same goes for all other aspects of society.

DESTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURE IN THE NAME OF ‘REFORMS’ They keep talking about the economy! Well, of course, another issue of concern is the economy, but this man [indication is made to a member of the audience] is actually an economist and he is well informed in this area, so this being the case, should he really be living here (abroad) ? Shouldn’t he really be serving his own country? They talk of our economy being this and that, and of us no longer being economically dependent and so on! So let’s now consider these ‘land reforms, ‘‘ the latter being yet another of the terms in question. Reforms! We can see for ourselves how these have ruined our agriculture, destroying it and reducing it to nothing, whereby we are now lacking in every respect and have even approached Israel to supply us with fruit!215 Whatever we need- wheat, barley, or whatever- is continually being supplied to us such that should they at any time cut off these supplies, this nation will have to go hungry! They say that the entire agricultural produce of Iran is only sufficient to meet her needs for a thirty- or thirty-three-day period! That they must bring the rest of the produce needed from abroad! A country which once exported produce now has to be reduced to this. Reforms! The word ‘reforms’ is in itself a good word, it is something really nice, yet here it has no true meaning.

THE WHITE REVOLUTION216 The White Revolution indeed! Here, the word revolution is appropriate but it is actually a black revolution! It is a red revolution! All of these words are words which are very impressive and fine-sounding, they are words which have been carefully chosen; but what have they been used to refer to? When we look beneath the surface we find that these words lack substance, they are meaningless! They are words which were used to please us and to please the people at a time when the latter could not speak out and when they were unaware of what was going on. This is no longer the case however. People are now aware that the words land reforms are empty words, that they are in fact used to mean a market for America, for America’s satellites, and for America’s allies. We are a consumer market! They (the foreign powers) have a surplus of wheat- so much so that because of its perishable nature they sometimes pour it into the sea. So, this being the case, what better than to start a program of land reforms! Once they have begun to implement land

215 Iran was a truly lucrative market for Israeli goods. Eggs, bananas, cucumbers, oranges and other citrus fruits used to be sent from Israel to Iran. 216 In the book, The White Revolution, a book which carried the Shah’s name as its author but which was in fact written by someone else, we read: “The philosophy and spirit of this revolution (the Shah’s White Revolution) is based upon Iranian mentality and culture. And in bringing about this revolution two cardinal principles have been borne in mind, those being: spiritual belief and religion, and the protection of individual and social freedom. And again, attention has been paid to the overall principle which states that any signs of exploitation and any situation which only benefits the minority while being to the detriment of the majority must be destroyed. It was in pursuit of these goals that land reforms had to be made and the roots of feudalism and serfdom had to be wiped out. The worker-employer relationship is to be founded on a new basis whereby the worker no longer feels exploited; the electoral law is to be reformed; the disgrace and affliction of illiteracy is to be wiped out nationwide; health care is to become available to all throughout the country; signs of the nation’s backwardness are to be destroyed; and the country’s resources and wealth are to be declared as national property rather than being privately owned. We are to advance in other areas of education, training, social welfare and industry, and are to bring about a state which is in tune with today’s civilized world, while acting upon the distinguishing feature of this White Revolution- that being the principle which calls for the pursuit of a democratic economy at the same time as maintaining political freedom.” More of these deceivingly-attractive statements are to be found throughout the said book.

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reforms, then there is no longer any need for them to pour this wheat into the sea... land reforms have been made! Wheat will not be poured into the sea anymore; it will be given to others in return for money!

OIL IN EXCHANGE FOR AMERICAN BASES They get oil from us and give us weapons! And just what is meant by weapons here? Giving us weapons means that America has to set up a military base to counter the Soviet Union for example! It has to set up military bases in Iran; it receives oil and sets up bases! This is one of the incredible achievements that America has accomplished- it takes away our oil and what does it give in return? In return it wants to set up a military base for itself in Iran! If this were not so, then would Iran need these billions of dollars’ worth of weapons that they provide her with?! Do we have anyone with the expertise needed to put these weapons into use?!217 Even when you want to lay an asphalt surface you bring in a specialist from abroad for this task, so what do you expect to do with these weapons that they have made, weapons which are technically advanced and which need to be deployed by someone who is trained in these affairs? Yes, in Iran it is all empty talk. But surely you can’t make cannons from mere words! True ability is needed to make these things, and this we don’t have. The ‘cost’ of these weapons that they have brought into the country is oil, yet they should in fact pay us in ‘hard currency’ for this oil, hard currency thus being another of those words which has lost its true meaning. Instead of giving us ‘hard currency’ they bring weapons into Iran and establish a military base for themselves so that should they one day find themselves in difficulties, they will have a base here which they can use! This is the state of affairs in Iran- a state in which the country has lost its agriculture on the one hand, and has lost, and continues to lose, its oil on the other, for indeed they are still taking it away, and they do so in the manner already described. Here, right here in this civilized country, airplanes worth 350 million and 550 million dollars have been said to have been received in lieu of oil given! What on earth do we want with these airplanes? We only want to travel between Mashhad and Qum or Tehran, so why must they provide us with an aircraft worth 350 million dollars? I just can’t imagine why! They are to take away our oil, and this aircraft is to be here in its stead. And it is the same everywhere.

THE RESULT OF THE POPULAR RASTAKHIZ PARTY! The situation in Iran is one in which truly impressive terms are used, terms such as ‘land reforms’- what a terrible shambles that has turned out to be- and again, terms such as the Rastakhiz Party, the ‘popular Rastakhiz Party’! Again, from the very beginning, from the time when they first established this party, we spoke up about this matter. We have already said all that we could in this regard. But now we are talking about the popular nature of this party, and how these words were in fact words without meaning. Members of their (the regime’s) own outfit, people from intelligence (SAVAK) and the like, were forced to form this party. The people did not accept it; they did not give it their vote. As for those who did vote for it, it later became apparent that the whole thing had been forced upon them, because no sooner was the external

217 Prior to the Revolution, the Iranian army was unable to use those weapons bought from America unless it received the help of American specialists and advisers. This was due to inadequate training, both with regard to the quality and the amount of training given; a deficiency in introductory and foundation course training; and other issues of political concern. The extent of Iran’s military dependency on America was so great that the Iranian army was incapable of managing its own affairs without the daily assistance of America, any kind of aviation or aircraft maintenance only being possible under American supervision and with the help of their technical expertise.

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pressure relaxed than one member withdrew from the party, and then another, and then another, until they had all abandoned it and returned to their own affairs. Unlike other parties which are recognized by the people, this party has now become a party which is not in any way recognized as such! So much for this ‘popular party’! Yet you all saw for yourselves how much, how extensively, this man (the Shah) spoke about this party! One of the things he said was that it was all well and good for those who joined this partyhere we have another example of those freedoms given to the people- but that whoever did not join it was to take his passport and leave, for he did not belong to this country! The only ones who belonged to this country were those who had joined this party, this so-called popular party! It was called a popular party, but what did this word mean here? It meant nothing. It was meaningless. Everyone realized that it was a popular party in name only. And so the story goes on. If we were to expand upon these terms now, it would take a long time, and I am no longer well enough to talk or to hold a discussion for such a lengthy period.

TWO CHOICES: DEATH AND LIFE I pray that God may keep you; and may you all be soldiers for your country. Gentlemen, please take this matter seriously. The issues now facing Iran are serious ones; they are issues of vital importance. You who are abroad must take these issues seriously. What we are talking about is no joke. We are talking about Iran teetering on the brink whereby she is either to be annihilated, to be destroyed forever, or she is to recapture her vitality and prove her own existence. We now lie at this fork in the road. There are only two paths for us to choose from: one leads to life and one to death- death for evermore. This cause for which our nation is now fighting demands that this monarchy be destroyed, that this form of rule be done away with, for it is corrupt. The terms monarchical regime and imperial regime are meaningless terms, they are intrinsically corrupt. This nation says that this regime must go. We say we want independence; we want to administer our own country by ourselves; we don’t want it to lie under the control of others. The country belongs to us, whether for better or for worse it is still ours and we don’t want others to interfere in our country’s affairs.

STEP BY STEP POLITICS MEANS COMPROMISE AND DEFEAT! If we step down in any way from the position we have adopted, or if we proceed by taking things step by step- to quote certain gentlemen- this means in the first instance agreeing to allow that gentleman (the Shah) to rule as sovereign rather than to govern, for this is the policy adhered to by the said gentlemen! Some argue that for now we are to say that he is to reign and not to govern! But what does this mean? It means that a person who, for almost thirty years personally, and along with his father for almost fifty years, has killed our youngsters, has violated our honor, and has allowed our country to be plundered, this person is now to reign as king! As King of kings! As Shahan Shah! It means accepting this; accepting that he is now to reign as sovereign but not to govern as sovereign. If we listen to those who make this argument and we agree with them on this point, then we will have signed the death warrant of Islam, the Muslims and the Islamic State forever. And this will have been the greatest act of betrayal that we could ever commit against our own country, or that we have ever committed against Islam. If we treat this matter lightly and remain content with what we have achieved so far, they will silence us once and for all. This time if this poisonous snake is allowed yet another chance, then it will poison Iran and the Iranian people such that they will never again be able to make a move. Wake up gentlemen! Beware!

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Don’t make the mistake of believing that we ought to proceed in stages, a step at a time, for this is a mistake. This argument is in error. Or again, don’t listen to the argument which calls for a monarch who is to abide by the constitutional law and is to allow free elections to be held- these are the ideas which are injected by the Shah himself; he himself injects these ideas. A constant interchange of visits is now going on in Iran!218 Visits have begun to be paid and repaid now in order to undermine the nation! The Shah has in fact held a private meeting with one person for two hours. Someone who had come here today to hold an interview told me this. He said that he had interviewed the Shah in private for two hours and that he now wants to interview other leading governmental figures.219 As for these (members of the government), if they manage to thwart just one of our plans, they will then pulverize us so that never again will an Iranian experience a proper life, freedom or independence. Now that the nation’s fists are raised, are clenched and are putting up a fight, there could be no act of betrayal worse than causing them to be lowered, causing these uplifted fists to drop down and extinguishing this fire which has now been kindled in Iran. Should this fire go out, there is no way that a second could be relit.

EVERYONE’S DUTY IS TO SPREAD THE TRUTH Listen gentlemen, we must pool all our resources together, all of them. That is to say, a has a duty to fulfill, and so does b, and so does c, and so do I- so do we all. The duty to be fulfilled is to propagate the cause here as much as possible. Tell those who don’t already know, about the issues at stake. Their propaganda has served to introduce us as reactionary people, to introduce the akhund as a reactionist. This akhund says that we want what is rightly ours; we want freedom; we want independence. Is this being reactionary? Taking away that which belongs to us is not reactionary! Is it then a sign of civilization? Does our wanting not to give what is ours away make us reactionaries? Are you, those who want to keep us in shackles and who want us to remain as captives forever, are you not reactionaries, whereas we who say we want to be free are?! If we abandon our own argument, our own objective, then we will have to bear the burden of this oppression and tyranny forever.

ASSISTING THE MOVEMENT IS A DIVINE DUTY Each person, each individual, now has a duty to perform; he has a sacred duty, a righteous duty, a moral duty to help these Iranians who are now putting up a fight and shouting out. Each person is to help as much as he can. Those in Iran are sacrificing their lives, sacrificing their young for our sakes and for the sake of Islam. They are making sacrifices for the sake of the nation, and we too are a part of that nation so we too

218 It refers to the Shah’s meeting with Messers. Siyasi, Sadiqi and Sanjabi, for choosing the Prime Minister. 219 Following the show of incompetence by Azhari’s military government, the regime took steps to establish a coalition government which was to comprise members of opposing views. Thus, it contacted certain political figures such as Dr. Sadiqi, a member of the National Front. The latter agreed to accept the Premiership on condition that a Regency Council be set up without the Shah having to leave the country, but this proposition was not agreed to by the Shah. Prior to the establishment of the military government, the Shah had held a meeting with another leading figure of the National Front, Dr. Karim Sanjabi. On this occasion, the Shah proposed that Sanjabi form a national alliance government. After consulting with his colleagues in the National Front, Sanjabi went to Paris where he met with Imam Khomeini and asked for his opinion on the matter. Imam told him that he regarded this as a conciliatory move and one which was against the country’s interests, and Sanjabi came to accept this view. After returning to Tehran, Sanjabi was arrested before he had chance to tell journalists of the outcome of his talks with Imam. In the end, the lot fell upon Shapur Bakhtiar, and following lengthy discussions with the latter, the Shah decided to appoint him to form a new government. The Shah also held several talks with Ali Amini.

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must help; whoever is able to must help as much as he can. If you are able to give a press interview, then do so and tell them what you have to say. Or if you are able to talk to those friends that you have in the universities and elsewhere, then when you see a few of them are assembled together, stand and talk to them; tell them that this is the state of affairs in Iran; they are doing this to Iran; this is how much they have oppressed these people. Tell them what it is we want; what this uproar is for. Is it really because they have given us too much freedom that we are shouting out and asking: why do you allow us so much freedom?! Does this uproar stem from the fact that they have given us freedom too quickly and too rapidly, as Mr. Carter says when he argues that the reason these people are crying out is because His Majesty has given freedom too quickly?! When we shout the word ‘freedom’, are we saying that we have been given indigestion from too much freedom so don’t give us any more of it?! Is this what we are saying? Is this the problem? According to Mr. Carter it is! Therefore, we all have a duty to fulfill. All of us must do everything in our power to rescue this Islamic country. Saving a nation is no laughing matter; it concerns the rescue of a nation. We must all join hands together in fraternity. God willing, you will succeed [the audience: “God willing”]. May the Lord grant you all success [the audience: “Amen”].

52nd Speech Date: November 3, 1978/Aban 12, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 2, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The progress of the movement and the futility of the military government Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT AND THE SHAH’S RETREAT The Islamic movement of Iran has now reached its climax and is going through a period in which it is bearing fruit. The Shah is now resorting to a variety of measures as he has done in the past. One of the forms which these measures of his have taken has been to establish a government, a ‘government of reconciliation! ‘ And that was the government which, from the time it was formed until the present, has killed thousands of our youth, massacring them and plunging the whole of Iran into a state of mourning. They wanted to deceive the people by appearing to have become reconciled with them, and so the government announced its reconciliation with the people, and also said that the calendar was to return to being what it legally was in the first place (that being the Islamic calendar). They gave the law of the

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Zoroastrians and the Rastakhiz Party a miss220, and later scaled down those arms deals that they had made221 and either cancelled or cut back on the deals concerning atomic energy.222 These are all tricks which they are busy playing in order to silence this movement; to destroy this wave which has appeared in Iran and which is laying everything to waste like a raging flood, and to put out the fire in people’s hearts. And initially they may well make certain compromises, and make it appear as though there are certain freedoms, as though there is “an open, free climate”- to quote them- but following this, as soon as this affair (the uprising) has died down and that burning passion which has now flared up in Iran has cooled down, then, once they have had chance to re-establish their footing and they feel sure that no such movement will again start up, they will make such an attack and will inflict such damages on whatever concerns the nation, that neither the clerical front, nor the political front, nor those from the university or the bazaar, will ever again be able to breathe! The situation which has now arisen in Iran has wounded this venomous serpent. Those things of which he (the Shah) was always convinced in his own mind- ideas which told him: “There is only I, and the rest of the nation are all my supporters; love of the Shah exists throughout Iran; everyone is under my command and no one dares or could possibly want to oppose me” all of these ideas have caved in! The veils screening these ivory towers, these fanciful ideas which they had impressed upon the people, ideas which bore no truth but which were nevertheless conveyed to the people in impressive, dressed-up terms- these veils were drawn back somewhat and these lofty ivory towers that they had erected fell to pieces one by one, many of the hopes and ambitions that they held being trampled upon. He (the Shah) is now a wounded viper who, given the chance, should the nation show any signs of weakness or of relaxing its efforts, will lift up its head and this time will inject its poison into all sectors of society- a poison for which they will no longer be able to seek a cure.

220 In an interview given to mark Mordad 28 [August 19] coup, the Shah said: “When we said this party is one which is all-embracing, we meant that whoever wanted to could join it. Now, with this policy known as an open-door policy which affords people ultimate and absolute freedom, we no longer expect one hundred percent of the country to join this party. No indeed, there may be someone who for some reason or other may not want to join it; he may hold different ideas. This person, in accordance with the civilized laws of the developed world, will be able to, and indeed now is more or less able to, either say or write whatever he wishes.” 221 In a report entitled: “Major arms purchases temporarily cancelled,” the Ittila’at newspaper of October 20, 1978/Aban 27, 1357 SH read: “The reason these purchases have been cancelled is said to be due to the unrest and internal problems now facing Iran. As a result of these disturbances, the Shahanshah of Iran intends to decrease the amount of oil revenue currently used up by the country’s military.” 222 One of the steps which was to be taken by the government of national reconciliation (i. e. Sharif Imami’s Cabinet), was the reassessment of major, multimillion-dollar contracts. One such contract involved the purchase of nuclear arms technology from the West. The Kayhan and Ittila’at newspapers reported on October 16 and 29, 1978/Mehr 24 and Aban 7, 1357 SH: “The Iranian government intends to pursue the establishment of atomic power plants 1, 2, 3 and 4 in B1shehr, but although the German company Kraftwerk Union has already been notified in writing of Iran’s wish for it to construct four new nuclear power plants, nevertheless, negotiations to finalize agreements have, for the present, been postponed. Other matters which are expected to be reassessed because of the government’s policy to cut back expenditure include negotiations concerning the purchase of eight nuclear power plants from the company Westinghouse Electric.” Toward the end of October, 1978 (the beginning of Aban, 1356 SH), a delegation of economic advisers came to Tehran from Germany and deferred Iran’s purchase of four nuclear plants for a period of one year. Following the arrest of the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, an arrest made on the orders of Sharif Imami’s government, talks over other agreements also came to a halt.

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FUTILITY OF MARTIAL LAW AND COUP D’ÉTAT All of these measures to which he has resorted are acts of deceit; like his forming a ‘government of reconciliation,’ a reconciliation which they now recognize as something which would seem to be even worse than war between the nations! Those conciliatory measures they believed they had taken, appeared in the form of a crude martial law system, and again, in governing by martial law they suffered defeat. Martial law indeed! Now, it is just them and their public announcements which are left! They announce in public announcement number whatever, that no more than two people are to walk together in the streets. But on the contrary, in the very place where martial law is in force, 300,000,500,000 people and sometimes more, march in the streets chanting slogans and saying whatever they please! Yes, martial law also failed. And due to the failure of martial law and the confrontation between the fist and the tank, they realized that the fist is more than a match for the tank; that the nation’s will preponderates over the cannon and the machine-gun. And neither do they hold out any hope for a military coup d’état, although they do still give it some consideration. Yes, a military coup d’état!223 That is in fact what we are now faced with, a military coup! For what is a military coup anyway? When a military coup takes place some military figure or other takes charge of affairs and, should he be a really callous person, he treats the people harshly, although sometimes he may not in fact be callous. So today martial law is in force throughout the whole of Iran. In some cities however, it is being officially enforced, whereas in others, it is being enforced unofficially. Now, throughout Iran, the definition of a military-governed country, and of depriving the people of everything, holds true.

CONTINUOUS DEFEATS AND THE SHAH’S NEW TRICKS Therefore, the first trick to which they resorted was to establish a government of reconciliation with all that it entailed, including making claim to its religious affiliations, for when this government was first installed he referred to himself as a clergyman, claiming that he was a clergyman’s son, that he was someone whose mother and father came from a religious background and so on.224 Then his government began to make those concessionary and deceitful moves, and that was when, from the moment this government was established, I impressed upon the people not to be taken in by this deceit for this government was in fact worse than that military-style government! This government posed a greater threat than the other one! With a military-style government, one knows that this government has been installed so as to use the bayonet when dealing with one, and so one obviously behaves with caution and so on. But when a government is 223 During the final months of the Shah’s reign, one of the solutions to the popular demonstrations and the Islamic Revolution which was considered by the Shah’s supporters and discussed in political circles was the staging of a military coup and the installation of military rule. However, the Shah’s mistake lay in establishing a military government under General Azhari, and this mistake, combined with Imam’s timely warning to the effect that: “A military coup d’état can do no more than can a military government,” meant that this plan was never given the chance to be put into operation. 224 In August/ September of 1978 [Shahrivar 1357 SH], having accepted the premiership, Sharif Imami introduced himself as someone who was a descendant of the Prophet (i.e. a sayyid), who came from a background of clergymen, and who followed Mr. Shariatmadari in religious matters! Parsons writes: “The Shah appointed the President of the Senate, Ja’far Sharif Imami, a man who came from a religious family and who associated with members of the clergy, as Amuzegar’s replacement.” In truth however, he did not in fact associate with the clergy, and especially not with those religious leaders who opposed the regime. Basing its comments upon Sharif Imami’s genealogya publication published by himself- the Ittila’at of August 27, 1978/Shahrivar 5, 1357 SH wrote: “The Prime Minister of Iran is the child of a clergyman in every respect and is related to the descendants of Islam’s great thinkers!”

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installed through deceit with the intention of keeping the people in their place, this catches the people off their guard; and this is extremely dangerous. Right from the beginning, right from when it was first announced that a government of reconciliation was to be established, I informed the people of the issues entailed in whatever way I possibly could. However, this government of reconciliation was defeated and martial law was enforced throughout Iran! It was enforced officially in twelve of Iran’s major cities, but now this too has met with defeat. Martial law is still in force, but it is a defeated martial law. According to martial law regulations, no one is to come out at night- they put the initially-designated curfew back two hours, then, again brought it forward, announcing that the people were to do whatever two hours earlier than they had to do before- yet the people opened up their shops and while seated there, began to recite the Qur’an. The government was thus compelled to put the curfew back by the same number of hours that it had previously been brought forward.225 Demonstrations also continue to be held on the same grand scale in all of those places where either martial law, or indeed another form of law, is in force- that is to say, those places where martial law is officially in force, or where it is unofficially in force! Hence, this too has failed, and because of this, any plans to stage a military coup or to appoint a military figure as Prime Minister will also fail. Should they be stupid enough to establish military rule nationwide, that is, to appoint a military figure as Premier with a view to frightening the people, then let it be known that the people have shed their fear, they no longer heed threats such as these. Even small children have rendered the police powerless and have stood up in confrontation against them. The latter fight with bayonets, cannons and tanks, and the people, with fists, stones and these kinds of things. Thus, martial law, the government of reconciliation, and military coups, are all doomed to fail. These can no longer be considered as viable options. These moves are ones which will fail and indeed have failed to achieve their intended objectives; no matter how much they may want them to work, they will not. Another measure resorted to, has been for them (the regime) to choose certain persons for the Premiership say, and thus to further their aims. This sometimes means them selecting someone with whom the people are somewhat familiar; and sometimes it means them selecting someone who has not featured predominantly in the government, either while these recent governments have been in power or during those periods when he (the Shah) has engaged in acts of oppression and cruelty. They themselves have realized that the nation will no longer accept those who have held a key post, headed a ministry, or have been a parliamentary delegate during this government’s term in office. But they are making a mistake in trying to fool the people in this way. Sometimes a person’s resignation from a ministerial post; sometimes

225 Following the announcement of martial law in twelve of the country’s cities on September 8, 1978/Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH and the earthquake which occurred in Tabas on September 16, 1978/Shahrivar 25, 1357 SH, the situation in Iran seemed to calm down. Under the impression that martial law had brought about this state of calm, the regime gradually began to reduce the hours during which the public circulation of people was forbidden. In Announcement Number One, the Military Governor’s Office for Greater Tehran, which had previously declared the hours of curfew to be between 9 pm and 5 am, now, on September 10, 1978/Shahrivar 19, 1357 SH, reduced this period by one hour, declaring curfew hours to be between 10 pm and 5 am. The following announcement reduced this period by yet another hour, declaring the hours of curfew to be from 11 pm until 5 am. The new regulations declared in this latest announcement, were also observed in other cities where martial law was in force. However, from the end of September 1978 (the beginning of Mehr, 1357 SH), a time when the movement entered a new stage, the regime was compelled to increase the hours of curfew, Qum being the first city in which this new law was enforced. Hence, Announcement Number One, issued by the Governor’s Office in the city of Greater Qum, declared the hours in which the public circulation of people was forbidden to have changed from between 11 pm and 5 am, to between 9 pm and 4: 30 am.

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from a parliamentary post; sometimes a person’s withdrawal from the Rastakhiz Party226 - all of these are now tricks which this nation of ours no longer falls for.

PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATES NOT THE NATION’S REPRESENTATIVES It may well be that someone (in the government) has really and truly repented, but even disregarding those great sins which he has so far committed, those acts of betrayal which he has committed to date, it is likely that one act of betrayal is common among all other such acts, that being the parliamentary delegates’ awareness of the fact that they are not the nation’s true representatives! Indeed, this is not something known to the parliamentary delegates alone. Everyone knows that this Majlis does not belong to the people and that it is a Majlis which was established on the Shah’s orders, at bayonet point- at first there was no need to use the bayonet or other coercive measures, but now there is, for initially it was established on his orders, and there again, not in fact his orders, but according to the instruction list which would come to him from the (foreign) embassies. He himself admitted that not so long back they would present a list and the foreign embassies would determine who were to be parliamentary delegates.227 Now however, it is not like this! No indeed, now the situation is as I have explained and even worse still. All of these delegates without exception know, and indeed knew at the time they actually entered Parliament, that they are not the true representatives of the people and that this Majlis is a violation of the Constitution. But in spite of this they still entered the Majlis, all of them. Those who violated the Constitution and entered the Parliament while knowing that this is in contravention of the Constitution committed an act of betrayal with the very first step they took into the Majlis. Now even if we overlook the things they did in Parliament and disregard their changing the Islamic calendar- an act of such outrageous impudence toward the station of the Holy Prophet- even if we overlook this, the fact that all of these delegates voted for these things, and that these things came about because they gave them their unanimous approval, cannot be overlooked. It may well be that one of these delegates now asks for forgiveness and argues that when they brought this proposal to the Majlis, he didn’t want to give it his vote but that he was afraid not to, or again, argues that he did not in fact cast his vote, but even so, you entered a Majlis which lay in contravention of the Constitution, as someone who has been given the authority to act on behalf of the nation, and this is treachery. Just stepping into the Parliament was itself a treacherous act. Therefore, the nation does not accept these people who have at any time been a part of this government, this illegal government that is.

PRINCIPLE OF MONARCHIAL RULE OF THE PAHLAVI’S DYNASTY IS ILLEGAL Yet another point to note is that in principle monarchical rule by the Pahlavi dynasty is a contravention of the constitutional law- yes, the very principle on which the monarchy is based. As anyone of my age or even a little younger remembers, when Reza Shah came and staged a coup no one was at all able to say 226 On November 5, 1978/Aban 14, 1357 SH, the resignations of the Minister of Science (Abul-Fazl Qazi) and the Minister of Education (Manuchehr Ganji) were announced. Before this date, on November 4 [Aban 13], Ahmad Bani Ahmad, resigned his position as a Member of Parliament, and so too four days later, Manuchehrazmun (Minister of State), Bahihri (Minister of Justice), and a number of parliamentary representatives, resigned as members of the Rastakhiz Party. See newspapers published between September and November 1978 [Mehr and Aban, 1357 SH]. 227 In the book Mission for My Country, we read: “During the Second World War, while Iran was under Allied occupation, the latter’s officials would prepare a list of candidates chosen by themselves which they would then give to the Prime Minister of the day, insisting that the said candidates were definitely elected to the Majlis.”

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anything in opposition to him. As for those who do not remember or have never heard of this, they can go and ask the more elderly men about it, although this affair is in fact something quite obvious and wellknown to all. No one had the power needed to speak out against him, and if there were a few people who were strong enough to do this, these were the odd ones who could not make any impact, those who were unable to achieve anything. The Constituent Assembly, which they set up during Reza Shah’s reign in order to alter the contents of the constitutional law, was an assembly which was opposed by the nation. It wasn’t a case of the nation being unaware of what was going on; the nation was actually against it! However, the people didn’t dare to express their opposition although no one actually went to cast their vote either. The people stayed put; they got on with their own affairs; they didn’t dare to speak out. The parliamentary representatives of the Constituent Assembly, an assembly of appointed delegates which was established in order to alter the contents of the Constitution, to overthrow the Qajar dynasty and install the Pahlavi dynasty, were not the people’s representatives! Everyone knows this. Reza Khan knows this too; even now as he lies in his grave, he knows that these were not true representatives. His son also knows! As for these parliamentary representatives, unlike us, the popular masses, who remain little informed, they are now well aware of what is going on; and they all know that the underlying principles of the Pahlavi monarchy indeed lie counter to the law, counter to the constitutional law. And if his (Reza Shah’s) reign as monarch did not accord with the constitutional law, if the Pahlavi monarchy did not accord with the constitutional law, then neither does his son’s monarchy, for the fact remains that when the latter’s reign is a violation of the Constitution, so too is the appointment of parliamentary representatives. Even if the latter are appointed by the people, the Constitution states that the king must give the order for such an appointment to be made, and we do not have a king to give such an order. The people did not have a king. This king in fact never was. A king whose reign is a violation of the constitutional law is not a king. These representatives are aware of the fact that this so-called dynasty of kings came to power unconstitutionally, and that consequently, whatever they (the representatives) do contravenes the constitutional law. I am talking in their own language. I am using their own logic as a premise for my argument, since they no doubt respect the constitutional law. Hence, by taking this matter of the Constitution and that contained within it into account, I assert that we have never, from the outset, from the time of Reza Shah down to the present, had a true representative of the people! The people however, were unaware of this fact, or if they were aware, then they were not in a position to determine who was to represent them- there was just no chance of this. Therefore, throughout their entire reign, both the monarchy was a violation of the Constitution and so were those who were in the Majlis. As for the Senate, half of its members were to be appointed by the Shah and the other half by the nation. But the nation was not sufficiently informed and we in fact had no Shah to make such an appointment, for the Shah was not a legitimate king. Hence, those who were appointed to represent the people or to administer their affairs, have all represented or administered in contravention of the Constitution- all of them! With regard to this other measure to which they resorted, which involved changing one key figure for another, and choosing someone whom they believed was not disadvantaged by having held a governmental post during their time in power- a move which involved turning to the universities for example, and choosing a university lecturer who had not held a governmental post while they have been in power- now

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let’s say that this has been done, and the person in question now wants to enter Parliament, this again is a violation of the constitutional law, for who is in fact putting him there? Who appoints him to the Premiership? And what kind of Majlis sanctions his Premiership? Which Majlis does this?! The Majlis which is a violation of the Constitution, the monarchy which is a violation of the Constitution; and thus, this Premiership too is a violation of the Constitution. God forgive me, but imagine if they were to go and bring the honest and trustworthy Archangel Gabriel down from the heavens to the earth, and that they were to incarnate him here, he who is so pure, clean and chaste, even if they were to do this, nevertheless, according to their own reasoning, the constitutional king would still have to appoint the Prime Minister and the Majlis representatives, and then the Majlis would have to sanction this appointment, but indeed, we don’t have a constitutional king!228 From the very first day the Constitution was not abided by. From day one of the constitutional law, this very law, which they all (supposedly) agree to, was not abided by. One of the articles stipulated in the constitutional law states that five mujtahids229 are to have a presence in the Majlis and are to supervise affairs to ensure that those laws passed therein do not contravene the religious law in any way. This is what this constitutional law of ours says; this is what the supplementary constitutional laws say. So, in fact they deceived the people from the very moment that the Constitution was first composed. They engaged in deception from the beginning- just like they want to now deceive the people by bringing a government of “reconciliation” to power. From the very moment that they first laid down the Constitution, these evil fiends who were aware of the situation deceived those clergymen and devout believers who supported them. These fiends acted deceitfully; they accepted the supplementary constitutional laws and so on, but when the time came to act according to these laws, this they did not do. That is, they did not bring five mujtahids to the Majlis! Initially a meeting of sorts was held, but that was just for show, then that was it- nothing. Now it’s nearly fifty years, in fact more than fifty years, that the clergy have not been allowed into the Majlis whereby to supervise affairs, and this contravenes the constitutional law. So, supposing that Gabriel does actually descend to earth and that His Majesty now wants to go to the Parliament to appoint him and to give him his authorization so as to receive the approval of both the lower and upper Houses, here, even the honest and trustworthy Archangel Gabriel would be violating the constitutional law, for this act is not legal. His office would be illegal. And therefore, this measure resorted to would not come to anything. 228 From the time that the constitutional law was first formed, it had made provisions for the Shah to be vested with many powers, yet even so, in 1949 [1328 SH] the constitutional law was altered such that the area of authority vested in the Shah was widened even more. Article 48 of the constitutional law of Iran, which had been accepted in 1906 [1285 SH] as the basis of a constitutional system, had stated that Parliament could only be dissolved with the consent of its members. In 1949 [1328 SH] however, this article was altered whereby the Shah was granted the authority to order for the dissolution of both Houses whenever he pleased. Again, according to the supplementary constitutional laws, monarchical rule could be legally transferred from one person or family to another person or family through the Constituent Assembly. However, in accordance with an amendment which was legislated on May 8, 1949/Urdibehesht 18, 1328 SH and added to Article 48 (of the Constitution), the Constituent Assembly itself was in fact to be set up by favor of both parliamentary Houses and the Shah. Moreover, this amendment also stated that decisions reached by the Constituent Assembly are only legally valid when endorsed by the Shah. The rights which once belonged to the people and to both Houses of Parliament, were thus now granted to the Shah. In 1961 [1340 SH] the Shah announced that he also had the right to legislate laws in absence of the Majlis! This claim, which clearly contradicted every article contained in Iran’s constitutional law, was accepted as a ‘royal command’ by the government of the day, and after this, the Shah actually governed for a period without a Majlis! Hence, it would be true to say that from 1955 [1334 SH] onwards the Shah was able to rule with plenary authority, and that the difference between this autocratic king and the constitutional monarch was plain for all to see. 229 Mujtahid: an authority on divine law who is entitled to give an independent judgment on a point of theology or law.

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THE PEOPLE’S REMARK: “WE DO NOT WANT THE SHAH” Apart from this, if we now ignore the legal side of things and disregard the perspective in which they (the government) look at the matter, how could these things possibly make the people have a change of heart? Are the people crying out in despair of the ministers, saying: “Just look what our minister is like?” The people are shouting: “We don’t want the Shah,” yet you (the Shah) want to appoint a new minister?! Is this how you answer the cry: “We don’t want the Shah,” by saying: “This is who your new minister is to be?!” Indeed, why don’t these foreigners who claim that this nation is demanding whatever, go and see for themselves just what the people really want? Let them go and see what the people in the bazaars are shouting; what those in the schools are shouting; what those in the universities are shouting; what those outside the universities are shouting; what those on the farms are shouting. Yes, let them go and see these people. Let them see just what these people are crying out all across Iran, just what it is that they want. If twenty-four hours should pass by without them having heard the said slogan chanted repeatedly by each person, then I shall take back what I have said, and shall simply go about my daily life. But they are sure to hear the people crying out that they don’t want him (the Shah); they will hear them shouting: “Death to the Shah.” Everyone is shouting this, from the small child who has recently learned to talk, to the old man, who, like me, is now only able to speak very slowly. Indeed, everyone is shouting that they don’t want him. When an entire nation doesn’t want something- even though the Shah is supposedly there to serve the nation- when it doesn’t want him, then there is no way that he can be forced upon the people. Yes, they did force him upon the people, but to no avail. They may even resort to dismissing one minister and replacing him with another, with someone who may well be a very good person, or even with people who have all been chosen by other parliamentary members and ministers, people chosen from among university figures or people who are virtuous men of distinction. If they heed such considerations that is- but nevertheless, the point is that the people’s demands do not concern the ministers whereby they can be made content by being told: “There you are, we have provided you with a minister who is of honorable character!” The people are shouting that it is the monarchial dynasty itself that they don’t want! The underlying principles on which monarchical rule is based have been false and erroneous from the start. Now, even if we were to suppose that the entire nation is not in fact crying out against monarchical rule as such, still, no one can deny the fact that all of Iran is crying out that it does not want the Pahlavi dynasty. The Iranian people are saying: “We don’t want the Pahlavi dynasty,” and you say: “I have got rid of that minister and appointed another one!” But this reply does not answer the former statement. This reply cannot put an end to the matter, for this is not what the people are demanding. If the people were shouting: “Our minister is no good; our parliamentary delegate is no good,” then yes, they (the government) could change that minister for another, they could change that delegate for another, this would be feasible. But when this is not what the people are asking for, you are in fact doing something which does not accord with their demands; you are not doing that which the people are demanding of you, and therefore things cannot be put right. Therefore, this measure resorted to will also end in defeat. Its defeat is a hundred percent guaranteed because it is a measure which has nothing at all to offer (the people). And no matter how they carry out this deception, it will get them nowhere: should they wish to take the military option, this they have already done and it has failed. Should they wish to replace military rule with another form of rule, there is no telling whether those in the military would accept such a situation any more, for having

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seen a cruel system like that of this good-for-nothing (the Shah) suffer defeat, and knowing that they cannot outdo him when it comes to being wicked, they realize that any new form of rule is also doomed to fail. Hence, neither martial law, nor a military coup d’état, nor these tricks, such as establishing a government of reconciliation- none of these have paid off.

THE SHAH’S RESORTING TO CLUB-BEARING KOLIS AND HOOLIGANS Now, they are taking another course of action, and that is to call the kolis (gypsies) into play. God knows what a disgrace it is for a country when its government has a military force of which it is in despair, or which it is afraid to put into use, and when, in a country whose king, ministers and defense forces should, in principle, seek to establish law and order, they (the regime) turn to a group of hooligans for help! We hear of these kolis in Kerman. And in other places too, we hear of other mercenaries of theirs (the regime). They intend to remain in power under the protection of club-bearing kolis! That a person such as this (the Shah) should rule over us is for us a disgrace. That a person such as this should administer our affairs on our behalf, or that he should act as our representative, is for us a disgrace. Yet he (the Shah) is now continuing to survive as king under the protection of the club-bearing koli! However, this too is to no avail. If the club is to be resorted to, then indeed, the people too have clubs! The people also took up the club in retaliation and got rid of them (the kolis). Of course, these hooligans were protected by the military, like the time before Khordad 15 (June 5), when they poured into the city of Qum and into Fayziyyah Madrasah and committed those acts of violence. On this occasion, the regime hired a group of their own people who stormed the religious school (Fayziyyah) and carried out the said deed while enjoying police and military protection. And this is what they are doing now. They are engaging in acts of violence while under the protection of the armed forces, the military. The ‘armed forces’ indeed! This is one of those terms of which I spoke earlier as having lost its true meaning, our ‘armed forces’ now only being a semblance of the real thing! Our ‘armed’ forces have now become ‘destructive’ forces. They pour into the provinces behind these hooligans. They have done this in several cities so far, pouring into the city and committing acts of violence there. But this too is a futile exercise; these measures resorted to are all to no avail.

FOREIGN PROPAGANDA TO BESMIRCH THE MOVEMENT As for the propaganda spread by the Americans, the British, and so on, this too has now run its course; it will no longer get them anywhere. Certain publications have reported America as saying that an underground Anglo-Russian network has in fact orchestrated these disturbances230, meaning that the British and the Russians have joined forces and have told me to say these things that I am now telling you, and so this I do! Or that they have told those in the bazaar to shout out in protest, and thus the latter shout out! Or that they have also told the mullahs to shout in protest and have supposedly come and told you to shout

230 The Shah was convinced that the uprising in Iran was not in fact a popular uprising! Instead he believed it to be a plan devised by others which the Iranian people then acted upon. He held that what was happening could not be the doing of the KGB alone and that there was no doubt of the CIA’s involvement in affairs! The Shah particularly had his suspicions about the British, saying that they held a grudge toward Iran following the nationalization of Iranian oil. He believed that because the oil consortium had not conceded to the conditions proposed by the British for a renewal of the oil contract, the latter had incited the Iranian people against him. During a private discussion with Parviz Raji, the Iranian ambassador to Britain, the Shah had said: “There is no doubt that the KGB is behind many of these events that are taking place and it would seem that our friends in the West have also had a part to play in recent disturbances.”

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these slogans that you now chant! It has been said in America that this is all the doing of an underground Anglo-Russian network, that these disturbances are being orchestrated by the British and the Russians. It is highly likely that the British are involved in this brazen interference. Their usual policy is to cast a slur upon themselves in order to further their aims- to besmirch this movement by saying that it is an AngloRussian affair! But this will get them nowhere either, because now even our children know that whatever they say is false! Let them say whatever they want to say. Not only all of our youth and our elderly people but even our small children know that these things that they say are empty, deceitful words, and that their purpose is to silence this movement. The people know that these things are said in order to silence this movement that is now causing all of the various groups which are plundering us to tremble, and which, God willing, will bring them to ruin [the audience: “God willing”]. They know that these things are said to extinguish this fire which has been lit in people’s hearts. This is something of which the people are now aware. Therefore resorting to these tactics is to no avail.

SHAH MUST GO The key to that which would indeed be expedient, lies in the hands of ‘His Royal Highness’ himself! No one else can provide the answer: the answer being for him to get up and leave! [laughter from the audience]. He himself holds the key should he want calm to be restored! He ought to take his wife and children, leave this country and save himself, for I fear that the disturbance may get out of hand and that they (the regime) may even resort to killing small children, and we wouldn’t like to see something like this happen, where even small children are exterminated. Yes, he himself holds the key- although of course the nation too has a part to play in this. I know what is best for him, and that is for him to quietly board some airplane or other at night and to go to those villas which have been provided for him abroad at such great expense! If our people let him that is. [A member of the audience: They won’t let him; they feel obliged to stop him sir. They feel obliged to stop him; they won’t let him leave.] Imam: God willing, they will track him down even once he has gone there. God willing, God will grant you success. May you make progress and succeed, God willing. You are the victors; that is to say, you are already victorious. There is no need for him to leave, you have (already) pulled him down from his throne; he is no longer on the throne. Now he constantly has to resort to different measures (to survive). I prefer not to discuss some of these measures to which he has resorted. I prefer not to talk about them but suffice it to say that he constantly has to resort to new tactics. You have pulled him down from that lofty ‘Aryamehr’ rank; you have brought him down to an inferior level whereby he is now busy resorting to the kolis! This constitutes a victory for you. May God grant you further victories and may you see this triumph through to the end, for this nation has always before been an oppressed nation, a nation which has until now struggled desperately under the heels of both foreigners and those within the country. May God grant you and grant us all success in rescuing this nation.

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53rd Speech Date: November 4, 1978/Aban 13, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 3, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The need for opposition to the conspiracies of the Shah’s regime to maintain sovereignty Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A PEOPLE WITH UNITY OF PURPOSE Our burdens are many and so too are the tactics which the Shah and his partisans resort to. The latter have in the past and even now still turn to various ways of suppressing the nation. They either resort to the use of force, employing the military, the security forces, the police and so on, means which experience has shown to be inadequate in calming the people, or they turn to the use of threats in the belief that threatening to assassinate someone231 will have an effect and that our people are now reliant upon one person. This nation whose impetus now emerges from within and which is now acting on its own volition, cannot be motivated by any power to act in this way, whereby, as you can see, throughout a country of thirty-odd million people- from its villages to its large cities, its capital to its outlying cities, its remote villageseveryone is standing up with a unity of purpose and is loudly shouting with one voice, “We don’t want this Pahlavi monarchy.” Even if at one time there had been some external motivating force involved or whatever, some kind of plea for action, which led to the present situation, nevertheless, now this is not the case. Now, whether those who are believed to have been the motivating forces are present or whether they are assassinated and so are not here anymore, it makes no difference, for this nation no longer seeks to rediscover a course which it has already found; the path it is to take is now evident. The effort needed to show the people which path they should take has already been made; the path they are to follow is now evident. Our country and our people now act of their own accord. That is, when they observe a general shutdown, they no longer wait for so-and-so to tell them to do this, or for the head of the union or some clerical or political figure to tell them to do this; this is the furthest thing from their minds. Say they believe that today a shutdown should be observed, suddenly, across the whole of Iran, everywhere can be seen to be closed down. Shutdowns in large cities are observed due to the fact that the people there decide that today is the day for a shutdown. It no longer makes any difference whether someone is there or not to tell them to close down. These threats, which suddenly caused the people to talk about so-and-so being assassinated, let us say, are childish threats. The fire will not become extinguished once the assassination has been carried out. The fire may well become brighter, but even if not, it will certainly not go out. This is

231 The rumor concerning the money laid out by the Shah’s regime for Imam Khomeini’s assassination had become widespread. While prayer gatherings were being held, or when Imam was delivering a speech, the adjoining street to Imam’s residence at Neauphle-le-Chateau was closed off by the French authorities. The latter monitored any movement in the area on a twenty-four-hour basis and opened any kind of package, subjecting it to careful inspection. Once these rumors had broken out, the number of security agents stationed in the vicinity was increased tenfold and these agents were replaced by more experienced and high-ranking forces. These agents had told Imam’s staff and family members: “The French government has been informed of an intended attempt on Imam’s life by a group of mercenaries (citizens of an Asian country) who have been paid 500 million dollars.” The abnormal state that now reigned across the city of Paris- in its suburbs, its airports, its key areas and in places which were frequented by students- was now quite discernible.

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yet another childish tactic to which they (the regime) sometimes resort. They used to do this in the past, and they have done it again now.

THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FOOLED They recently saw how the government of reconciliation could not achieve its intended aims, and this was because from the start it was a government which intended to trick the people into being misled and which wanted to silence this movement. They made certain promises and took certain steps and so on, but all of which bore no relation to the people’s demands, for the people were demanding something else. Yet in answering their demands, the government announced: “We have closed down the casinos!” But a thousand different kinds of centers of corruption still remained open! The main centre of corruption is the regime of Muhammad Reza Khan, whose doorway to corruption still remains open! Corruption here, not being used in its literal sense but being used to mean something even worse. Here corruption is being used to mean a royal court of utter oppression, a royal court of utter betrayal, of utter crime! If you were to close the doors to this (royal court), the nation would calm down to a certain extent- only to a certain extent of course, not completely. But you say you have closed the casinos! Are we to suppose that the people are doing all of this shouting and yelling and are giving so many lives because the casinos are open?! Is this what the people want, for the casinos to be closed down?! Of course, this is indeed one of the things they want, but one must listen to the cries of the people in the streets to see what it is they actually want. Once the true colors of the government of reconciliation were revealed and it became evident that reconciliation in fact meant martial law; that it meant finding a way out; that it meant handing authority over to one of the unruly rebels, to the kolis, to one of the down-andouts, for them to deal with the people; that it meant clubs, beatings, repression, suffocation and so on. Once all this became evident, they then adopted another tactic, although it was indeed evident to us from the start that this government was not what it claimed to be but that instead it aimed to fool the people so that it could silence this movement once and for all by whatever means necessary, an aim which they have failed to reach however, this reconciliatory government having been in power for several months now and having fought the people to no avail. In his addresses, the Shah has said many times: “Surely we need to have a country. Even supposing that I was whatever, nevertheless we still need to have our country. If I should leave, then there will be no country! Do you not want to have a country? If I am not here, then the country will be taken from you! They will seize this country; they will annex it and treat it as their own! One part of it will be taken by the Soviet Union, another part by America, and yet another by Britain.” Yes, this is what he has said:” “Surely we need to have a country.”

THE IMAM’S RESPONSE TO ALI AMINI’S STATEMENTS Recently, someone from among the Shah’s ‘loyal devotees’ who has set his sights on the Premiership232 also gave an interview in which he put the cause of Khomeini’s upset down to his having been through a lot and having suffered pain and so on! Of course, these are the sort of things they always say! His argument is however, that others have also suffered, to a greater or lesser extent, but that they have let bygones be

232 Ali Amini: One of the original players in America’s influence in Iran, who from Urdibehesht 1340 SH [circa 1961] was the Shah’s Prime Minister for a period of 14 months.

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bygones [laughter from the audience]. He says: “If so-and-so is a patriot- if he is that is, and indeed he certainly claims to be one- then although he argues that the monarchy must be abolished, he must lower his sights somewhat. He must relax his demands for the sake of the country, for it is said that our country is now in great danger due to its strategic location. It goes without saying that we need to have a country.” (This is just what the Shah had said- a parliamentary delegate also having said this in the Majlis- and now he (Amini) too is saying it.) He says that we obviously want to keep our country and that even if someone has suffered some kind of imprisonment, exile, torture or hardship in the past, and that if he is a true patriot, then he is obliged to overlook this and to prevent us from forfeiting our country! What a catastrophe! We are about to forfeit our country! What he (Amini) is in fact saying is: “If I were to meet with him (Imam himself) then I would explain things to him, and were he to see that one of the nation’s demands had been met, that some positive step had been taken, and were the people also to see this, then things would calm down a little- the problem being however, that the people have not yet witnessed anything being done. This government which has been in power hasn’t done anything (to meet the people’s demands).” Essentially then what he is saying is that: “It is best if I- and here I am quoting him- step in to show that action is being taken! Let the people see that something is being done; let them taste some kind of freedom so that they calm down.”

RESPONSE TO THE CLAIM THAT IRAN WILL BE SEPARATED INTO PARTS WITHOUT THE SHAH So this whole troubling affair is but another kind of tactical maneuver which has now been employed in the fight. He (Sharif Imami) took office on the pretext of forming a ‘government of reconciliation,’ and now this one (Amini) wants to do so on the pretext of ‘wanting to do what is best,’ on the pretext of being a patriot as he himself puts it, and wanting the best for his country. He has made sacrifices to ensure that the country is never forfeited at any time! And he has gone through a lot of trouble in order to come and hold talks with the Shah and then to go and visit certain people in Qum, although I’m not exactly sure whether these people actually wanted to visit Qum and then take action to rescue the country! He (supposedly) wanted to rescue the country from the plan which Khomeini has designed and proposed- a plan which has jeopardized the country! By meeting with the Shah and visiting Qum- where it is still uncertain whether he was received or not- he wanted to rescue the country! He has made sacrifices and forsaken everything to save this country! He says that while he was visiting Qum, he saw the unrest there, the demonstrations there, and the shouts of protest which were sounded there. He says that he actually saw for himself what things were like and that these people will not calm down unless they see some kind of action being taken; unless some government takes over which can be seen to be doing something (to rectify the situation). In essence, what he is saying is that he should be allowed to form a government which would then calm the unrest and grant some kind of freedom and so on. And it would probably close down the pubs and take other such steps, but “His Royal Highness” must remain- he must remain to prevent this country from ever falling into the hands of Russia or Britain! It is the might of “His Royal Highness” that is now keeping Russia at bay and is keeping America at bay! [laughter from the audience]. No one has the right to tamper with this power. And the people must be persuaded not to destroy this power and not to present a challenge to this power which is now preserving the country! Now, before anything else, we would like to ask this Mr. “Loyal Devotee of the Shah,” or, as others call him, Mr. “America-lover,” a question. Now that you have been to Qum, now that you have traveled by car

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through the streets of Tehran to go to Qum, you have no doubt seen the demonstrations which are being held in Tehran, not to mention those in the villages such as Hasanabad, Aliabad233 and so on. Indeed, you talk about having seen Qum, so since, praise be to Allah, you have the ability to hear, and since thankfully you have your wits about you, I would like to ask: “Did you not hear what they (the people) were saying, what they were asking for? These people who have taken their lives in their hands, who send their youngsters forward to fight, these mothers who send their young children out into the streets, children who are loudly crying out, did you not hear what they are saying so as to discover the cause of the nation’s pain and the remedy for this pain?” Unless one discovers the cause of pain, one cannot treat it. The people are all saying: “We don’t want this Shah” and you say that you will make them content! You will make them content about the Shah remaining! The people say: “We are discontent because this Shah has betrayed us; we don’t want him.” You however, are saying two things: one is that: “I have heard what the people have to say and they will obviously not rest until we meet their demands, or at least until we do something positive, do something to make this gentleman (the Shah) get on with his own life so that the people may calm down- to a certain extent that is, not entirely.” The other thing he is saying is: “Iran’s strategic location is such- as if we don’t know what her strategic location is like- that should these rebellions continue, Iran will be faced with great danger; but if we have the Shah, then there is no such danger!” Hence, what he is saying is that this danger will not arise while the Shah is in power, but, God forbid (as Amini would say), should this Shah leave, then the country will fall into the hands of two powerful countries, and good God, what a catastrophe that would be! But we argue that which has handed this country over to these two powers is this very Shah! Surely, the task that these powers mean to carry out in Iran, doesn’t involve them coming and carrying away a certain amount of soil from Qum to the other side of the Russian frontier, and a certain amount of soil from Tehran to the other side of the American frontier! He (Amini) himself agrees that this is not the aim; the aim is for them (the two powers) to rule over our country. Indeed, is that not what they are now doing?!

THE COUNTRY IS UNDER AMERICAN OCCUPATION Yes, Iran’s geographical location, being as it is, is a matter of concern to them, and more importantly, they are concerned about those things which are inside our country and which they are in need of; but are they not now in control of our nation’s wealth anyway?! Are they not now devouring our oil?! And yes, in return they are setting up a military base for themselves. They give us money for this oil, that is, they give us weapons with which to set up a military base for them here. Doesn’t the fact that they are taking our gas away mean that they predominate over us?! The wealth of this nation is slipping through its fingers. Doesn’t the fact that America has brought about land reforms and the White Revolution, mean that it rules over us?! Is this White Revolution a revolution which belongs to the Shah and the nation?! He himself claims to be the nation! The nation has no part to play in this White Revolution; and as for the Shah, he doesn’t come into it either. It was an American Revolution through and through! The whole idea of this revolution was for the Americans to take away that degree of independence which this country enjoyed in relation to other countries, because of its thriving agriculture. Indeed, does American predominance over us mean anything

233 Villages lining the route from Tehran to Qum.

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other than their gaining control over the assets we possess, the resources we possess, those things that we possess both beneath and above the ground, and their taking them away?! Do they not now have control over us? And if the Shah leaves then will they have control? If an Islamic government should come about which adheres to those words of the Qur’an which state that a non-Muslim is not to exert control over a Muslim234, would they (the foreign powers) then have the upper hand?! In any case Iran’s geographical location demands that an independent power which has the support of the nation, a regime which enjoys the people’s support and which has the force of the people behind it, be established here, to ensure that neither that country encroaches upon that one, nor vice versa. The strategic location of our country demands the presence of some kind of power, and not some kind of parasite, to stand in the way of those other two (foreign) powers and to guarantee peace in this part of the world! Our military and our army are now in a parasitic state. It is an army which is being run under American supervision and which is being managed in such a way as to serve American interests. Forty-five thousand, fifty thousand, some say up to sixty thousand American advisers and oil-devourers have played havoc with us and are now in our country. They have set up all of those bases here for themselves. Our country is under military occupation; our country is under American occupation. This gentleman (Amini) says: “They (the Iranian people) will be at great peril!” But is there a peril greater than this?! Our agriculture has been completely destroyed; was this not beset with perils?! You want to remove the danger facing the country now (at this late stage) ?! You are the one who was in government when this whole affair first sprung up and when America imposed its will upon us! And I was the one who sent word to you that you were not to go ahead with this, that this would be the ruin of our agriculture. God bears witness to the fact that I sent word via his (Amini’s) envoy, that he was not to go ahead with this. I told this envoy to tell him (Amini): “You (Amini) know this for yourself. You yourself are a landowner so you know that they cannot handle the country’s agriculture. This country’s agriculture will be ruined.” It was you who ruined the country’s agriculture for the sake of America! Yet now you want to put things right235 by saying that they (the Americans) should never be allowed to gain the upper hand over us?!236 Are we now independent?! Is a powerful nation now standing up to everyone and keeping them at bay, and do we now have an independent, civilized country of free men and women?!237

234 Imam refers to Qur’an, 4: 141 “…and Allah will never provide the faithless any way [to prevail] over the faithful.” 235 The Shah’s regime made a devious attempt in its propaganda to introduce the popular and clerical uprising of 1963 [1342 SH], led by Imam Khomeini, as an anti-land reforms movement, and as a movement which had come about because of the collaboration between the clergy and the landowners and feudalists. And this it did, in spite of the fact that Imam’s uprising actually opposed the objectives pursued by America via the Shah’s White Revolution. Imam was opposed to the regime’s policies and the Shah’s land reforms- policies and reforms which resulted in nothing but the monopolization of the country’s fertile land by the Shah’s family and the destruction of Iranian agriculture. In fact, not only did Imam never object to true land reforms being made, or to dispossessing the large land monopolizers, he was actually an ardent opposer of the feudal system. 236 Here, Imam is addressing Ali Amini, who himself was from a well-known and long-established landed family in the north of Iran. 237 Following the events of June 5, 1963/Khordad 15, 1342 SH, the government prepared itself for the holding of parliamentary elections. For the oncoming term in office, the government intended to prevent the representatives of various groups from entering the Majlis, allowing a number of those involved in the ‘land reforms’ program as well as certain workers’ representatives (SAVAK members) to be sent there instead. To this end, a union council known as ‘Freewomen and Freemen’ was set up, headed by Hasan-Ali Mansur. This group, whose formation had been endorsed by America, and which declared its loyalty to the principles upon which the ‘Shah-People Revolution’ was based, brought new faces into the Majlis such as those of Hasan-Ali Mansur, Abbas Rasta (a wealthy tailor from Tehran), Habibi (a famous wrestling champion in Iran), Majid Muhsini (a star of the cinema and radio), and Abbas Mirzaei (the workers’ representative at the Tobacco Company, and a member of SAVAK).

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We want to be a powerful country whose power is based upon the support of its people, a country which receives its inspiration from the people. If an army is backed by the people, then there is nothing that either this or that power can do. They (the foreign powers) want to ensure that the situation is such that neither of these two powers can attack the other, but238 when there is an independent and powerful state involved, they cannot do this. By way of these intrigues, you want to give these two powers the upper hand over us! You don’t want to settle the country’s problems; you want to give even more of this country away! We want to rescue this country from these two (foreign) powers. You want this country to remain under foreign control forever. And just how do you intend to achieve this? By maintaining that if ‘His Royal Highness’ were to leave, then this country would fall into disarray! By arguing that His Imperial Majesty must remain in order to keep these two powers at bay! But my dear man, it is this very same ‘Imperial Majesty’ who has allowed these powers to rule over us, as did his father!

THE REASON FOR OPPOSITION TO THE SHAH This gentleman (Amini) makes out and believes that so-and-so has gone through a lot- and again, this is exactly what the Shah said- so-and-so “meaning myself. He says that “so-and-so “Has suffered in the past and whatever. When he (Amini) says: “He (Imam) holds a personal grudge against me; he wants to retaliate,” these are the exact words that the Shah had used, his exact terms. So, you (Amini) now in fact serve as ‘His Majesty’s’ loudspeaker, in that just as he (the Shah) spoke of the need to have a country and said that if he were to leave then indeed there would be no country, so you too also say that if the Shah were to leave there would be no country. These words of yours are identical to those of the Shah. The latter says that our country’s situation is such that if he were to leave then the two foreign powers would approach the country from either side. Yes, you are his loudspeaker! He (the Shah) says: “He holds a personal grudge against me; he (meaning myself) is now retaliating. I threw him into prison, I sent him into exile, and now he is retaliating.” And he (Amini) is his loudspeaker; he is repeating his very words. I always thought that they (the foreign powers) tell the Shah what to say and he says it- and that is actually the case, his superiors dictate what he is to say- but it is now also apparent that he (Amini) in fact reads a dictation of what has been dictated [laughter of the audience]. It is with him (Amini) that I must set the record straight. I was never before a Prime Minister and I don’t own a palace or any finery. I was the same person then that I am now that I have come here (to Paris). You239 yourself have seen how there isn’t even enough room to sit down comfortably in my house, and I wouldn’t wish for any more than this. Even when I was detained and I entered that officers’ club-initially, they took me to an officers’ club- I noticed what a good place it was and how it had everything, things that my family have never even dreamt of! I told the guards who were present that this is better than my own home [laughter from the audience], and indeed it was; and then afterwards they took me elsewhere,240 to a place similar to my own home but somewhat better! When in prison, my imprisonment was not one during which something bad happened to me so causing me to have 238 Apparently these two refer to America and the Soviet Union. 239 The audience present. 240 At 3 am on June 5, 1963/Khordad 15, 1342 SH, a group of people entered the city of Qum to arrest Imam Khomeini. After having arrested Imam, they set off for Tehran, where they arrived at 5 am, and took their prisoner straight to the officers’ club. It was on that day that the tragedy of Khordad 15 occurred. That evening Imam was taken from the officers’ club to Qasr garrison in a car which had been covered with a dark-colored material.

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a difficult time, it wasn’t as if the Shah and I had a punch-out or anything! [laughter from the audience]. And as for those who were with me during my detention, those who were on guard there, they showed me kindness, they thought highly of me. After leaving that place, we then lived somewhere where there was a huge garden and a great mansion, somewhere that we had probably never before even dreamt of.241 Then, when I returned to my own house, that once more became my home! And since I never used to go out and walk around as I do in the yard of this house in which I am now living, I can’t say that I’m having a bad time now either! Furthermore, when they sent me to Turkey, personally speaking, it was much better there for me than it had been in Iran. That is to say, I didn’t suffer in any way there.242 Then I went to Najaf which was our home. And now I have come here, to a place which is again better than my own home. There is a garden here and everything! Thus, I have not experienced any hardship- speaking personally that isfor this to be given as the reason for my opposing this person (the Shah). The nation’s suffering is my suffering. When I see pictures of the faces of those men whose children, whose sons have been killed, I am pained. Seeing the woman who strikes herself because of these things, and who cries: “Come and kill me; you who have killed my child come now and kill me,” this causes me pain, not the fact that I have had a bad experience in the past, or that I am someone who has suffered in the past. No, on the contrary, I have had a very good time. That which pains me is the disaster which has befallen our nation. Indeed, should a Muslim not feel pain for his own nation, then he is not a Muslim. I cannot call the person who wishes to be like this a Muslim. We don’t consider he who shakes hands with the hand of a murderer to be a true human being, and indeed, neither can he be a Muslim. This is what hurts me and not the fact that they detained me

241 On August 2, 1963/Mordad 11, 1342 SH, following the pressure brought to bear by different sectors of society, and especially that exerted by the maraji’ and clergy, the regime was forced to release Imam Khomeini from his state of imprisonment and thus he was transferred, along with Ayatullahs Baha’uddin Mahallati and Qummi, to a house situated in Dawudiyyah in Tehran. This house belonged to Mr. Haj Abbas Nijati, the brother of Ayatullah Qummi who was allied to the regime, and it was located in an area which lay under the strict and constant surveillance of SAVAK agents. As soon as the people learned that Imam had been taken there they gathered around the said house and in the surrounding streets. Furthermore, security forces were positioned from one end of Shariati Avenue (formerly The Old Shemiran Road) to the other, and from this street to the place where Imam was residing. Several days later, SAVAK agents again transferred Imam, this time to a house in Qaytariyyah which belonged to a Mr. Rowghani. Here, Imam was forced to remain under house arrest and to live under the surveillance of SAVAK agents until he was eventually freed on April 7, 1964/Farvardin 18, 1343 SH, after which he returned to Qum. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, documents were released which revealed the cooperative ties between Mr. Mahdi Rowghani (the son of the above-mentioned householder) and the US embassy in Iran. Refer to the six-volume collection entitled, Documents Discovered from the US Espionage Den, pp. 145, 148- 149, 202, 205. 242 As soon as Imam arrived in Turkey (November 4, 1964/Aban 13, 1343 SH), he availed himself of two books: a one-volume work entitled The Poems of Mawlaw3, and a Teach-Yourself Turkish book, after which he set about learning the Turkish language. Three days later, on his own request, he toured the main streets by bus and visited the major sight-seeing attractions, while accompanied by SAVAK agents and security officers of the Turkish government. Again three days later, and once more under tight security, he visited Ataturk Boulevard; the old, well-established areas in the city of Ankara; the mosques and museums in the history-rich city of Istanbul; and the graves of forty Turkish Muslim ulama who had been martyred on the orders of Ataturk (i. e. Kemal Ataturk, 1881- 1938 AD). In order to weaken Imam’s resolve, SAVAK agents told him that he was to wear an overcoat and hat, and hence, Imam put on an overcoat but he in fact refused to wear a hat. On November 12, 1964 (7ban 21, 1343 SH), eight days after being exiled to Turkey, SAVAK agents, concerned that Imam may talk to visiting journalists, took him to live in the south of Bursa- a city which lay 460 kilometers to the west of Ankara, near to the Sea of Marmara. Three months later, Imam was joined by his distinguished son, the late Haj Aqa Mustafa (may he rest in peace). Thinking that his son may have resorted to requesting the regime’s permission to visit him, Imam asked him whether he had been compelled to come or whether he had come of his own free will, to which Aqa Mustafa replied that he had been taken there by force. According to Imam’s son, the food brought for Imam to eat tasted extremely bad, but nonetheless, Imam never refused to eat it. During his elevenmonth stay in Turkey, Imam wrote Tahrir al-Wasilah, a celebrated book in the field of jurisprudence. He was eventually exiled to Iraq on October 5, 1965/Mehr 13, 1344 SH.

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or took me to prison. I am pained for sure by the fact that they sawed off the ulama’s legs!243 That they burned them by immersing them in boiling oil! I am pained because our ulama have spent seven, eight, ten or fifteen years in prison. This gentleman’s father (Imam points to a member of the audience) spent several years in prison. This is what pains me. These people have now however, been released from prison. Yes, “we freed the political prisoners!” Or as he (the Shah) puts it, “We granted them a pardon!” So is that now it? Now that the political prisoners, the prisoners who suffered ten years in prison- one honorable ‘alim244 having been struck so hard on the face that it has affected his hearing- now that he has come out of prison, is he to come and thank the Shah, asking him to remain?! Believe me, this is an impossibility! This nation cannot be appeased by the things you say. Neither could the Prime Minister245 achieve anything, nor can he who awaits the Premiership!246 There is nothing you can do. Neither the military, nor martial law, nor anything else, nothing will do the trick. See what it is that the people want and give this to them. The people, both children and adults, are shouting: “Freedom and independence;” “Give us freedom and independence, not Pahlavi rule.” This is what our nation is saying, what both its adults and children are saying. Everyone, both those who are abroad and those who are inside Iran, are saying this. If you meet their demands then the people will have no complaint against you and they will calm down. But you want to keep he who is the prime culprit in power. They set Azerbaijan on fire and then put the blame on its police! This is what they did to console the people. This Mr. Premiership Prospector says that those who have committed an injustice against this nation must be punished, so I ask this gentleman: Who has committed an injustice against the nation? Tell us who. Come now, sit down and tell us who. Have the police killed someone without leave to do so?! Do policemen kill people without being given the permission to do so?! Do the governors general give unauthorized commands?! Does the commander of the armed forces give orders without the Shah’s permission?! These actions could never be taken without the Shah’s permission. This could never happen within the armed forces. It is he who is the ‘commander-in-chief’247. Unless he gives the permission, no one is killed.

SHAH’S PUNISHMENT Punish this criminal and we will kiss your hand. Go ahead and punish him! According to the religious law, even if he hasn’t actually killed anyone he must still be sentenced to life imprisonment. The punishment for someone who orders for a person to be killed is life imprisonment; this is what the sacred laws of religion say. In an Islamic system of rule he must be imprisoned for life. However, it is said that he (the Shah) has actually committed murder with his own hands, and should this prove to be true then the punishment is just retaliation (qisas). We don’t wish for all of the crimes which have been committed You are to punish the criminal who is the source of all the crimes, the criminal in whose name all of the people regard these crimes to have been perpetrated, and whom they consider responsible for all their misery. You are to punish

243 An allusion to Ayatullah Shaykh Husayn Ghaffari Azarshahri (1916-1974 AD), who was subjected to the most heinous forms of torture by SAVAK and who was martyred as a result. 244 Alim: Islamic scholar; singular form of ulama. It refers to Ayatullah Muntaziri. 245 Ja’far Sharif Imami. 246 It refers to Ali Amini. 247 A title which was used to refer to the Shah in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the entire armed forces.

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this criminal for the people to calm down somewhat. And once you have done this, there is the matter of independence that you must also resolve; otherwise this nation will not rest. These constitute stratagems which, from the beginning down to the present, have aimed at suppressing and silencing the various social classes in our country which form the driving force behind this Islamic movement. But crushing the movement by means of the military won’t work; crushing it by enlisting the services of the Kurds or those from Lor or wherever, won’t work; crushing it by acts of deceit and by establishing a ‘government of reconciliation’ won’t work; and neither will the pretext that our country is now in danger! As for the pretext that our country is now in danger, if this is the case, then come on, rescue it from danger! You say the Shah must remain? He is the one responsible for all the danger now facing us. Are we then to allow him to remain so as to preclude all danger?!

ISLAMIC SLOGAN Gentlemen, you must all be united; shake off these differences which exist among you both within and outside Iran; discard any non-Islamic slogan. All of you should chant one slogan, one Islamic slogan. According to what some clerical gentlemen have written, a phone call was received from Iran which said that certain students had announced that they had resolved their differences, it said that they had resolved any differences that existed among the students and that they were now all a united front. May God preserve them. All of you, everyone must form a united front. If you each go your own way, then believe me, you will be crushed beneath the boots of oppression, boots which are to be found both within and outside the country, for evermore. Future generations will call you to account. If you do not take advantage of this movement today, while it still exists, then you will forever remain trampled underfoot both by those abroad and those within the country. You must all help, meaning that all of you who are present here must discard any differences which exist among yourselves; and you can tell these news reporters, these journalists, these people in the universities, these teachers, tell all of them about Iran. What is happening in Iran has been shown in a very bad light over here (abroad), and so now you must compensate for this and give them your side of the story. This is a service which you are able to do for this nation. You must brush all differences aside, unite with the Iranian people- those who are in Iran that is- whole-heartedly and unanimously, and tell people about Iran, about those things which the general public there are demanding. In the colleges and universities everyone is to shout out the same thing and to chant the same slogan, that being the slogan of unity in Islam. This is what can rescue you. Others cannot come to the rescue; indeed, they will eventually get you hung. May God grant you all success and may you be triumphant, God willing.

54th Speech Date: November 5, 1978/Aban 14, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 4, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Islam, a life-bestowing religion for human societies Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad

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RESPONSE TO THE DOUBTS OF THE SOVIET UNION NEWSPAPERS Once again today certain articles have appeared in the Russian newspapers, and one in particular was translated for me which was entitled “Islam, the opium of society.” When we take a look at the governmental systems of the world, we see that there are systems such as the monarchical system or the republican system, and there is the system of the Islamic government. In studying the latter, we should look at the written text of Islam to see what the nature of Islam truly is. Is it an opiate? Did its message invite the people to indolence and lull them to sleep? One only needs to study the Qur’an, which is the written text of Islam and which holds precedence over all other documents in Islam, to find the answer. Those who read the foreign newspapers and listen to the foreign propaganda should not accept everything they are told without first making their own investigations into their claims and finding proof for them, for to do otherwise is to act contrary to human nature. It is not within man’s nature to simply accept anything he is told without first seeking proof for it. Sometimes it is propagated- as it was in the newspaper yesterday- that “Islam is the opium of society,” and sometimes we hear that “religion is the opium of society.” This kind of propaganda is not new, it has a history, and it was started in order to distance this Muslim nation from the Qur’an and Islam. One should ask oneself what the basis for making such claims is. Why a journalist on the other side of the world does in Russia write that Islam or religion is the opium of society and what does he hope to achieve by writing such an article? The basis for this article lies in the fact that they (the imperialist countries) want to exploit you and your country, they want to colonize your country and take whatever (resources) it has. In order to do this, they must first remove those things that they feel may form an obstacle to their plundering so that they can freely do whatever they want to. What constitutes a barrier or potential barrier to their plans, and what should they do about it? One of the barriers is Islam, Islam itself, or religion in general. They have carried out their studies, and it is on the basis of these studies that they have reached this conclusion and that they make their plans. They have studied the Qur’an, they have studied the religion of Islam and have discovered that the Qur’an is such a book that if the Muslims follow its teachings closely, they will deliver a punch to those people who want to come and dominate them. The Qur’an says that God, the Blessed and Exalted, will never consent to the dominance of non-Muslims over Muslims. Such a thing should never happen, they should never gain the upper hand, there should be no way open for them to do this: “and Allah will never provide the faithless any way [to prevail] over the faithful.”248 The polytheists should find no way open to them to do this and the corrupt powers should find no way to hold sway over the Muslims. They (the imperialists) have carried out their studies and have seen just what Islam’s stance is in this regard, what the Qur’an and the other Islamic texts say on this matter. They realize that were the Muslims to become aware of Islam’s stance, were they to adhere to the teachings of the Qur’an and Islam, then it would sound the death knell for them and their plundering and domination. So, what must they do to ensure that they remain in control and are able to continue with their plundering? They must distance this nation from Islam. The same applies to other religions too. This propaganda was not something that existed five hundred or

248 Qur’an, 4: 141

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one thousand years ago, it began when the Europeans penetrated the countries of the East and found them to be good prey. So, they studied ways to devour this prey and it was from then that this kind of propaganda began. They used it first against other religions, but this was to prepare the ground for their attack on Islam, for the other religions were not so important to them. This propaganda was used as a precursor so they could go on to belittle Islam, to knock it from the position of great respect it enjoyed among Muslims and to distance them from it, so they could plant this idea in the Muslim mind that Islam is a religion which came to put the society to sleep so that the powerful people could devour the society! This is what they say their logic but it is not logic, and with this propaganda and those words they want to distance you from Islam. So, when our youth read in a newspaper, a book or a journal that Islam is the opium of society, should they just accept it without question? Should they just read it and then say “yes, that’s right”!? To do so is to act against one’s Islamic and human nature. It is human nature to seek proof for any matter which is not evident; man does not accept something without first questioning it.

THE TEXT AND HISTORY OF ISLAM, THE REASON BEHIND ISLAM’S DYNAMISM VIS-A-VIS THE PLUNDERERS So, we have to carry out our own investigations to see whether Islam, which is documented in the Qur’an and the books of Hadith, is really as they say it is. Does the Qur’an opiate the society so that the tyrants can devour the society, so that the kings can devour the society and do whatever they want to do, impose whatever rule they want? Or is the Qur’an other than this? We do not have to conduct an in-depth study to find the answer, a cursory glance at the Qur’an is sufficient. It takes only a cursory glance to see how many times the Qur’an mentions battle and against whom it tells the Muslims to wage war. So many of the verses in the Qur’an are concerned with battle and its rules; so many of them encourage the Muslims to take up arms, even order them to do so. And with whom does the Qur’an tell the Muslims to do battle? The answer to this question is not difficult to find, it does not require learning and careful investigation: the Qur’an encourages the Muslims to join battle with the polytheists. In Hijaz hostilities first began when the Holy Prophet was residing in Medina; he only had a few followers, but still they did all they could. Before that, when the Muslims were in Mecca, it was the time for laying plans and for development. There, the polytheists did not give them the opportunity to do anything. Those rich and powerful polytheists did not let the Prophet carry out his mission in Mecca. During the years that he was there, Mecca was like a prison for him- just as Iran today is like a prison for the people there but I don’t want to make comparisons. When he despaired of being able to achieve anything in Mecca, and he saw that he could carry out his mission better in Medina, he secretly and quickly established underground links with the people of that town, and they prepared for him to go there. So, he migrated to Medina, and shortly after he had done so, the battles began. It was the Qur’an, which is the text of Islam, the source of Islam, which called upon him to do battle, many battles. With whom did he do battle? They (the imperialists) say that Islam is the opium of the society, that Islam has come to rock the lower social classes, the poor, to sleep, so that the powerful elite can exploit them and consume their resources! They even say that religion (in general) was created by the powerful elite for this very purpose, so that it would prevent the people from hindering them in their aims and so that the people would take everything lying down! So, let us take a look at the many battles which took place in Islam at the time of the Most Noble Messenger. We will not concern ourselves here with the period after the Prophet, only the time of

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the Prophet himself when there was the text of Islam, that is, the Qur’an and the teachings that it brought for man, with no annotations, for it is this which they (the imperialists) say the powerful elite invented in order to colonize the weak and the poor and exploit their resources. Let us take a look at these battles to see whether they were battles in which the Holy Prophet collaborated with the powerful elite to attack the poor or whether he sided with the poor and attacked the powerful elite. Whoever takes even a superficial look at events in the early history of Islam will see that the Prophet gathered around him a group of poor people who were called the “Companions of the Suffah”249 for they had no shelter except a ‘suffah.’ These people were so destitute that they lodged in the suffah of the Prophet’s mosque. They had nothing, they were poor. Historical accounts tell us how in some of the battles, the Prophet’s followers had only one date to share among themselves and from which to gain sustenance, each man could only taste the date and then he had to pass it onto the next to do the same. This was at the time of war! The Prophet’s followers comprised these poor, beggared people, and it was these destitute paupers who, while the Prophet was still alive and through the teachings of the Qur’an, later conquered Hijaz. But initially they were so powerless that the Prophet could not stay in Mecca and had to flee for Medina in the middle of the night after he had established links with some of the Medinans. When he arrived in Medina, it was the poor, not the rich, with whom he aligned himself. Can one then say that the Prophet sided with the rich to silence the poor?!

THE PROPHET’S WARS WITH THE TAGHUTS All the battles that the Prophet fought were against the Arab polytheists, the oppressive and powerful polytheists. They were warriors, but the teachings of Islam had given the small number of the Prophet’s followers solace and had trained them in such a manner that on one occasion one of them killed a hundred of the enemy! This happened because of the teachings of Islam, for Islam trains man to fear no power, to be afraid of nothing. It trained the Muslim warriors such that one of them said (this was later in Islamic history after the time of the Prophet), that with only thirty men accompanying him he could defeat the sixtythousand strong vanguard of the Roman army. Those with him argued that he could not perform such a feat with only thirty men. He agreed, and so the number including him on the surprise night attack was sixty. But even so, only sixty people went and with their swords forced sixty thousand Roman soldiers to retreat! And they were from the class of the poor! However, to get back to the time of the Prophet, we must take a look to see whether the Qur’an, which is the text of Islam, and the Prophet, who was the bearer of the message of Islam- and at that time Islam had no annotations, there was just Islam, the text of Islam, Islam in its original form with no modificationsinvited the people to align themselves with the wealthy. Did Islam tell the people that if the wealthy, if those men of power, took what belonged to them, they were to say nothing, that God willing they would go to heaven so they were not to say a word!? Or was it the Qur’an which stirred these paupers- many of whom had no shelter or food and were obliged to sleep huddled next to one another in the suffah of the mosque and to share every morsel of food they could find, even one date, among themselves- to take the Hijaz and 249 A suffah is a covered place found before the doors of some Eastern houses or mosques and where one can rest. During his stay in Medina, the Prophet had a suffah built onto the Qaba mosque so that his needy friends and a number of the Muslims who had left their homes and possessions in Mecca to accompany him on his migration to Medina could lodge there. This group of people was called the ‘companions of the suffah’. After the pledge of brotherhood was taken between the Emigrants [Muhajirin] and the Helpers [Ansar], the latter shared their belongings with some of the companions of the suffah.

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defeat the holders of power? Can such a religion then be described as the opium of society? Or is it the awakener of society? It is you who want to opiate the people with these words of yours! It is those who say that Islam is the opium of the society who themselves want to lull the Muslims to sleep; they want to distance the Muslims from Islam; they want the Muslims to sleep while they devour their wealth. The opium lies in these words, not in Islam. They are using the words “Islam is the opium of society” to deceive the people. That which they say is the opium, not that truth which, when revealed and with a following of a number of impoverished people, conquered the lands of Hijaz and spread justice and equity to the boundaries of Hijaz. This was at the time of the Prophet himself. Later, during the first century of Islam or in the first thirty or thirty-five years of Islam when the Muslims became more powerful, they conquered two empires: the Roman and Persian empires. They conquered Persia and Rome.250 Was this the result of an opiate? Did Islam come to encourage compromise with Kisra251 and to tell the people to obey him? Did Islam come to encourage the Roman people to compromise with the Roman emperor and to instruct them to obey him? Or did Islam vanquish two empires in order to spread justice throughout the world and stop the exploitation of the poor? And now today, at such a point in time as this, that wretch writes in the newspaper that Islam is the opium of society!252 Indolence and negligence may well have existed in the past,253 but now the people, our youth, have looked at the Qur’an and are now aware of its message. Unfortunately, some of them accept what they hear too readily,254 someone says something and they are taken in by his words. But when a person hears something said about a system or about anything else, shouldn’t that person investigate what has been said to see whether it is correct or not? Shouldn’t one question the views of this idiot who writes that Islam is the opium of society to see whether they are correct or not? So far we have spoken about Islam itself. Now let’s take a look at those who followed the teachings of Islam when they were first revealed, that is, when there was only the Prophet and the text of Islam (the Qur’an), and those Muslims of later times when Islam was involved in wars, wars between these people from the lower social classes and the emperors. Islam gave such strength to this small group of followers, these few thousand Muslims, that they went and conquered the Roman and Persian empires.255 The soldiers of the Persian empire were very powerful in battle, they were well equipped, the saddles on their horses

250 Rome was conquered in the nineteenth year after hijrah (i. e. 641 AD), and Iran twenty-one years after hijrah (643 AD). The conquest of Iran was described as “the victory of victories.” 251 The Arabic for Khosrow (Khosrow), the title of Sassanid King. 252 That is, at a time when the Islamic Revolution, inspired by Islam, was at the forefront of the struggle with the Shah and America, the article entitled ‘Religion is the opium of society’ was published in a Russian newspaper. 253 This is a reference to the quietism adopted by some people, including some of the ulama, in the face of the painful events which have taken place in the past history of Islamic societies, and their abandonment of the struggle. 254 Here Imam is referring to those youth who are deceived by Marxist propaganda and who, without even reflecting on the life-giving laws of Islam, condemn religion as a retrogressive element. 255 The number of soldiers in the Muslim army at the battle of Nihavand (642 AD) did not reach twelve thousand, while the Iranian army comprised one hundred and fifty thousand men. The war paraphernalia on each side was not comparable, the Muslim army had no weapons other than a few old swords and small spears, while the Iranians were armed to the teeth and had brought more than enough weapons along with themselves.

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were made of gold, whereas the Muslims were barefooted and lacked armor, many of them walked to battle for only a few of them had a camel. They had swords and some of them had a horse, but they had perhaps only ten horses between them. So, they did not have enough horses, camels or sufficient provisions, but Islam gave them strength. The teachings of the text of Islam and of he who executed those teachings gave them such strength that those people who yesterday had been nothing more than a handful of beggared people living an aimless existence today took their swords in hand and defeated the two world powers of the age: the Persian and Roman Empires. They were a handful of poor, beggared Arabs who had only a few swords to share among ten or twenty thousand, they didn’t all carry swords or wear coats of mail, they were ill equipped for battle but their spirit was strong- they weren’t weak in spirit and heart like us- Islam had given them spiritual strength. So, with a divinely-inspired strength, with the support of Islam and due to its call, these Muslims, although small in number, set off and conquered those two great empires. Less than thirty years after the advent of Islam, Iran and Rome had been defeated and the realms of Islam had been extended to Africa and even beyond to Spain. However, later the Muslims were to demonstrate incompetence, but that is another matter.

THE WAY OF THE PROPHET AND HIS SUCCESSORS So, if we study the text of Islam we see that Islam did not come to give the kings dominance over the poor or to give those with power authority over those who enjoyed no power. This was not the case. As for those who invited the people to Islam, such as the Prophet himself and after him the first caliphs, who were different from the others, and Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), may God’s peace be upon him, what kind of people were they? How did they live? Were they the mullahs of the court? Was the Prophet himself a courtier, or did he do battle with the courts and defeat them? Was Hazrat Amir a courtier, or did he do battle with a power that also claimed to follow Islam, like Mu’awiyah? The actions of Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him, and the Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Husayn), may God’s peace be upon him, provide the reason and license for battle between the Muslims and this corrupt regime today. The necessity for such action comes from their actions. They fought with two powerful people (Mu’awiyah and Yazid) who had taken control of Shamat (old name of Syria and adjoining regions)256 and who commanded armies there. Why did Imam Ali and Imam Husayn take up arms against Mu’awiyah and his son? They too were Muslims, so why did they go to battle with them? Now someone tell us, is this man who has published copies of the Qur’an a Muslim? Our reason for carrying on the struggle to wipe out oppression and to sever the hands of the oppressors from the Islamic countries lies in the actions of Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him, and the Doyen of the Martyrs, may God’s peace be upon him; and even if a few hundred thousand of us have to sacrifice our lives for this cause, then it is still worthwhile. Yazid succeeded Mu’awiyah, he was a powerful man and enjoyed all the trappings of a king. So on what basis did the Doyen of the Martyrs confront the king of his time? Why did he confront zillullah (‘shadow of Allah’)?257 “The 256 Shamat, which up until four centuries ago included Syria (Sham) of today, Lebanon and parts of Jordan and Palestine. 257 Zillullah: the shadow or representative of God and used as a royal title or epithet. Imam’s remonstrance here is a sign of the injustice shown him by the theological schools, for at a time when under his leadership the whole nation had risen and the corrupt monarchical government was in its final days, he still had to answer to the doubts and criticisms of the pseudo-saints and those men of stagnant views who saw the Shah as Zillullah and asked Imam for legitimate proof for his struggle. In the light of this, one can imagine how painful Imam’s situation was during the events of Khordad 15 SH [June 5, 1963] and in the early days of his struggle.

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king should not be touched,” so why did he confront this king who recited the Shahadatayn258 and claimed to be the successor of the Prophet? He did so because Yazid was a cheat, he was someone who wanted to exploit the nation, he and his subordinates wanted to devour the nation’s wealth. Has he or this man today (the Shah) devoured the most? One must work it out. So, these were the actions of some of the people who lived during the early years of Islam, and it was through them that Islam became powerful and spread to the extent that it did. The Prophet himself fought with the powerful elite, and those who came after him in the early period following his death fought with the powerful elite and the kings, as did Hazrat Amir after them. So was Islam the opium of society? Were these people the court mullahs? Some say that they want a democratic country. Let us consider the Islamic government, the Islamic regime, in the early years of Islam’s history when there was only Islam and the text of Islam, to see whether this was a democratic regime or whether it was a tyrannical or despotic regime. If you can find stories similar to those which history relates about this period (and there are many but we will speak about only one or two now) concerning one of the leading democratic countries, then you can say that the democratic system is better. One story concerns the Messenger of God (s). Indeed, there are many narratives like the one I am about to relate, but the one will suffice for the present. Another story is about Hazrat Amir (as), and another concerns ‘Umar. When ‘Umar set off to enter Egypt- after the Muslim armies had conquered the country and Islam was a powerful force259 - he did so with a camel which he and his slave took turns in riding; as one tired the other took his turn to walk. According to historical accounts, when they entered Egypt it was the turn of the slave to ride on the camel, so when the people of Egypt turned out to greet the caliph, they found him on foot guiding the camel on which his slave rode! This was how a caliph acted. We do not accept ‘Umar (as the rightful successor to the Prophet), but this action of his was Islamic. It was Islam which made him act this way, and even though we don’t accept ‘Umar, still his action was in keeping with Islamic teachings. The Prophet also acted in a similar manner. He would ride on a donkey with someone seated behind him and would answer the questions put to him by his companion and instruct him. Can you relate a similar story about the leaders of any of these democracies? Can you name any democratic leader like ‘Umar who, even though his realms were several times larger than Iran or France, treated his slave in such a way, who had a camel, nothing more, and who lacked the loftiness and embellishment that usually accompanies power. Take any democratic leader and see how he enters a vanquished country. ‘Umar was entering a conquered land, yet his slave rode upon his camel- because it was his turn to do so- while he walked in front leading the camel. The noblemen of Egypt came to greet him they all paid homage to him, yet this was the manner in which he entered their land, and it was the teachings of Islam which made him act in such a way.260 When the Most Noble Prophet sat with a group of people speaking to them or passing 258 Shahadatayn: literally, the two acts of witnessing or bearing testimony. It refers to the recital of ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh [I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I also bear witness that Muhammad is God’s servant and messenger], one’s recital of which signifies his being Muslim. 259 In the nineteenth year after hijrah, Egypt was conquered by the troops of the caliph ‘Umar under the command of ‘Amr ibn al-Aas. The conquest of Egypt was a great victory for the Muslims and opened the way for the conquest of North Africa. 260 The following words, as quoted in Philip K. Hitti’s book, The History of the Arabs, p. 163, sum up the Egyptian’s views of their Muslim conquerors: “We have witnessed a people to each and every one of whom death is preferable to life, and humility to prominence, and to none of whom this world has the least attraction. They sit not except on the ground, and eat naught but on their knees. Their leader is like

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judgment, the situation was such that it was not immediately clear for someone entering the room who was who, who the leader was and who his companions were. He would sit with his followers in a circle, and it was not clear which one of them was the Prophet. He didn’t even sit on a cushion, 261like the one you have brought for me to sit on. He sat on the floor just like everyone else, and ate his lunch seated on the ground. And what a lunch it was! Do you think that he enjoyed a magnificent spread? No. When Hazrat Amir, whose realm was several times larger than Iran, sat down to a meal, one dish lay before him containing oaten bread. The lid of the dish was sealed to make sure that his daughter or son could not, out of pity for him, add some fat to the bread to make it a little softer for him. He would seal the lid so they could not touch the bread. This dry bread was the food of the emperor of a realm greater in size than Iran. This was their way of which I spoke.

THE METHOD OF LEADERSHIP OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM (S) AND HAZRAT ALI (AS) The next story is one that I have related on a number of occasions. The Messenger of God (s), near the end of his eye went to the mosque and ascended the pulpit from where he spoke to the congregation. He told them that if any of them had suffered an injustice at his hands then they were to speak out. No one spoke out, but then an Arab (Sawadah ibn Qays) stood up saying that he had a grievance. When the Prophet asked him what it was, he told him that upon his return from a battle (of Ta’if) the Prophet had struck him with his staff. The Prophet asked him where he had struck him and the man pointed to his shoulder. The Prophet then told him to come forward and return like for like. The man told the Prophet to bare his shoulder for his own shoulder had been bare when the Prophet had struck him. This the Prophet did and the man went forward and kissed his shoulder. All along the man had only wanted to kiss the Prophet. The point of this story being that a leader who enjoyed absolute authority over the Hijaz at the time, and over some other places as well, would ascend the pulpit and tell the people to come forward if he had committed an injustice against them and not one of them could even say that he had unjustly taken ten coins from them. Could you find such a thing happening in one of these democratic countries? Would a leader there ascend the pulpit and tell the people to speak out if they had a grievance against him? Would any leader do this? Which leader would allow someone to strike him because he had at one time struck that person? Which democratic leader, which just king or president, would act in such a way? Yet they say that it is Islam that is despotic while they describe other systems as being democratic! We say that your countries are not democratic, they are authoritarian but in different guises. Your presidents are autocrats in different guises. The attributes and technical terms used in their description are many, but they have no substance.

ALI (AS) IN THE PRESENCE OF THE QAZI (JUDGE) Then Hazrat Amir (as) was the caliph, his authority extended over an area a few times larger than Iran, it comprised Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq, Iran and many other places, and he was the one who appointed the judges in these places. One day a Jew went to a judge with a complaint against Hazrat Amir claiming that the Hazrat had a coat of mail which belonged to him- I can’t remember all the details at the moment so I’ll just give you the gist of the story. The judge, whom Hazrat Amir had himself appointed, summoned the Hazrat to unto one of them: the low cannot be distinguished from the high, nor the master from the slave. And when the time of prayer comes none of them absents himself, all wash their extremities and humbly observe their prayer.” 261 It refers to the blanket which Imam Khomeini sat on.

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come before him! Hazrat Amir went and sat before him and apparently even insisted that he be shown no preferential treatment, that judgment called for both men to be viewed as equals. So the two men sat before the judge, one a Jew and the other the ruler of a realm which comprised Iran, the Hijaz, Egypt and Iraq! The judge studied the case and found in favor of the Jew. Can you find a similar case in the history of monarchical or presidential rule? Hazrat Amir was the caliph; the Jew was his subject as was the judge. If you can, name a president, a monarch or any other leader who has acted in a similar way so that it can be said that an Islamic regime is inferior to all others. We want an Islamic regime. We are calling for an Islamic government. We want a government which allows a judge to summon the ruler to court. Can anyone do this to “His Imperial Majesty?” Can anyone go to a judge and tell him that the Shah has plundered his wealth? Can one of these people from Mazandaran province go to a judge and complain that the Shah has robbed him of his wealth? Would a judge dare summon the Shah to court?! You all know what the circumstances were like in Iran a few years ago, but even today, when all the children are shouting, “Death to the Shah”, would a judge dare summon “His Imperial Majesty” to court? What about the President of this country (France), could a judge summon him to court? And if he did, would the President attend the hearing and accept a ruling against him without question?

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IS A GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE We are calling for an Islamic government, and they propagate that we want to create anarchy! Is it anarchy that we want? We want a government in Iran- if, God willing, the Muslims are successful- and in all the Islamic countries, which will not devour the wealth of the people, a government which will respect the law, which will bow to the law, which will accept whatever the law says. We don’t want a government under which the law applies to the ordinary people while the ones with power are made exempt from it. The powerful ones do not pay taxes; their lands have not been divided up, such things do not apply to them. Up until the day before yesterday, all of (Asadullah) Alam’s estates remained untouched by the land reforms, because at one time he had been the Minister of the Court and the Prime Minister.262 This talk about carrying out land ‘reforms’ meant nothing, the whole thing was just a game, the ‘White Revolution’ was just a game.

SEPARATING THE PEOPLE FROM THE CLERGY IS THE ENEMIES’ CONSPIRACY I am now tired, but I must tell you gentlemen that it was about three hundred years ago when propaganda aimed at distancing the Muslims from Islam and the clergy began. During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the taxicabs would not pick up clergymen. The late Aqa Shaykh Abbas Tehrani, may God have mercy on him, said that once in Arak he hailed a taxi but the driver refused to allow him into his vehicle saying that there were two classes of people that the taxi drivers refused to pick up: clergymen and prostitutes. This was the attitude at the time of Reza Shah, and you all know what the situation of the clergymen has been throughout the reign of the present Shah. Such propaganda has come from abroad and is aimed at distancing you from the clergy and Islam so that the foreigners can take all your resources and no one will try to stop

262 In 1960 [1339 SH], Alam was appointed as the first head of the Pahlavi Foundation a position from which he profited greatly and amassed a large fortune. He was one of the few men who enjoyed the Shah’s complete confidence and was considered to be the Shah’s closest adviser throughout his tenure of office as Minister of Court and Prime Minister. He died in the summer of 1977 [1356 SH] at the age of fifty-seven.

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them. I have neither the time nor the energy now to talk about that group of people, who, later in the history of Islam, rose up against the kings, to see who they were and whether they were Muslims or not. This man who has written that Islam is the opium of society should take a look at the uprising, at the movement which is a reality in Iran today, to see whether it is an Islamic movement or not. This Islamic movement has come about through the help and blessings of Islam and the Muslims, the true Muslims. It is the voice of Islam which has been raised and is delivering a punch in the mouth to Russia and America. Is then Islam the opium of society? You (the imperialists) are now saying that Islam is an opiate in order to dispirit the people so they will let you continue to devour their oil and gas! You yourselves know that it is not an opiate. You all know that it impels the people to action. Islam has taken the people toward progress, toward battle, toward fighting with the infidels and with you. You are describing Islam as the opium of society at a time when Islam has caused thirty million Muslims in Iran to rise up against the holders of power, and when they are all calling for Islam. At such a time as this, this vile person263 has written that Islam is the opium of society! Perhaps a few of our youth, who are unaware of the facts, will accept what he says unquestioningly. Wake up gentlemen! Wake up you young people! You must realize what their plans are; why they want to distance you from Islam; why they want to attract you to other ideologies. They are not doing this for your good, they are doing it because they want to devour you, but Islam will not let them do this, the clergymen of Islam will not let them do this. May God grant you all success. May you be victorious.

55th Speech Date: November 6, 1978/Aban 15, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 5, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Reconciliation with the Shah and compromise with the military government constitutes treason against Islam Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

DECEIT AND BAYONETS: THE SHAH’S TWO PRETEXTS Once again the Shah has resorted to two means in an attempt to save himself: one is deceit and the other the bayonet. The first means, deceit, was employed in his (recent) address264 when he swore an oath, when he promised the nation that he would not repeat past mistakes and would make up for them, and that henceforth he would act according to the letter of the constitutional law. In this address, he asked the people to cease in their opposition; he called on the great clergymen and the most learned ulama to guide the people

263 A Russian writer. 264 Shah’s television address on Aban 15, 1357 SH after the introduction of Ghulam Reza Azhari’s military cabinet.

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and calm them and appealed to other classes of society, among them the workers, students and the youth, to stop their opposition and think about Iran!265 His words provoke many questions, one, which requires investigation, is: Were his actions up until the present, mistakes or deliberate acts? His violation of the law and the opposition which he has shown to Islam, the treason which he has perpetrated against the nation, and the crimes which he has committed, were these all mistakes as he claims? Take for example the oil that he has given to America; did he think that the Americans were one of the tribes of Iran, or that America was one of the Iranian cities so he was giving the oil to Iranians? These weapons he received in return for oil, which are of no use to us and were used to create bases for the Americans, did he think that these were foreign currency?! Did he make a mistake?! Did he take these weapons under the mistaken impression that he was getting dollars?! Did he think that he was getting pounds? The crimes that he has committed in Iran up until now, the imprisonment he has ordered, the persecution and the torture he has carried out, the massacres he has perpetrated, were all of these mistakes? When he sent his commandos to the Fayziyyah Madrasah where they burnt copies of the Qur’an, set alight the turbans of the theological students, broke their arms and legs and destroyed their chambers, did he think that he was attacking somewhere in Russia, so it was a mistake?! Did he think that the Fayziyyah Madrasah was foreign territory?! Did he presume that the people he had imprisoned had been taken away to a garden somewhere and only now he realizes that this was not the case and that they were taken away to a prison cell not a garden?! The members of the ulama and the political figures who were imprisoned and either killed or had their legs immersed in boiling oil or, as we are told, had their legs sawn off, was all this the result of a mistake?! Were these incidents just pure imagination? Now he promises that such mistakes will not be repeated, but didn’t he make pledges and swear oaths at the beginning of his rule? Someone who wants to rule has to do this; he is making the same pledges now as he did at the beginning of his rule, pledges which he later broke. Are the pledges he is making now any different from the ones he made then? Are they pledges which can’t be broken? He broke them then, but would he have us believe that now things have changed and they can’t be broken? How has he made up for his mistakes? Indeed, can he make up for them? How can he make up for the ten or fifteen years, or more, that so many people lost in his prisons? How can he compensate for the torture, the suffering and the humiliation they endured during that time? Their lives were wasted. Do his promises compensate for this? Can someone who has committed so many crimes now expect everything to be forgotten as soon as he makes new promises?!

THE SHAH’S REPENTANCE, A WOLF’S REPENTANCE Let us suppose that his promises are sincere, we will suppose this even though “it is obvious” that they are not. (When Reza Shah visited Najaf, he met with the late Firouzabadi in the holy shrine there and told him: “I am your follower sir,” to which the late Firouzabadi replied: “It is obvious.”) [the audience laughs]. His

265 On November 6, 1978/Aban 15, 1357 SH, following the failure of Sharif Imami’s government, the Shah, in a nationwide address broadcast over the radio, announced the establishment of a military government led by General Azhari. In this address, he implored the people to respect the law and promised that he would not allow past mistakes to recur, that he would bring an end to corruption and would establish a popular and democratic government. In this address, he refrained from referring to himself as “we”, as was his wont, and employed the pronoun “I” instead, as he explained to the people in an apologetic tone that in the interests of national security he had been obliged to install a military government.

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promises today remind me of the book, The Cat and the Mouse.266 The Cat and the Mouse is a useful book, an instructive book, which discusses the tricks kings and rulers play at the time when they enjoy power and when their power begins to wane. As the story goes, the cat one day threw down his prayer mat, performed his namaz, repented and asked for God’s forgiveness vowing never to repeat his past actions. After a while the poor mice were taken in by his promises and began taking the cat gifts and the like, until one day the cat pounced on five of them at once. Whereas previously the cat could only get one mouse at a time, now he got five at a time!267 Well, we know that your (addressing the Shah) repentance is the same as that of a wolf or a cat! The nation knows this so don’t trouble yourself by continually repeating it! These most learned ulama that you are now calling upon to guide the people and calm them are those very same ulama whose words until recently you described as “black reaction.” Until recently these ulama were, according to you, “reactionaries,” “black reactionaries.” When I was in Qum, he delivered a speech in one of the Iranian cities in which he spoke about the ulama saying that one should avoid these reactionaries like impure animals! These impure animals have now become the great clergymen and most learned ulama! If these great clergymen and most learned ulama give him time to breathe, by the second breath they would be the same impure animals once again! These mistakes, as he calls them, were all in fact intentional acts, these acts of treason were all intentional, and if this nation gives him a respite, then he will repeat these same “mistakes” again. He is trying to trick the people; on the one hand he promises not to repeat past mistakes, and on the other he calls on the people to think about Iran! It is because we are thinking about Iran that we are speaking out now. It is because this nation realizes that you are taking Iran away from them, because you have allowed the world powers to dominate us, and because you have exhausted our resources, that they have risen up and have embarked on this movement against you. It is precisely because we are thinking about Iran that we are opposing you and struggling against you, for you are the source of these “mistakes” as you call them but which as far as we are concerned are intentional acts. Our concerns about Islam, about a Muslim country and about the poor have forced us to oppose you in this way. “Come let us think about Iran!” We want to think about Iran, we are thinking about Iran; just because we are opposing you does not mean that we have stopped thinking about Iran!

THE SHAH’S CLAIM OF MAINTAINING THE STABILITY OF THE COUNTRY! This person will just not stop saying these things! What kind of a person is he? How does his mind work? Who does he think he is trying to fool? Who believes him when he says that if he were to no longer be around, then Iran too would cease to exist?! According to him as soon as he dies- and the day will come, God willing, soon [the audience laughs] - Iran too will cease to be! So, it seems that we have lost Iran! According to him, after ten days, a few months or whatever, Iran will be destroyed because it was he who

266 A short critical versified story of Ubayd Zakani. 267 Extract from the poem: Every year he used to take one mouse from us; His greed now has increased. This time he is taking five, As he becomes a faithful and Muslim!

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preserved Iran and when he is no longer around we too will cease to be!268 [the audience laughs]. He should cease to exist, not Iran! So, deceit is one of the means that he has resorted to; deceit, as demonstrated yesterday by his minister 269 when he said- and perhaps this was dictated to him by his masters- that mistakes had been made and when, among other things, he called on the youth to make their peace (with the regime)! But the people paid no heed to his words, and the situation in the various parts of Iran, in Tehran and other places, is the same today as it was before.

RESORT TO THE BAYONET AND BLUDGEON The second means that the Shah has resorted to is the bayonet. He now turns to two means for protection, one is the bludgeon, the bludgeon of seditious mercenaries who have been given money to set upon the people with bludgeons; and the other is the bayonets of those people (the army) who are on the streets. Well, the bayonets are nothing new! The Iranian nation has been living under the shadow of the bayonet for a while now! For some time now, he has had no recourse other than the use of bayonets and bludgeons. This is the man who until recently described the nation as a king-loving people- and given half the chance he would say the same thing again, indeed I am surprised that he is not doing so today [the audience laughs]... As the cries of “Death to the Pahlavi monarchy” Were being raised in the city of Isfahan, the Shah in his speech called the inhabitants of Isfahan a king-loving people! One of his aides or his agents said that if the truth be known, the Iranian people bear an intrinsic liking for the monarchy. This is his logic; he thinks that the people want the monarchical regime! What can the poor things do?! The people are now pouring into the streets and shouting out because they fear that, God forbid, the monarchical regime will be toppled! So, he is seeking recourse in the bayonet and the bludgeon, and he has been doing so for a while now, but to no avail. Martial law was announced under which gatherings of more than two people were banned, but this did not stop the people and just after it was announced, seventy thousand, a hundred thousand, three hundred thousand people came together and set off from one place to another saying what they had to say! This martial law could not influence the people. Someone who is ready to give his life cannot be stopped by martial law. A man who gives his child and then says he is honored to have done so, a woman who sacrifices her child and then turns around and says that she is proud to have performed such a service to Islam, cannot be stopped by bayonets. Does the bayonet do anything other than kill people? Well, these people are saying that they want to be killed! They cannot be stopped by bayonets. The establishment of a national ‘reconciliation’ government first of all, and then now a military government are foolish attempts to solve the situation. A military government! Has your government up until now been anything other than a military government? Yes, we can say that the head of the government was not a military man, he was a lawyer who became a politician, but the method of government was that of a military government for all of Iran was under martial law, in some parts it was official and in others unofficial! The

268 Refers to Firdawsi’s (Ferdowsi’s) famous poem: If there is no Iran, I will no longer cease to be; If there exists no country, it is better that nobody is alive. 269 Ja’far Sharif Imami.

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people have had the experience of a military government, it is nothing new to them, they are not going to be frightened by it, it is something quite normal for them!

THE PEOPLE ARE NOT AFRAID OF A MILITARY GOVERNMENT One should not think that a military government is the answer. America should not presume that by carrying out a military coup d’état and replacing this regime with a military one that the problem will be solved. Is it possible? Will it have an effect on the people? They are used to military governments. Yes, at one time it was something new to them; if a military man went into the bazaar and began doing whatever he pleased nobody would tell him to stop. If someone had two stars on his shoulder, it was disastrous! He would go wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted and perpetrate whatever evil he wanted, and no one would stand up to him. Now, however, if the Shah himself enters the arena they will tear him limb from limb! Times have changed and the nation has changed. The people have undergone a transformation which has changed them, changed their nature. They are no longer afraid of martial law; the thought of a military government coming to power holds no fear for them because they have already experienced life under military rule, they have confronted the military and suffered blows and death at the hands of the military. When the regime wants to kill the people, it makes no difference whether it does so through martial law, a military government or a civilian government. The people are ready to be killed, so these moves do not offer the solution to the problem nor will they cure the people’s pain.

THE PROPAGANDA OF THE SOVIET NEWSPAPERS An article appeared in a Russian newspaper, and has been corroborated by an American attach~ who is also one of the Shah’s friends, stating that many different interpretations of the crisis are going around. One person says that these clergymen who are now opposing the Shah are doing so because the ‘land reforms’ were detrimental to them and endangered their interests! Another one says that so-and-so270 (Imam himself) harbors a personal grudge against the Shah! As I said yesterday, I have no personal grudge against the Shah, this is not the problem; and as for that which the Russian newspaper has written, that is incorrect too, for the clergy enjoy a much better life now than they did before the reforms were implemented! Whoever wishes can go and see for himself. If they are talking about the conditions under which the clergy live, then their situation is one hundred percent better than at that time! They haven’t lost anything, their influence remains as it was, as we are witnessing, otherwise why would he (the Shah) appeal to the great maraji’ and the most learned ulama to guide the people?! Suddenly he has a change of heart! In the early days (of his rule) when he replied to letters from the maraji’ he would write telling them to concentrate on guiding the populace, meaning that they had no right to interfere in the affairs of the country! Someone should tell him that this is just what we have done [the audience laughs], the masses have now been guided and you were asleep while this was happening! Now that they have been guided in the right direction, you resort to telling the ulama to” think about Iran and protect me!”

270 In their prejudiced analyses some Western writers have cited Imam Khomeini’s uprising as the Imam’s personal enmity toward the Shah.

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THE REGIME MUST GO These are just contrivances, they won’t work! There is only one solution and that is for this regime to go, for America, Russia, Britain and all those who sit down to eat, free of charge, at the banquet of Iran, to remove their rapacious hands. We do not want to stop giving them oil so that they have to struggle and some of the nations suffer from the cold. No, we wish to be in control of our own oil and sell as much as we want to sell. And sell it we will, for no matter what kind of regime comes to power in Iran it will want to sell its oil, but not in the manner it was previously sold. We oppose the plundering of our oil, not its sale at its true price. We will sell our oil at its true price and get currency for it; we want the money, we want it to spend on the people. Our oil is being extracted now at a much greater rate than it should be and they (those in the Iranian government) does not get money in return for it, they get either scrap metal or buy airplanes at exorbitant prices! As for the small amount of money that they do receive in return for the oil, it is not spent on the nation; what does this poor nation have? Don’t just look at the situation of a few wealthy merchants of the bazaar in Tehran or some of these landlords who live off their prey (the villagers), go take a look at the shanty towns and the villages. Go to Khuzistan and look at the situation in the villages there. God knows what a sorrowful state of affairs is to be found there. A river runs through Khuzistan, a large river, it is not a stream but a river on which boats sail, and the land there stretches for as far as the eye can see, yet it is devoid of agriculture. Once, about thirty years ago, when I was passing through Khuzistan on my way to the atabat (holy places) I stopped and pondered over the land there and thought that perhaps the soil was not suitable for farming, but when I took a closer look, I saw that it was very good soil and thus I realized that it was the hand of treason which did not allow the land to be cultivated. The water of that province is being wasted, as is the land! The people of Khuzistan have no doctor for their sick children, they have nothing. Sometimes one sees that ten villages, twenty villages even, do not have a clinic. Is this the ‘great civilization’?! One clinic is for twenty villages while other villages have to go nowhere and the people there do not even know what a doctor is. In one of their (the regime’s) own newspapers they wrote that there is so little water that when the people wake up in the morning they have to wash the trachomainfected eyes of their children- a condition brought about by this corrupt regime- with urine so they can open their eyes! This is what was written in the newspaper. This is the kind of life our people have to endure because of this man’s ‘mistakes’! Up until now he has made mistakes but now he claims that they won’t be repeated and Iran will become the great civilization! But your mistakes do not number one or two or ten! Your premeditated acts do not amount to one or two or ten! These newspaper reporters continue to ask us why we are at odds with the Shah. Need they ask? Ask the people what this man has done to make them oppose him so. Listen to what these children and adults alike are shouting. Do they disfavor him because they have a personal grudge against him?! Do thirty million people have a personal grudge against him?!

NO ROOM REMAINS FOR COMPROMISE He has perpetrated so much treachery and committed so many crimes in this country that there is no room for compromise. He has left no way open for someone to say that his mistakes are forgotten or that from now on, God willing, he will not repeat them; this is impossible now. If a clergyman, a politician, a merchant

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from the bazaar or an academic were to try to tell the people: “The Shah has repented today so let’s compromise with him, he has asked for God’s forgiveness so give him your forgiveness,” the people would regard him as a traitor! Why should we forgive him? Is what he has done worthy of our forgiveness? Should we forgive him for spilling the blood of our children and youth or for the fact that he has brought our country to rack and ruin? Why should we forgive him? What will he do from now on? He has plunged the families of this nation into a state of mourning. Now should we say: “In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful; let’s forgive him and finish the matter?!” “Forgive me I made a mistake”. What on earth does this mean? At whom are these words directed? In any case, the aim is this, if anyone thinks differently he is a traitor to the nation, the country and Islam. If you give him a respite, then tomorrow neither Islam, country nor family will remain for you. Do not give him time, squeeze this throat (of his) until it breathes no more. May God grant you all success. May He lift the evil of these overlords from us for the overlords are worse than they (the regime) are.

56th Speech Date: November 7, 1978/Aban 16, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 6, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The negligence of, and mistakes made by, the ulama and political figures throughout the Pahlavi rule Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

REZA KHAN’S DECEIT Throughout the rule of this dynasty, mistakes have been made which have been most regrettable. Some of them were made during the time of Reza Shah and others during the rule of this man (Muhammad Reza). From the beginning when Reza Shah enacted his coup d’état on the command of the British, one of the mistakes which were made was that those who knew the facts and understood what was going on did not inform the people. Reza Shah began his rule doing the same kinds of things that his son does now. He devoted much attention to attending rawzahs. He ordered groups of soldiers onto the streets at Ashura271 to beat their chests in mourning- I myself saw this- and in Tehran, he himself used to go from this takiyah272 to that takiyah where rawzahs were being held. Wherever he went, the mourning ceremonies were well-attended. It is this type

271 Ashura: tenth day of the Islamic lunar month of Muharram. Imam Husayn (as), the third infallible Imam from the Prophet’s Progeny rose against the corrupt rule Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah in 61 AH in spite of a handful number of supporters to safeguard and set right the course of Islamic religion. In the bloody epic confrontation that took place in the desert of Karbala in contemporary Iraq, Imam Husayn and 72 of his supporters were martyred on the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram and the day came to be called Ashura [the tenth]. The followers of Imam Husayn still mark those eventful days by holding mourning ceremonies. 272 Takiyah: A place where passion-plays are represented; a religious theater.

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of chicanery that this man (Muhammad Reza) is practicing today. Reza Khan entered the scene with this weapon, and there were those then who knew exactly what was going on, but their mistake was that they failed to show his true face to the people. Later, when his hypocritical show was no longer necessary, he showed his true colors and closed down the takiyahs and banned all religious assemblies such that throughout the whole of Iran rawzahs and other religious ceremonies were no longer held. This action of his is something that you all know took place.

LACK OF SUPPORT FOR MUDARRIS WAS ONE OF THE HISTORIC ERRORS Another mistake made at that time by those who should have enlightened the people to the facts was that they did not lend their support to Mudarris. Mudarris was the only great man to stand up and oppose Reza Khan, and while some of those in the Parliament supported his stance, he met with obstinate opposition from others. At that time too, some faction or other could have lent him its support. Had this happened, in the light of the fact that Mudarris was a man endowed with many laudable qualities, being an enlightened individual, a powerful speaker and a brave man, he was the kind of man who could have uprooted the evil of this family there and then. But it did not happen. More distressing than this, and it grieves me whenever I think about it, is the invasion of Iran by the Allies. At the time, Reza Shah praised himself or other praised him so highly, boasting that Iran (under him) was a mighty country which no other country was powerful enough to attack! (His son’s boasting now is just like that of his father before him; he is truly his father’s son!) However, once it was clear that this was just empty talk, the first declaration was never followed up by a second! It is said that when Reza Shah chastised one of his commanders as to why it took the Allies merely one or two hours to invade Iran, the reply was: “It should have taken only five minutes... at least we lasted for two hours. They had everything while we had nothing!” All the means of suppression which were brought into being in the country were done so for the purpose of suppressing the power of the nation itself. During the Reza Shah’s era, powerful people existed in Iran, men who were ruthless but who were loyal to their country. Reza Shah clipped their wings on the orders of the foreigners and, through the agreements he made with the latter, divested these powerful figures of all their power. In doing this, the foreigners too were acting in accordance with a plan, a plan which was to strip these powerful men in Iran of their power, to disarm them and thus preclude any display of power by them. So this is what Reza Shah did, he divested powerful men of their power and, as you all know, in the end he himself went in the manner that he did, being taken away by the British along with the country’s crown jewels! I was told by someone who himself had been told by an officer who had accompanied Reza Shah on his journey to the island of Mauritius, how, upon being told by the British that he had to leave Iran, Reza Shah packed the crown jewels into his suitcases to take with him believing that they (the British) wanted to take him somewhere to live in a palace! During his journey to board the ship that was to take him into exile, he stopped at a bridge and sobbed in vain. The British put him on board a ship with all the jewels in his suitcases and once out at sea, a ship used for transporting animals came up alongside his ship and he was told to board it; on seeing that he had no alternative but to do as he was told, he boarded the other ship. When he asked about his suitcases, the British told him that they would bring them for him, but he went one way and his suitcases the other! God only knows whether the British still have them or not. This is all very unfortunate. The nation has witnessed Reza Shah’s transgressions; nothing remains hidden.

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Yes, Reza Shah left, and I myself was a witness to this when the armies of three countries invaded Iran and everything was exposed to danger, the people still rejoiced. It was as if they were celebrating the arrival of the Allies, but they were rejoicing because they had been told that the Allies had sent Reza Shah away! For they had experienced Reza Shah’s oppressiveness, it was not something that he hid from them, so when the Allies arrived, even though they were the enemy, the people rejoiced for they believed they would act better than he had done. When a personage, a king, a holder of power does not enjoy the support of the nation, the people rejoice when he is removed from power and leaves the country, proclaiming how fortunate it is that he has gone instead of rising up to ask why. Truly, how fortunate it is that he has gone. But here, what is indubitably a source of regret and great sorrow, is that at that time, when the Allies came and Reza Shah left, not one voice was raised to say that the people didn’t want his son (to succeed him) and thus stop the Allies from putting him on the throne. For indeed it was they who installed him in power. The Shah himself has admitted this, he wrote this in his book, although I have heard that it was later deleted. The sentence “the Allies thought it fitting that I assume power” Was later expunged from his book. If only at that time someone, such as one of the country’s leading figures, a member of the ulama or a group of people had spoken out to say: “We do not want this dynasty; we have had to endure much at their hands; what did the father do for us that should make us think the son is going to do any better?” This was one of the acts of negligence which took place in the history of Iran; had it not happened, the course of Iranian history could have been changed and we would not be sitting here speaking about it today, neither would I be here, nor you gentlemen, everybody would be going about his own business in his own country.

THE NEGLIGENCE OF QAWWAM AS-SALTANAH AND DR. MUSADDIQ Political personalities, leading clerical figures and other classes of people in our country were grossly remiss in this regard, and thus this man was imposed on us and his rule subsequently strengthened. From that time until the present there have been further cases of negligence. Qawwan as-Saltanah273 could have done something, but he was careless and weak-willed.274 More important than Qawwan as-Saltanah was Dr. Musaddiq275. He attained power, but he made mistakes. He wanted to serve his country, but he made 273 Ahmad Qawwam (1252- 1334 SH) was prime minister on several occasions. The uprising of Tir 30, 1331 SH was against his appointment. 274 Ahmad Qawwam (1863- 1955 AD/ 1252- 1334 SH) known as Dabir Huzr, Wazir Huzr and Qawwam as-Saltanah in whose hand the command for the Constitution is written. During the reign of Mu»affaruddin Shah he was the special secretary and head of the king’s office. At the time of Ahmad Shah he was the governor of Khorasan and later became Prime Minister. When Sardar Sepah (Reza Khan) assumed power, he was dismissed and forced to leave Iran. After August 1941 [Shahrivar 1320 SH] Qawwam resumed his political activities and became Prime Minister four times. However, due to the events of July 21, 1952/Tir 30, 1331 SH he was again dismissed. Qawwam is recognized in Iranian history as one of the famous political figures who aligned himself with British and American imperialism. The secret agreement which Qawwam made with the American government in October 1947 stating: “The Iranian government cannot employ military advisers from any other country without America’s permission,” effectively put the Iranian army under the command of the American war department. This agreement, along with his government’s granting of special concessions to America, especially with regard to oil, was an important factor in the spread of American policies in Iran. 275 Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq (1882- 1962 AD/1261- 1346 SH) son of Mirza Hidayat was one of the famous politicians of Iran. He studied at the school of political science in Paris (1909- 10) and obtained a doctorate in law from Neufchatel in Switzerland. In the year 1915 [1299 SH], he became the governor of Fars province and in 1917 [1301 SH], when Reza Khan was War Minister, he was appointed governor of Azerbaijan. During the period of the sixteenth National Assembly, Dr. Musaddiq created the National Front with the help of a few other political groups. After ratification of the law nationalizing the Iranian oil industry, the Shah was forced to select him as Prime Minister. Dr. Musaddiq came to power with the support of the people and the religious leaders, especially Ayatullah Abul-Qasim Kashani. The policies that he adopted greatly curtailed the powers of the Shah. In June 1952 [Tir 1331 SH], the Shah took advantage of an appropriate opportunity and dismissed Musaddiq. However, faced with public outrage, the Shah was forced to appoint him to form a cabinet. The

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mistakes, one of which was that at the time that he assumed power, he did not stamp out that man (Muhammad Reza) and end matters. It was not a difficult thing at all for him to have done at that time, because control of the army lay in his hands, all the organs of power lay in his hands and the Shah himself had not acquired the powerful position that he was to acquire later. At that time, the Shah was weak and was at the mercy of Musaddiq, but the latter was remiss. Another instance of negligence which occurred is to be found in the fact that Musaddiq dissolved the Parliament and ordered the deputies to resign one by one. When they did so, a legal way lay opened for the Shah to reassert himself, because in the absence of a Parliament the Shah reserves the right to appoint a Prime Minister, and this he did! These were the mistakes that the Doctor made, and in their wake this man (the Shah) was once again returned to Iran. In the words of some, “Muhammad Reza Shah left and Reza Shah returned.” Some people told the Doctor that his actions had resulted in Muhammad Reza Shah leaving- and at the time of his departure he was a man of straw completely at the mercy of Musaddiq- and Reza Shah returning. What they meant by this was that a man of ascendant power returned. They said how at that time they didn’t realize that later on Muhammad Reza would be a Reza Shah of a much more fiery temperament.276 This was one of the mistakes that were made. Today, we are once again at a sensitive period in our history, and I’m afraid more mistakes might be made. Today, it is we who are duty-bound. We have witnessed many mistakes over the years, and I am afraid that this time too, the different classes of our society, our religious and political personalities and our intellectuals, may once again err in such a way that will bedevil us till the end of our lives and dash the hopes of another revolution ever taking place. You all know, and whoever is familiar with our history knows, that this movement we are witnessing in Iran today has no precedent in the country’s history, if not in world history. It is a movement in which seven-year-old children call out in unison with seventy-year-old men: “We don’t want him!” A movement in which soldiers take to the streets with bayonets, guns and tanks attacking and killing the people, yet still these people stand firm with fists clenched shouting: “We don’t want him.” I’m not sure whether world history has ever experienced a story like that of Iran’s today, but most certainly the transition which is taking place in the country has no precedent in the history of Iran. I know, and any other discerning individual must surely know, that if this movement loses its momentum, it can never be retrieved. It is not a case of being able to turn this movement on and off like a light switch. This unprecedented movement has come about as a result of much hardship and because the hand of God, the Blessed and Exalted, is involved. Today, even with a military government in place and the cities of Iran occupied- for we must describe them as being occupied by the military- demonstrations are held, voices are raised from every corner and cries of “Death to the Shah” are heard once more. Such a thing has never happened before and there is no hope of it ever being repeated. I am afraid that we, you and others in Iran might err and that this will result in the movement losing its momentum, not being brought to fruition and our country remaining

differences which existed between Musaddiq, who believed that religion should be separate from politics, and Ayatullah Kashani, who felt that it was necessary to observe the fundamentals and laws of religion in the administration of society, gradually deepened, and with the American CIA and British M16 orchestrated coup d’état of August 19, 1953/Mordad 28, 1332 SH, Musaddiq’s government collapsed. Following the coup, Musaddiq was arrested and condemned to three years in prison before being exiled to the village of Ahmadabad, situated between Tehran and Qazvin, to lead a lonely life until his death in March 1967 at the age of eighty-four. 276 It refers to Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.

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for evermore captive and under the heel of foreigners. Opposition to the theory, “The Shah must reign and not rule” Now they are expending every effort through every means at their disposal to retain him, either by using those who have entered the Parliament as so-called deputies or those outside the Parliament who support the Shah. These maneuvers that you have witnessed lately in Parliament277 also form part of their efforts. All this talk of one group constituting the opposition and the other the supporters is all nonsense. All the opponents and the supporters agree on one thing, that the Shah must remain. They go on about “free elections”, What does this mean? It means that “His Most Exalted Majesty” Will order the people to select their representatives, the regime will be formally retained and the referendum will be in the hands of the Shah. It means that the elections will be free, but free according to his command! This is what free elections mean! There must be a democratic regime and the Shah must reign not govern! This idea must be advanced both inside and outside the Parliament, everywhere it should be voiced that the Shah must reign not govern, and now they are praying to God that the people accept this proposal. Indeed, this the Shah may do for the first two or three months, even perhaps for a year, but what about after that? Even if we assume (albeit a false assumption) that from now on he reigns and does not govern, that the revolution recognizes him as ruler and he becomes a proper, correct person, nevertheless what about all these crimes that he has committed so far? Are they of no consequence? If your ordinary man in the street were to kill another human being and then say, “I’m sorry, forgive me”, Would he be let off? Would the law set him free? Is it logical then to forgive this murderer? Should we now forgive someone who for the past twenty-five years has ruled the destiny of our country, who for these past twenty-five years or more has betrayed our country, has given its wealth away to others, is exhausting our oil reserves in this way and is giving our gas away, who has killed all these people and perpetrated all these massacres? In the massacre which took place on Khordad 15, fifteen thousand people were killed, and in those which have taken place recently even more have been killed. Now he’s telling us that these were mistakes, that he “erred;” and he promises that it won’t happen again! Even if we presume that these mistakes will not be repeated, what about those that have been made up until now? You (addressing the Shah) threw political and religious figures into prison for ten, fifteen years or more. You persecuted them terribly and made them endure so much. But now that they have been released, and in such a weak state of health at that, now that a number of them have been released, is everything over and done with? You robbed a human being, thousands of human beings of ten years of their lives. Is this of no consequence? Should we now let this man reign? Should we tell him, “Okay, Your Most Exalted Majesty, please, ascend your throne and reign over us”?! And should we all go to pay tribute to him at the “king’s reception”! Should he now go and sit in an opulent palace somewhere and busy himself with the pursuit of pleasure for he is no longer required to govern? Have things come to this? Could a just person, could a Muslim accept such a thing? Could a Muslim, a morally-conscious person, a human being be expected to forgive a criminal who for twenty-odd years has ruled over this nation illegally, who for twenty-odd years has squandered the wealth of these people, has committed mass murder and allowed foreigners to dominate our country, as soon as he says: “Well, I made 277 It refers to the exhibitionist oppositions of the members of the national parliament on the last days of the Pahlavi monarchy.

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a mistake, forgive me”!? Mistakes have been made which constitute criminal acts for which he should be sentenced in a court of law.

COMPROMISING WITH THE SHAH AND THE MONARCHY IS TREASON Let us suppose that now he has indeed become a servant of God and a Muslim! What about his actions up to now? Would he be acquitted of them in a court of law anywhere in the world? Would a religious court acquit him? According to the laws of Islam or secular law is everything finished as soon as he, being the Shah, says sorry? Should we now let bygones be bygones and return to our everyday affairs? To compromise now, to even think of compromising with this man, to even think of permitting him to reign but not govern, or getting rid of him and allowing Farah278 to reign over us and free elections to take place later, is tantamount to treason against the nation of Islam, against this oppressed nation. Is the aged mother who yesterday sat and ate lunch with five members of her family but who this evening sits alone with her husband for her children have all been killed, is she of no consequence? He (the Shah) is sorry, so is all forgotten? Can a Muslim accept this? How will we answer those who watch a group of children on their way to school in the knowledge that their child who accompanied them yesterday is not with them today? What will we be able to say to this nation? Will we say that we have made a compromise with “His Most Exalted Majesty” so the blood of your children means nothing now, it is insignificant? Is this not treachery? How can anyone think of doing such a thing?! What kind of negligence, satanic negligence, is this? What kind of devilish insinuation is this that creeps into the minds of some telling them to let bygones be bygones; that it is better to overlook what he has done?! “Everyone has suffered, but we have forgiven now you must forgive and forget!” Which crimes of his should we overlook?! Is it my place to overlook them? It is the right of the nation to say whether we should overlook these mistakes or not. Can this right be overlooked? It is the right of the nation, of Islam, of God. Is he worthy of pardon? I am afraid that such a mistake may be made. The people should all join hands together and prevent such a blunder from being made. All sides are now resorting to various measures in an attempt to make you young people here and those in Iran kick up a fuss about this. At this sensitive period in time, now that the movement has reached the last stronghold, do not let this man win. This is a danger which Iran now faces. If weakness is shown and a mistake made, or if the people are ruffled by the hue and cry Carter is creating by saying that the Shah preserves their interests, that they will not neglect their servant, that this servant must remainalthough this is not the actual word Carter used it makes no difference for the substance of what he said is that they could never find another servant like him- then this would constitute a grievous danger for Iran. You should not be frightened by these things.

278 Farah Diba Pahlavi (1938 – present) is the widow of tyrant King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. She belonged to an upper-class family in Tehran and was the only child of Captain Sohrab Diba. She had four children: eldest Reza Pahlavi (born 1960) living currently in USA and conspiring unsuccessfully with full support of US-Zionist-European coalition to topple Islamic Republic of Iran; Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 1963) living currently in USA; Ali Reza Pahlavi, born in 1966, committed suicide by gun shot on 4th January 2011 in Boston, US, after struggling with depression for years; Leila Pahlavi, born in 1970, died of drug and cocaine overdose in London on 10th June 2001 after suffering from chronic depression.

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NO WEAPON IS EFFECTIVE AGAINST A NATION A nation cannot be intimidated indefinitely. As we saw, they were not able to use the army to do this. He (the Shah) is very eager for the military to commit genocide, to kill one, two or three million people, but it won’t happen; this is not how it works. Those overlords cannot do this either. Do not be mistaken in thinking that if you resist their plans then the Russian army will invade from one direction, the American army from another and the British from another. This is all a myth. When a nation does not want something, then it will not be. And now the nation does not want him. It is not a political party or faction or a group of people that are saying “no” now, but a nation, and when faced with a nation’s “no” neither bayonets, tanks, guns nor the empty threats of Carter or the Kremlin are effective! They can write all they like in their newspapers and speak out as much as they like, but such a thing will not happen. We ask God to grant the Iranians victory in the struggle for their rights [the audience replies with “Amen”]. We ask Him to assist those in Iran who have risen up in pursuit of their rights [“Amen” from the audience]. Each one of us, wherever we are, is duty-bound to help these Iranians to whatever extent we can [the audience replies with “God willing”]. I don’t know the exact number, but there must be many thousands of Iranians living abroad and if they can tell hundreds of thousands of foreigners what they know then it will neutralize the prevailing propaganda abroad now which speaks of the Iranians as a people who seek anarchy and who are not worthy of being given freedom! This is the nonsense trumpeted over the Shah’s propaganda loudspeakers. You must nullify this. The Iranians are people who have stood up and are saying that they want their rights, they want to be free, they no longer want to be under the influence of American military advisers. This nation has progressed such that it no longer wants this situation to remain as it is, and God willing, it will not

57th Speech Date: November 8, 1978/Aban 17, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 7, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Fifty years of crimes committed by the Pahlavi (dynasty) Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE SHAH’S VARIOUS CONSPIRACIES TO FOOL THE PEOPLE The gentlemen shout the slogan, “We will kill your bloodthirsty enemy;”279 he is not only my bloodthirsty enemy; this man and his father before him have been the bloodthirsty enemies of the nation for fifty years! He is the bloodthirsty enemy of our country’s independence. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of our nation’s freedom. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of our nation’s abundant resources. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of

279 It refers to the famous slogan during the period of the Revolution, “Khomeini, Khomeini, may God protect you; we will kill, we will kill your blood thirsty enemy”.

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our culture and education. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of our economy. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of our armed forces. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of all classes of our society. He is the bloodthirsty enemy of Islam, of the ulama of Islam, of the children of Islam and of Iran. Now that our nation is aware of this animosity, and this great Islamic movement has begun, he has resorted to various measures. Before this movement began, he turned to two means of recourse the most important of which consisted of what he said, the speeches he made and that which was written for him in books, such as Mission for My Country and others- which were written in his name by other people and published by him. By this means he propagated the notion that Iran had progressed because of him, because of “His Imperial Majesty the Aryamehr!” That America was no longer like our ‘grandfather’ whom we must obey! That the hands of foreigners had been severed from this land and the Soviet Union no longer had the nerve to lay a hand on us nor America the power to attack us! There is no end to this talk that he delivers in his speeches and whenever the opportunity presents itself he delivers such speeches! You have all seen in his books what he has said about things like the ‘great civilization’ and the like. Another recourse he resorted to using was coercion. Before the advent of this movement, he used SAVAK, the army and the police to attack the people and their property. As this movement entered its first year and as day by day it spread further throughout the whole of Iran- God willing this movement will be retained and will become more and more widespread until it achieves its objectives- he resorted to different measures and sought refuge in a number of shelters. At one time he sought the solution by bringing in a ‘reconciliation government’ which was supposed to act in accordance with the desires of the nation and meet the nation’s demands. He also did some childish things. So many centers of corruption exist in Iran and are supported by him and his regime, yet at the time (of the national reconciliation government) the authorities announced that they were closing down the casinos and changing the calendar280. But this was just to deceive the people. Later, when the Shah saw that the people had not been taken in by this tactic and that they continued to shout out, when he realized that this maneuver had only served to enlighten the people and that they demonstrated against it, he resorted to imposing martial law! So, while the government was a government of national reconciliation, martial law governed! And the killings and murders which you all know about ensued! So, first of all, there was a ‘reconciliation government’ and then when that failed, the bayonet and a military government were brought in! Still our countrymen paid no attention to this. This spiritual change which has taken place in our society, a change which has embraced all areas of our country, has no precedent anywhere, not even in the history of Iran. One of the rules of martial law, or at least, one of the announcements made, is that a gathering of more than two people is illegal. Even so, groups of two hundred thousand people, three hundred thousand people, half a million people, in the very city at the center of martial law, come out onto the streets and set off shouting, “Death to the Shah!”

THE SHAH’S USE OF WEAPON OF REPENTANCE The regime realized that nothing was being achieved by martial law, so, a few days ago, the carrot and stick treatment was brought into use: in one hand the Shah held a declaration of repentance, while in the other he gripped a bludgeon! I guessed that this repentance of his was just a ploy, and indeed it has proved to be

280 It refers to the re-changing of the calendar from Shahanshahi to Hijri.

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so. In that tripartite meeting with the Shah281, it was planned that he should begin speaking like a man who had repented, that he should make promises to the nation, admit that up until now mistakes had been made but to pledge not to repeat these mistakes, and commit himself before the nation to refrain from repeating his past deeds and mistakes. Upon doing this, he then turned to the different sections of this society, to the clergy, the grand maraji’ and the most learned ulama- as he called them- requesting that they guide the people and pacify them saying that he has decided from now on to allow free elections to be held, to give the nation freedom, freedom in the fullest sense of the word, but first the clergy must pacify the people. Then he turned to the politicians and asked them to help prevent the people from doing anything like this again and told them that he would give freedom, he would allow free elections and set up a legitimate Parliament and he would not repeat deeds done in the past or mistakes made. Then he turned to the youth telling them that they were part of this nation, and to the fathers and mothers of the youth telling them not to allow their children to come out into the streets and do such things. He addressed all sections of the society and confessed before the nation; and as I have been told the radio mentioned this in all of its programs and the declaration of repentance was read out.

THE SHAH’S REPENTANCE MEANS CONFESSION TO ALL OF HIS CRIMES Thus, he has admitted that what he has done until now was a mistake; he has confessed that he is guilty of a crime! He has conceded before the nation that he has up until now deprived the nation of freedom. Now he says he wants to cease making such mistakes, that he has realized that his actions were mistakes and he doesn’t want them to be repeated. He is admitting that the Parliament has not been a national Parliament but a Parliament of the bayonet! He is saying now that in this too he made a ‘mistake’ but from now on the elections will be free! He is admitting that he ordered the killings, beatings and the plundering to be carried out by his agents from SAVAK and other agencies, and he is now saying that this was a mistake which he will not repeat in the future! He is admitting that he ordered these imprisonments and sent members of the ulama, politicians and others to prison for ten, fifteen years or more, and now he is saying that this was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened, but well it just did! He says it won’t be repeated, that he won’t do such things again. He expects you (the people) to extend a brotherly hand and for him to remain king and you the subjects! He expects you to settle down so he can have a trouble-free rule, so he can do whatever his heart desires; meanwhile he promises, he pledges and guarantees that he won’t do such things again! This is the hand in which he held the ‘declaration of repentance.’ Intensified killing of the people simultaneous with the Shah’s deceitful declaration of repentance This was the plan, for him to come before the nation and say these things. Following this, the Prime Minister282 repeated his words and both he and the Shah called on the nation, on all the classes of people who had risen up, to come together with them and think about Iran, to stop doing these things and all join together and think about Iran! This is the hand of repentance that he held out, the hand in which he held the declaration of repentance. At the same time, he held up his other hand and the killings began in earnest. At the present time in Iran the regime is busy killing the people. We heard just this morning from Qum that 281 It refers to the Shah’s tripartite meeting with the ambassadors of America and Britain. See William Sullivan, Ma’muriyyat dar Iran, Persian translation, p. 118. 282 Ghulam Reza Azhari.

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the city has never before been in such a state! The person who telephoned here said that Qum had never before witnessed such an uprising as that which is taking place there today, that never before had the city witnessed such scenes of depravity, with fires burning and guns blazing. I do not have information at the moment as to exactly what is happening in other places, but I know that the situation is the same. It is said that Zanjan is witnessing the same scenes as Qum and that the situation there is serious too. So in one hand he holds his declaration of repentance saying: “God, forgive me! I repent, I admit that I was wrong,” While in the other he holds a sword which he uses to strike the people. In view of this can the people really believe that he has repented?! Perhaps some uninformed people would believe this if martial law were not still in place and instead of the military government a national government- as he sees it- were in power. But those who have studied the mentality of this man, who have seen what kind of a person he has been over the past twenty-odd years or more, who have seen him dress up in a different guise and present another image, one minute appearing to be a devout worshipper and the next grabbing five at a time283, realize what is happening and don’t believe a word he says. If he had merely presented the people with his apologies and his declaration of repentance, then possibly some of them, those who don’t look too deeply into matters, would have believed him. But he didn’t do this; he used both the carrot and the stick at once! This is sheer ignorance. Either that, or those who are instructing him have a score to settle with him and want to get rid of him, but they want to do it in an oblique manner, they want to indirectly make the people realize just what his repentance really means. They want them to see that along with his show of remorse, his pleas to the nation to forgive his shortcomings, his pledges and his guarantees, he carries a gun beneath his ‘aba (cloak) ! Should the nation believe such a person? Which nation, which fool would ever believe him? Who could be taken in by what he is saying? Even those who know nothing about him could they be expected to take his words to be true when he is repenting and killing at the same time? Does anyone consider it possible that the army could kill people without the Shah having ordered it? Could the army open fire on the people without first receiving direct orders from the Shah to do so?! In their meeting, their impaired way of thinking led them to the conclusion that in order to solve the current problem they had to keep His Imperial Majesty free from blame, that he had to say he had repented and the army was acting on its own! They want to make it appear that the army is committing these atrocities not the Shah! But they have gone about it in such a way that it is clear what the true story is! It is obvious that this is just a face-saving policy. At the same time, one cannot help but think that those who arranged this realized that hypocrisy, martial law and the bayonet were not leading anywhere, so they came up with this plan to make the people understand that he is not sincere when he says he has repented, or he will allow free elections and will create a proper, independent and free country. At this very moment as he calls on God for forgiveness and claims to have repented, his machine-guns have, on his command, opened fire on the people! At this very moment, with the ink on his declaration of repentance not yet dry, Qum and Zanjan have been set aflame. The same is most certainly happening in other towns in the country and we will probably hear news of it later on in the day. These plans of theirs will come to nothing; these people can no longer be fooled. They (the superpowers and the regime) will have to come up with something else.

283 It refers to ‘Ubayd Zakani’s poem in the versified story, The Cat and the Mouse: Every year he used to take one mouse from us; His greed now has increased. This time he is taking five, As he becomes a faithful and Muslim!

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If this is a plan of the superpowers, then they are indeed stupid! And if it was thought up by the regime, well, idiots can be found among those in the regime too; but there are also smart people among them. If the plan was conceived by the idiots among them then that explains its absurdity, but if it was conceived by those who understand a thing or two, then it was done so against him. It seems they are on the side of the people too! They want to awaken the people to the fact that this man’s repentance is attack, not death! It is said that the repentance of a wolf is for the wolf to die, but that of the Shah is for him to attack! The Shah’s unforgivable crimes Under such circumstances, how can the deadlock which exists now be brought to an end? How can a nation that has risen up and seeks its rights, a nation in which all social classes have awakened and have a correct understanding of the situation, a nation to whom the treachery has become clear and who witnesses the crimes every day, now allow someone from among the people, one of the people’s leaders, someone from the clerical establishment or a politician, a merchant of the bazaar or someone from the universities to act as a go-between telling the people to accept that this man has repented, that he is asking their forgiveness so forgive him?! As I have said before, even if we assume that this man has repented and that from now on he will strive to introduce democracy and provide independence for our country, and even if, according to an impossible assumption, he were to carry out nothing but good deeds from now on, what about the things he has done up until now? Should we just forget about them, about all the crimes that he has committed? A person who has left thousands of families without fathers, who has left thousands of mothers and fathers childless, now comes before the nation saying: “I’m sorry, forgive me!” And should the people just accept this? How would the person who did accept it justify his action before these mothers and fathers? If we accept that the Shah ‘reigns’ but does not ‘rule’- even if we were to presume that this were not a trick on the Shah’s part, which it most certainly is- what answer would we have to give the people? What would we say to the old woman whose children have all been killed and whose home is now bereft of her offspring? Should we say that ‘His Imperial Majesty’ will now remain ‘His Imperial Majesty, ‘ but will only reign?! Should we tell the people to go and pay tribute to ‘His Imperial Majesty’ and pray for his well-being?! Should we tell them that everything he has done until the present, the ten years of the lives of the ulama of Islam, the politicians of Iran, the merchants of the bazaar and the academics and students of the universities that he has wasted in his prisons is of no consequence now that they are free? By freeing them can he give them back the years of their lives that they have lost?! Isn’t it the case that these wasted lives have been lost and cannot be returned? Young people have grown old in these jails of his. When I compare the state of young people whose acquaintance I made and with whom I shook hands before they were sent to jail with how they are now, it is like comparing a strong athletic man with an old man! Is everything finished then? Are all these things that he has done of no consequence now?! The beards of these men were black before their imprisonment, now they are white; these men were in a good state of health, now they are afflicted with ill health and need medical treatment. Even if we suppose that he is sincere in his repentance, what about the crimes that he has committed until now? Are these no longer of any consequence? Have they all been pardoned? Should the nation forgive him for these?

GIVING RESPITE TO THE SHAH MEANS THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN He and his ministers order us to “come, think about Iran.” Well, in actual fact we are thinking about Iran. We have been thinking about Iran now for a few years, this Iranian nation is thinking about Iran and that is

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why it has embarked on this movement. The people realize that they are losing Iran, that they have lost Iran. They want to save Iran. They are thinking about Iran and are presently trying to save it. Are we expected now to open up the way once more for the Shah to plunder Iran further and make Iran even more dependent on the superpowers, to show that we are thinking about Iran?! Should we think about Iran (in a way that he wants us to) and allow him to betray Iran? He thinks that the Iranians have not reached the stage where they can be given freedom! In his view, the Iranians have to be spurred on by suppressive measures and the military and have to be under the heel of foreign and domestic forces! He says that the Iranians have still not reached the stage whereat he can give them freedom. This is his logic. And that wretch (Carter) says that it is because the people have been given so much freedom that this hullabaloo has started. Carter says that the regime has given a “fast freedom” and that is why the people have raised their voices! These are his words. How should we deal with such people? What else can we do with them other than squeeze their sordid throats until we are rid of them? Do we have any other alternative? Is there room for compromise? Is the solution for the Shah to remain in Iran? This would mean the death of the nation. This is a solution which would destroy our nation. This is a theory which would be the ruination of Iran or worse. All his deeds up until now have been corrupt, and now he wants a respite in order to get ready for further attacks! God knows that if the people of Iran give him a respite he will deliver them a blow from which they will not be able to recover. I have spoken of this previously, that you must not give him respite; you must not give him the chance to strike you further. You have been reeling from his blows for one year now, and matters will only get worse. These statements that he is making now- if they are indeed his words- are childish: “Let’s think about Iran! If I go, Iran will be destroyed! If I go, Iran will be divided! Russia will move in from one direction and America from the other! It is because of my might that they do not move in now!” As if they haven’t already done so [the audience laughs]. Our army is being run by American advisers; bases which have been built in a number of places in the country have been done so by the Americans; they are devouring our oil, while the Russians devour our gas. Are we then free and independent? He himself said that a list used to be sent from the American and other embassies citing those whom they wished to see mad parliamentary delegates, and there was no alternative but to obey! Then he claimed that this was only the case at one time; that is, at the time of his father, the father whom he praised so highly. The Shah admits that it did happen in his father’s time, but he claims that he does not allow such things to happen now! That they are not even on friendly terms now either! These statements are hollow, they are not truthful statements. Today, there is only one duty for the Iranians, and that is to staunchly support and sustain this movement and to strike at this regime in any way they can until it is destroyed. If we show weakness, we will have betrayed this nation, Islam and the Qur’an, because this person is against everything we have, he is the bloodthirsty enemy of everything of ours! If someone shows weakness, is remiss or speaks a word of compromise with this man then he is a traitor to the nation and a traitor to Islam and should be shunned. The duty of all you, all of you who are abroad, is to assist the Iranian nation, to unite with the Iranian people.

THE SHAH’S OPPOSITION TO THE INTELLECTUAL GROWTH OF THE YOUTH Now I would like to turn to a matter brought to my attention by a group of gentlemen who visited me here from Germany and who felt that what they were doing there was of no benefit to Iran, that indeed it

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presented a danger for Iran- only a few days before their arrival another group came to see me and said exactly the same thing. These gentlemen284 explained that by the time our oil reserves are exhausted, atomic energy will be of no use to us either. It will not take the place of oil because it will last no longer than oil. This is what those gentlemen told me, and they should know, they are the ones with the information. They said that in their work at the institute285 they are only permitted to go to a certain point beyond which they are not allowed to develop their scientific studies, so they are neither achieving any scientific results nor are they doing a service to their country, rather they say their work is detrimental to Iran. If this is how they feel then they should no longer go to this institute. They should do something else. You have to decide what your duty is. If you discern that this is all a ploy to prevent you, the youth (of Iran), from developing your strengths and capabilities, then you should turn your attention to something else. Our universities are just like this, indeed everywhere in Iran the story is the same, they (the foreigners) do not want you to progress; they want to keep you at a certain stage of backwardness so that you will not resist their rule. They keep you at a certain level, bring in experts from abroad and expend our nation’s strength on carrying out the orders of the foreign experts, in other words the Iranians labor while the foreigners act like lords, the Iranians labor for a pittance while the foreign consultants sit smoking pipes and drawing up plans against the nation of Iran and receive God knows how much every month for doing so.

THE PLAN TO DISTANCE THE PEOPLE FROM ISLAM Indeed, this was the plan from the start, these plans to keep the nation in a state of backwardness and dissociate the nation from its religion, have existed since the time of Reza Shah. They (the foreigners) know that which will oppose their plans, that which will stimulate individuals and society is the Holy Qur’an and those who submit to its teachings. So from the time of Reza Shah, Islam and the servants of Islam have been suppressed. During the Reza Shah era, no one ascended the pulpit to give a sermon, for sermons were banned and not even one was delivered throughout the whole of Iran; during the months of Muharram and Rama-an no religious ceremonies took place at all throughout the whole of the country! Any akhund who ventured out of his home was arrested and taken to the police station where the police would rip up his Aba and his clothes and then tell him to get out. As one was released another was arrested. Such crimes this man (Reza Khan) committed against Islam and the Muslims. Then this one (Muhammad Reza) inherited his father’s throne and you are all witnessing what he is doing, of course you can see only what is apparent, none of us knows what is going on behind the scenes, and those who do are afraid to speak out about it, perhaps later they will do so, and his crimes are many in number. At present we cannot begin to imagine what they have done to this nation, to Islam, to the Muslim people, the nation and to our resources.

SHAH, THE DESTROYER OF IRAN’S NATURAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES We have two kinds of resources; all nations have two possible kinds of resources and Iran had them both: one comprised the minerals which lay beneath the ground, and the other was the youth- for they are indeed one of the nation’s resources- but both of them have either already been or are presently being destroyed. With regard to the natural resources, (in accordance with the plan) the country’s oil and its gas are being

284 University students specializing in atomic energy. 285 Company selling atomic energy plant (facilities) to Iran.

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given away to foreigners and the country’s pasturelands, which according to the regime have been ‘nationalized,’ have in fact been given away to foreigners too, along with the forests. I have documented evidence of this but the document is not with me at the moment, it is in Najaf. Our agriculture has been totally destroyed. In thirty years’ time, if the situation continues as it is, our oil reserves will have finished! If they continue to give our oil away to foreigners so liberally, then in thirty years’ time it will be finished, and then the nation will have neither oil nor agriculture. If this man remains (in power), in thirty years’ time Iran will be a nation of beggars! At the present time half the nation is made up of beggars, but if the situation is allowed to continue then in thirty years’ time beggars will comprise the whole of the nation. If you give this man a reprieve, he will destroy all of your material and spiritual resources. So much for our resources which lie under and above the ground; now what about our youth who comprise one of our greatest assets? They are not allowed to be educated properly; their intellectual development is not permitted. The foreigners want to keep our youth at a certain level whereby they can do nothing only labor for them, even those Iranians who study abroad are not given a proper education. They will not allow an opposition force to spring from the ranks of the youth, they will not allow our youth to develop intellectually for fear that if they do they will stand up to them and not allow them to plunder us so. But now, praise be to God, this idol has been smashed and this barrier removed. Our nation has risen up and has recorded its bravery and its vigilance in history. The nation has proved that neither imperial trickery nor the imperial club can stop them! Neither martial law nor a military prime minister can stop the nation. Even today, with martial law and a military government in place, the movement in Iran continues, and the cries of “Death to the Shah” continue to ring out.

THE SUPERPOWERS’ SUPPORT FOR THE SHAH AIMS AT SECURING THEIR INTERESTS This nation cannot be deceived any longer. Carter’s statements that America will co-operate with him (the Shah); that America cannot afford to lose such a servant as he; that he (Carter) will do whatever he has to do to preserve American interests in Iran, no longer frighten the Iranian people. That wretch286 from Britain also said that they could not sit back while someone who is preserving their interests is in trouble. Well, the reason for our shouting is precisely because this man was put on the throne to secure the interests of Britain, America and the Soviet Union. He is a traitor! He is opposed to everything our nation has, so by law he is no longer king. He was not legally so from the very beginning. These Pahlavis have ruled illegally from the very inception of their dynasty. From that time on, Parliament has been created at bayonet point. We have never had a national assembly, the Parliament which established Reza Khan’s rule was a parliament created at bayonet point. I can tell you about this because I myself witnessed events just as many others of my age did. An illegal monarchy, an illegal Parliament and an illegal government is now governing us, and now this man has the nerve to say that he intends to allow free elections! Elections are illegal as long as he is on the throne! His rule is illegal so what talk is this of elections? What do free elections mean in this context? Elections should be held in conformance with the law, and according to the law the Shah must give the order for elections to be held; but he is not the Shah! He is a bandit! A bandit who sits on the throne illegally!

286 David Owen, the then British Foreign Minister.

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PROPAGANDA AGAINST ISLAM Gentlemen, do not give him a reprieve. We all are duty bound and if we are negligent, we will all be traitors. [salawat from the audience]. I hope that you young people will raise one call and will support this movement with unity of purpose and action, shunning all differences, for this movement is of benefit to your country, it is of benefit to you. This propaganda which is being disseminated on this issue is coming from the Shah. These views that Islam is no longer able to administer a country; that it belongs to fourteen centuries ago; that an Islamic system would mean a second dictatorship; that Islam cannot meet the needs of modern-day man; that Islam invites reaction, come from the Shah and are all outmoded views. Perhaps ten or twenty years ago someone could have got away with saying such things, but today these ideas are outworn. Just look at what the very same man who spoke of the two unholy matters of the black and red287 reaction is doing to the country! Now he comes forward, holds out his hand and asks the great maraji’ and the most learned clergymen to help him continue with his crimes and carry out more! [the audience laughs]. Such is his present situation. These statements are old news now.

THE WAY OF LIFE AND GOVERNANCE OF THE HEADS OF THE ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT Islam is that which within the space of half a century had conquered all those lands in order to make the people true human beings. The victory of Islam is not like that of a king or of Nadir Shah. No, that is not the way of an Islamic government; an Islamic government seeks to create true human beings. You must look at the leaders of Islam themselves, such as the Most Noble Messenger, who was the head of Islam, and the Commander of the Faithful, who was leader after him. You must look at their form of rule. Was it a dictatorship? When the Prophet was seated with others, one could not distinguish the master from the servant or the Prophet from the disciple. The Prophet used to sit in this manner with the people discussing matters with them, with a people who were indigent and some of whom had been slaves. Indeed, the life of the Prophet was that of a poor man, the money in the treasury belonged to the people and nothing was ever misappropriated. Toward the end of his life when he stood before the people and told them that if any one of them had suffered an injustice at his hands or could claim that he had unlawfully taken even the smallest amount of money off anyone to come forward and seek redress. Not one person was found who could say that he had suffered an injustice or had been spoken to badly, not one could say that, God forbid, the Prophet had betrayed or deceived the people. One man did stand up and say that the Prophet had once struck him upon his bare shoulder, but when the Prophet told him to come forward and return like for like, the man approached the Prophet and kissed his shoulder saying he had lied so that he could kiss the Prophet. Can you find a leader who acts in this manner in any of the world systems? We would like such a leader, of course we will never be able to find one, but we are searching for one who will at least act according to some of the precepts of this leader (the Prophet), someone who will not betray this nation, who will not devour the wealth of the nation, who will not take this nation’s money in America and other countries and build villas for himself, his children and relatives! When the Prophet departed this world, he had nothing. As for the second leader (Hazrat Ali), whose realms extended throughout the East and nearly reached Europe in the West, he had only a pelisse on which he and 287 The Shah labeled the Islamic movement as “black reaction” and the Communist movement “red reaction.”

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his wife, Fatima az-Zahra (sa), slept at night and which he used during the day to feed grass to his camel. This was the court and throne of His Excellency the Sultan! He worked just like other laborers did, but not for himself, rather for giving to others. On the very day that the people swore their allegiance to him, he took his spade and pick-axe in hand and went to finish a job he was doing! He was digging a well, digging it with his own hands. And to whom were congratulations to be extended when water sprung forth? He said that congratulations were to be given to those who would inherit this and asked that he be brought a pen and paper so that there and then he could dedicate the well to pious purposes. This is how he lived, and as for the food he ate, this was nothing more than a few morsels of oaten bread. We are looking for such a leader. But we will not find one like Imam Ali, he himself told his people that they did not have his fortitude, but even though that was the case, they must still have piety. We are looking for a virtuous leader, one who possesses political virtue at least, one who will not devour the wealth of this nation, who will not throw the wealth of this nation away. We are calling for an Islamic government, a government which acts a little like our leaders (the Prophet and Imam Ali) did. In what way has an Islamic government ever been dictatorial that these men are so afraid of it?! What dictatorship? An Islamic government is a government of law. Under an Islamic government, if the first person of the country commits an offence, Islam calls for his removal. If he acts tyrannically, if he slaps someone across the face unjustly, Islam will dismiss him, he will no longer be worthy to rule. Is this the manner of a dictatorship? This is the manner of a government based on law, the law of God. If someone has a complaint against the leader of the country, the first person of the state, he can go to the judge who may then compel the leader to come before him. The leader must comply; indeed this actually happened to Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali). This is the kind of government we want, a government of law, a government based on the progressive laws of Islam.

ISLAM’S OPPOSITION IS TO CORRUPTION, NOT CIVILIZATION They are trying to frighten you away from an Islamic government. They say that if an Islamic government were set up, women would be locked up in rooms. This is not so, in the early history of Islam, women went to battle! They stayed with the armies throughout the years of battle and tended to the soldier’s wounds, more than is expected. If you (the Shah) were to produce one cinema, you would not find one person who would oppose it. An Islamic government is opposed to centers of corruption, not civilization. Is this civilization which has filled a country with centers of corruption? Should a country have no libraries but be filled with centers of corruption? An Islamic government is opposed to such things, it does not oppose progress. In one of the speeches288 the Shah gave while I was in Qum, the wretch said that the akhunds proclaim that they do not want this civilization! They want to ride around on donkeys! What can one do with such a person? After years of describing the mullahs as unclean animals that the people should shun and likening them to worms which wallow in the filth and dirt, he now turns to the clerical establishment calling on the ‘great maraji’’ and the” most learned ulama” for help. Well, they (the ulama) know that he is lying! [the audience laughs]. It is possible that he is slightly deranged.

288 It refers to Shah’s speech on Khordad 18, 1342 SH.

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May God protect you and may you be successful. Unite, for if you are divided, gentlemen, you will not achieve anything. You cannot progress by working individually; you must be united. The hand of God is with the group. [salawat from the audience].

58th Speech Date: November 8, 1978/Aban 17, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 7, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Human rights; politics of selling oil; describing the general situation of Iran Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad289 I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN THE NAME OF DEMOCRACY! It was written in one of the newspapers that as soon as a military government is brought to power in Iran, America will support it. When such an action turned out to be against America’s stance in defense of human rights, the White House spokesperson created the excuse that the measure enjoyed America’s backing because the installment of a military government was necessary for the establishment of democracy in Iran, that it was the forerunner to the democracy needed to settle the people and restore order, and it was for this reason it had been installed. Moreover, it was argued that this was just a temporary measure, and later, when order was assured, a proper government would be brought in. All this talk about human rights and this Declaration of Human Rights is just a way for them (the superpowers) to devour these weak governments and justify their action. Do not suppose that the Declaration of Human Rights is a reality. Do these superpowers show even the slightest respect for human rights? We can judge from the actions of these signatories to the Declaration of Human Rights as to just how far they have acted in accordance with the principles of human rights. We can see in the case of Iran alone to what extent these signatories: America, Britain, Russia and Iran- for she too has signed it- have observed the basic principles of human rights. Freedom of expression, free elections, freedom of the press, radio and television, and freedom to propagate, these are basic human rights. Does America not know that we have neither the freedom to propagate nor a free press? At present all press offices in Iran are closed because the military government has reintroduced censorship control and has arrested many different people. It is said that six hundred celebrated figures have been arrested so far. Does America not know that the press in Iran was never free in the true sense of the word? Even in those few days that they apparently allowed a partial freedom, not one of the newspapers could write a word about the Shah himself who is the head of the thieves. Not one single word was written about him in any newspaper in Iran, the Ittila’at and Kayhan included. Whatever criticism appeared was leveled at the

289 This speech has not been printed in the Sahifeh-ye Nur.

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government and the agents; all blame was apportioned among the agents, the government and the military, whereas the main culprit is the Shah.

CARTER’S CLAIM OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HIS SUPPORT OF THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT If the press is free, then they should say who is perpetrating these crimes, and upon whose command these crimes are being committed. The Shah has been constantly engaged in such crimes now for more than fifteen years. Throughout the period that we have had a constitution in Iran, very rarely did we have a national election. Throughout the rule of Reza Shah and this Shah, we never had a freely-elected government or Parliament; Parliament was always formed at bayonet point. One of the people’s basic rights is that they are free to choose their parliamentary representatives, for it is these representatives who will determine the country’s destiny and will oversee the administration of all state affairs. If the Parliament is a legitimate one, then the country will be orderly and sound. However, if the Parliament is illegitimate, it will destroy the country, as it has done. Does America not know this? Does Russia not know this? Does Britain not know that in Iran neither the parliamentary representatives nor the press are free? Nothing in the country is free; everything is subjected to censorship and control, for bayonets are created by bayonets. All the parliaments have been created by the bayonet and under coercion from the Shah. Don’t the Americans know this? Or are they aware of what is going on in Iran? They have ambassadors in Iran who send them information, they have agents there, the country is in their hands; they know what is going on. They know what our nation wants, but they are afraid that if the nation prevails then they will no longer be able to encroach upon the rights of the people. Those who shouted out in defense of human rights at one time are now supporting martial law and a military government; and although it conflicts with their stance on human rights for martial law deprives a nation of all its freedoms, nevertheless Carter and the American government continue to help and support the Shah. They are now trying to justify this support by claiming that this poor man is going through a lot of trouble to make the people free and the country prosperous, but that the people themselves do not want to be free and do not want their country to prosper, that the Iranian nation does not allow this Shah to give them freedom! Carter claims that the people lack good sense, that they are a group of savages who do not have the wits to see that freedom is good for them. He says that this disorder in Iran has come about because the Shah wants to give the people freedom, thus America is extending him its support so that the Shah can restore order in Iran and can, with peace of mind, grant the freedom he wants to grant. However, the people won’t let this happen. Does Carter not know what he is saying? Does the White House spokesperson speak without understanding? Do they lack knowledge of the situation and thus they speak in this manner? Or does their knowledge of the situation lead them to speak in this way and they do so through clear-sightedness and because they are aware of what is really happening. The Declaration of Human Rights is a tool used by them to rob the people on the plausible pretext of doing something good. But this is just another face-saving tactic. The Declaration of Human Rights is no different from the Shah’s bestowal of freedom on the people or his provision of a free and open political climate! They are nothing more than idle talk. In this world such talk stems from people who do not have strong ideological foundations. Such people lack foundation; rather, their principles are based on nothing other than material values. Such talk is irrelevant.

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PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS A state can claim that it protects human rights when its government is based on divine religious tenets and it sees itself as answerable to a great power. Those who do not consider themselves answerable to a great power, who do not believe in a great power, who have no regard for a higher power or who do not believe that a real accounting and recompense will take place, then no matter how much they claim to be (true) humanitarians who want to protect the rights of men, their claims will always be simply claims, they will have no reality. As long as that most fundamental detail, which is belief in God, is missing, as long as there is no fear of Him nor of a reckoning on the Day of Judgment, then confusion and disorder will reign among man and mankind will be dragged toward corruption and ruin. It is human nature to do wrong. That which brings the human being onto the path, that which establishes control and determines man’s path, is religion; it is belief in a beginning and a resurrection which can prevent man, even when alone with no one else to see, from straying. We do not believe all this talk that high rank and humanitarianism make a person care about humanity. It was the humanitarians who went to Iran even after the killings on Black Friday. It was that humanitarian who rules over a billion people290 and claims to be both humanitarian and communist who went to Iran, flew over the bodies of the dead in a helicopter and (then) shook the Shah’s hand and congratulated him. These are the humanitarians for you! Do the superpowers, Britain, America and Russia, who have signed the Declaration of Human Rights and have laid the foundations for other similar projects, not know what is currently taking place in Iran? Do these humanitarians not know what is happening to the thirty million people in Iran? Do they not understand what is going on? No? Are they not informed of the reality? Is the truth that the Shah wants to give the people freedom and they are opposed to this? Is this the situation? Is this what Carter has understood the situation to be? Or has he come to this understanding through some supernatural means? Did this just come into his mind? No, Satan instructed him to say such things. This is the work of the Devil. They (Carter and others like him) are the Devil incarnate, they are taghuts.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE AMELIORATION OF MANKIND ONLY BY MEANS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF So long as spiritual values are not respected, mankind will not be bettered. Such things as the amelioration of mankind and the protection of human rights will not be achieved unless they are attempted from a spiritual basis. We can see again how those rulers who came to power and relied on God treated man, and how those who did not rely on God and had nothing to do with spiritual affairs behaved toward the rest of mankind. We can see how one who ruled over a vast region would get up at night and go to the doors of houses to examine the state of the poor and weak and attend to their needs. This ruler once said that he, may God’s peace be upon him, was afraid lest somewhere in his realm, in Yemen or somewhere, someone went hungry while he ate his fill, and for this reason he kept himself hungry. It was belief the unseen that made him act this way, for otherwise he was human just like everybody else. It was belief in the unseen that made this man such that when a soldier of Mu’awiyah’s army robbed a dhimmi woman, a Jew or a

290 Hua Kuo-Feng (1921-2008), was a Chinese politician who served as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and Premier of the People's Republic of China.

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Christian, of her anklet, he became so distraught that he said: “If a person were to die from regret of such a situation, no one would reproach him.” Such a man can be said to care about humanity, because he has belief; he believes in a world after this world. He knows that life does not simply revolve around eating and food; it does not only involve an animalistic life, he knows there is something else. Those who believe in spiritual principles can be relied on; man can place his destiny in their hands; man can make such people his representative, his minister or his president. Our call today is that this is what we want to do.

THE HISTORY OF THE SHAH’S CRIMES IN IRAN Our destiny has for the past two thousand five hundred years been in the hands of black imperial rule. Until recently this man was saying that the Iranian people liked the monarchy, that they were Shah-worshippers, yet throughout the history of monarchical rule in Iran these Shahs and Shah-worshippers- as he calls themhave been at each other’s throats. Battles and disputes between them have marked this period. Even those kings who were reputed to be good, whose name ‘Jannat Makan’ would evoke respect whenever mentioned, were evil. Shah Abbas is one of them; he blinded his own son for the sake of his realm and his position! Anushirvan ‘the Just’ is another; he was one of the worst tyrants, and his oppressive acts have been recorded in history. God knows how Iran has suffered under these monarchs. You yourselves are currently witnessing the actions of this Shah, this justice-seeking Shah, this Shah who wants to create a just society and claims to protect Islam! A short time ago in a speech he claimed that he wanted to propagate Islam and implement the constitutional law. Up until a couple of days ago he was a liar, and he is no different today. He is lying to the people and I know that they realize this. A short while ago these Shah-loving people of Isfahan set alight anything associated with the government and the Shah! Yet at the same time he was speaking about his friends who are the Shah-loving people of Isfahan, the Shah-loving people of Tehran, Yazd and Kerman and claimed that everywhere was the same. Was it this love of the Shah that a few days ago led the people to bring down that statue and break it into pieces, each person taking a piece as a souvenir? Are these the Shah-lovers?

CONTROL OF THE OIL WITHIN OUR HANDS Does he (the Shah) not know what state Iran is in and where the sympathies of the Iranian people lie? It is amazing. He is amazing. He installs a military government which tomorrow will set alight this city and that village and kill the people, yet still he stands before the people and comes out with such things as: “I give you a pledge, I promise, I guarantee that I will not repeat my past actions!” What kind of madness is this? A philosopher or a physician should be brought to explain this. This brain should be inspected to see what kind it is that makes him speak such words. What kind of behavior is this? This kind of behavior needs to be examined; a normal person would not act this way. This is abnormal behavior. It is a miracle of nature! [the audience laughs]. Yes, he has said this and it is truly extraordinary. [the audience laughs]. Be that as it may, he takes advantage of everything, but most of all he has taken advantage of the apathy shown by the nation up until recently. However, now that apathy has been transformed to ardor and he doesn’t know what to do about it. According to the translated account of events that I read, the supporters

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of America who were in Japan291 are once again talking about the oil problem. They fear that without (Iranian) oil, European industries and factories would cease to function. This was said in Japan to get the Japanese to join them in opposition. However, the truth of the matter is that we want to sell our oil to anyone who will give us money for it, not to those who will set up bases for themselves in return. It is amazing that some people are allowed to take our oil and set up bases for themselves in Iran in exchange. Do not think that those who give us weapons do so because we need them. These weapons they give us are those that they want to have in Iran to use to establish their bases there against the Russians for example. Even though this is the case, he (the Shah) does not say anything, so he himself agrees with this. When they want to do something, they use the excuse that they are doing it to pay for the oil they have taken! The oil money does not go into the pockets of the nation, no, it goes into the building of bases in Iran for the Americans! This is how they are robbing this nation of its wealth.

THE POLITICS OF SELLING OIL IN AN ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT We want this to stop. We are not going to cease selling our oil; we are not going to keep it. We want to sell it to whichever government is willing to give us the best price for it. The oil is ours, we are the sellers and they are the buyers. We want to have the choice, we do not want the choice to lie in their (the Americans’) hands, we do not want it to be them who say how much we can extract, what price we can sell it for and what we receive in return for it. They take our oil and the money they pay for it goes back into their pockets through the bases they have built for themselves in Iran. We want this to stop.

GOVERNMENT, LAW, JUSTICE The first right of a human being to which he is entitled, one which is recognized by all countries of the world, is freedom. We want to acquire this. The people of this nation have taken to the streets barefooted, they shout out and give their youth and are trampled underfoot and under tanks. The women and men of this nation face the tanks shouting in unison: “Freedom, Independence and an Islamic government.” We want a legitimate government, one that will respect the law. We oppose a government which shows disregard for all human rights and all international laws and which acts in whatever manner it wishes toward the people. We want a government like that during the first age of Islam, one which will govern no other way except in accordance with the law, in accordance with a law which is just and right, a law whose aim is to develop man and better him. We are facing these problems now, and as we sit here the troubles continue in Iran. But along with the suffering there is hope. We hope that, God willing, for all their might we will sever the hands of the superpowers which grasp our resources. [the audience replies with “God willing”]. May God protect you all and grant you success.

59th Speech Date: November 9, 1978/Aban 18, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 8, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France 291 At the summit conference of the world’s industrialized countries.

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Subject: Islam the answer to all of man’s needs Addressees: A group of young French boys and girls292 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I hope that an Islamic government will be established in Iran and that its virtues will be made known to man, so that he will come to understand just what kind of religion Islam is; what the relationship between a government and a nation should be; in what manner justice is administered, and what kind of differences exist between the living standards of the first person of the country and those of a peasant. If the people were to come to understand some of the virtues of Islam, then it is possible that they would embrace Islam. The first person of an Islamic government, who is the caliph of the Muslims and can be said to be a ruler of the Muslims, lives a more humble life than a third class citizen does, and his standard of living is the same as that of a poor person. The social justice and other rights which Islam brings into effect to the benefit of all social classes are without precedent among mankind. An Islamic government is not like other systems of government such as a monarchical or republican system. The ruler of an Islamic state takes his example from he who used to go and sit with the people in a small mosque in Medina. Those men in whose hands the destiny of the country lay would gather in the mosque too, just like the other classes of people, and this gathering was such that were a stranger to walk in on it, he would not be able to distinguish the leader of the country or the man of high office from the poor man. For, the ruler would dress as the poor did and would feast as they did. The execution of justice in an Islamic system is such that were someone from the lowest class in the land to lodge a complaint with a court of law against the first person of the country, that is against the ruler or the governor, the judge would summon the ruler to stand before him and he in turn would have to comply; if the judge’s decision went against the ruler, he would still have to abide by that decision. Unfortunately, the virtues of Islam have remained hidden to man, even to the Muslims themselves, and the oppressors and oil-devourers have not allowed Islam, as it truly is, to be revealed to the people. Were true Islam to be put into practice, then there would be hope that the whole of mankind would come out under the banner of Islam, and all other ideologies would be defeated. Unfortunately, they have not allowed the people to come to know Islam. Sometimes they have described Islam as “reactionary,” sometimes as barbaric and sometimes they have said that it is something which belongs to one thousand and so many hundreds of years ago and cannot be used to administer a country today. But all this is just propaganda. Proof exists in the Islamic scripture showing that what the propagandists of other countries have said about Islam is untrue.

WE ARE IN SEARCH OF ORIGINAL ISLAM We want to bring Islam, or its government at least, into effect in such a way, that you will see the true meaning of democracy and mankind will discover how greatly different Islam’s democracy is from that

292 Before the Imam’s speech, the representative of the French youth group had written to the Imam, thus: “Through this bunch of flowers that we offered to you, we expressed our ardent feeling that your presence in France has intensified our interest on Islam. Taking into account, particularly, the peculiar circumstances we have witnessed here, we became interested to undertake a group travel to Iran so as to actually see the relationship between man and God that Islam puts forth.”

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more well-known conventional brand of democracy that the leaders of republics and (constitutional) monarchies claim to practice. The divine laws are not something that can be explained, even briefly, in this one session, however, I will try to give you just an overview of them. The laws of Islam are laws designed for people, for each individual in the human race. They govern the relationship each person has with God, with the Prophet of Islam and with the government, the relationship he should have with other people and with those who are not of his nation. All relationships which can possibly exist between two people or between human societies are covered in Islam and rules have been given for them. Many of these rules pertain to the relationship between man and God, to that dimension of man’s being which, (according to the Christian religion of today), Hazrat Jesus, may God’s peace be upon him, introduced to man. (According to today’s beliefs) Christianity concerns itself only with our relationship with God, the Creator. In Islam there are many rules pertaining to this relationship, but in addition, there are rules for other relationships concerning man. There are rules to ensure man’s wellbeing even before he is born, to ensure that a sound, healthy, refined individual comes into the world. Islamic law contains provisions relating to the preliminaries of marriage, the choice of spouse, and the form in which a marriage should be contracted; there are laws for when intimate relations take place between a man and his wife, for when a child is conceived and when it is being suckled. There are rules for the child for the time it is being reared by its mother and when it is being trained by its first teachers. Islam has rules for all of these things, and laws to train man. Moreover, Islam is not like Christianity which has no rules for government and the administration of a country- and if it once had these rules they have not reached the Christians. Islam has a form of government like other governments do; it has institutions which are based wholly on justice. The relationship between the government and the various citizens of the state; the relationship of the citizens with the state; the relations between the government and the religious minorities; the relations of the Muslims with people of a religious minority; the relation of the government with other governments; the relation of the Islamic society with other societies; Islam has laws governing all of these. I cannot explain all the Islamic laws for you in this one session, not even briefly; if however, God grants you His favor and you embrace Islam, then whichever one of you is interested will gradually learn about these for yourselves, God willing.

60th Speech Date: November 9, 1978/Aban 18, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 8, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The real culprit is the Shah Addressees: A group of students and Iranians living abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compa ssionate, the Merciful The arrest of a number of his accomplices in crime is just another one of the desperate measures the Shah has adopted. They have realized that martial law and this military government that they have established

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are not having the desired effect, so now they have set off down another road, namely arresting those who until yesterday were the Shah’s accomplices in crime- some of whom had aided and abetted him for twelve or thirteen years in every crime he committed293 on charges of treason and criminal offence. They have arrested one accomplice to protect the other! They think that now that these accomplices have been arrested, public opinion has been satisfied and the people will let the Shah remain! For what else could the people want from him? On the one hand he has apologized for his mistakes and has pledged not to make such mistakes again! And on the other hand, he has released many of the political prisoners: scholars, politicians and others. In addition, he has arrested a number of former government officials who have committed offences and is going to put them on trial! So why is the Iranian nation being so stubborn?... He will remain “His Imperial Majesty!” Where could they find a better Shah than this one who arrests thieves, frees political prisoners and promises to be a devout worshipper and Muslim from now on?! What more do the people want from the Shah that they continue to strike all over Iran? What are these strikes for now? Why are the strikes still persisting? Why are the firms, the airlines and the national bus company still on strike? Why are the doctors and all the others on strike?

SHAH, THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE CRIMES Let’s take a closer look at the arrest of these men to see if they have added to or diminished the crime. It was you (addressing the Shah) who formed the governments and approved of them all. These criminals that you have now had arrested were all once members of your government! They were your accomplices in crime! Are you now calling them criminals? You are the one who brought these criminals to power! Are you calling them thieves now? You are the one who brought these thieves to power! You brought these criminals and traitors into your governments and worked with them in plundering this country and tormenting this nation! If two or ten people work together and perpetrate a crime or commit treason, then later one of them, who is more powerful than the rest, turns the others over to a court of law, is his own crime forgiven because his accomplices have been arrested? Or does this act actually constitute acknowledgement of his own treason because he brought these men to power? Some of these men have been in the government for twelve years or more, and do you (addressing the Shah) mean to tell us now that you were not aware of what they were doing for these twelve years, that you have only recently found out about it? Are you saying that you were not aware until a few months ago of the activities of this man who was once your prime minister and adviser, and was involved in the running of affairs doing everything under your supervision and on your command? That you have only found out in these past few months? If someone betrayed and pillaged this country for twelve or thirteen years and you did not know about it, then you are not fit to hold this post- if indeed it can be called a post! You are unworthy of this position! The fact of the matter is that you were aware of what was going on just as you are today. You were two accomplices in crime! But you were the key partner and he was the small fry. Now if the key partner arrests his subordinate and throws him into jail, does this mean that the crime is forgotten? Well, you have arrested the small fry, now the nation wants the kingpin! The nation wants to punish you for the same reasons that you have had these accomplices of yours arrested. The people want to see you arrested. What the regime 293 It refers to the arrest of Amir Abbas Hoveyda (the prime minister for 13 years) and other officials of the regime on Aban 16, 1357 SH.

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and its supporters are doing now is seeking a way to save him, but this is not a sensible way, this is not the way out!

THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FOOLED All this talk and all of these deceits are brought about because they think they have a chance, be it only one in a thousand, to trick the people, the ordinary people that is. However, we see that the people will not be fooled. His accomplices in crime have been arrested and his speech is repeated again and again, the people have heard it and we have heard it too along with that of the military prime minister, we have seen the bayonets and the attacks on the people. The regime’s agents broke down the doors of a hospital and burst in killing the people there. The people of Qum were attacked and three people killed in a public bath by gas. In Hamadan and everywhere the situation is the same, yet still the people continue to shout out, the strikes continue, the revolt continues, it cannot be stopped. A nation which has been trampled by these criminals for more than fifty years has now opened its eyes and sees that it must defeat them by force, by bringing pressure to bear and by creating tumult, by demonstrations, strikes and the like. The people know that if they are in the slightest way remiss, the situation will return to how it was fifty years ago and they will not be able to create such a movement, such an uprising, as this again, not even in another fifty years’ time. The nation knows this. It knows that if this movement is not carried through to its final stage and does not continue until this man is overthrown, then the situation will return to being as bad as it was at the time of Reza Shah, or even worse. And this time if this man regains his power, then neither children nor the elderly will be spared, all his opponents, which means the whole of the nation, will be crushed, none will be spared. Do not believe all this talk about social justice! Every so many days he would ascend the rostrum and rant on about social justice, an open political climate, free elections, a great civilization, the gates of a great civilization and other such myths, a hundred of which mean nothing now to the Iranian people. He would say these things one after the other, and he is still doing it. Whenever he speaks, it is about such things! The only thing that differs is the audience. Sometimes he speaks to the bazaar merchants. When he went to Qum, just before the events of Khordad 15, they say that he was so confused that instead of going in the direction of the shrine, he set off down a side street! They had to go and tell him: “Sir, this way please.” [the audience laughs]. They had to guide him to the shrine, and when he arrived there and took up his position to speak, he was shaking. Still he abused the people. He abused the devout merchants of Qum calling them the” bearded ones” and other such irrelevant things. He spoke about the ulama in an even worse manner, calling them impure animals!

SATANIC MONARCHY Now, however, he comes before the nation, repents once again and claims to be sincere when he says to all the sections of society that he has made mistakes which he will not repeat! Well if, as he claims, his past actions were mistakes then why is he killing again now? If he accepts that he made a mistake, is there a more serious mistake than murder? Is there a mistake as grave as that of killing the women and the youth of this nation? He has acknowledged his mistakes, and he says that these won’t be repeated, so why is he doing just that? How can the people be expected to believe that he won’t make such mistakes again when

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he is presently killing the people. Is it at all possible for the military to kill someone without first receiving the Shah’s permission to do so? Are they killing the people for anyone else’s sake other than his? As long as he gives the command and the military feel obliged to obey and dare not do otherwise, the killings will continue. No one will kill the people and perpetrate such vile deeds if he does not order it. It is on his direct command that they are made to kill the people and do other things, on the direct command of this same man who says he made a mistake and asks for the Iranian people’s forgiveness; this same man who promises and guarantees not to do such things again. You (addressing the Shah) have given promises and guarantees before. At the beginning of your satanic rule you gave the same promises, you went to the Parliament and swore your oaths and then you went on to commit these “mistakes,” as you call them. So, what is so different this time? At least at that time you gave the people a grace period, you waited until ten days, one month, two or three months after you had made your promises before you broke them. Today however, you perpetrate these vile deeds, these crimes, at the same time as you admit to your past mistakes and promise not to repeat them. So how can the people be expected to accept your repentance? If we suppose that, God forbid, an ‘alim were to tell the people to settle down now, how could the people be expected to listen to him? They would say that he was making a mistake, or that he was a naive and gullible person who did not realize what kind of man the Shah really is, that is if they were being polite about it, otherwise they would say he was a court-affiliated ‘alim! The nation cannot be thought of as being unaware; a nation which has stood up, is shouting out and is seeking its constitutional rights cannot be put to sleep by these things now.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES UNDER THE PROTECTION OF ISLAM From one direction we are faced with multifarious propaganda. Propagandists both in Iran and abroad are using the issue of religious minorities in Iran to create the distorted view that were an Islamic government established in Iran, then all minority religions would be swept away. Do you (addressing the Shah) treat religious minorities better or does Islam? You are trampling both the minority religions and the majority religion underfoot and are destroying them! You have eliminated all human rights in Iran. You have allowed neither Muslims nor non-Muslims to be free. In Islam, however, the religious minorities are shown respect, they are free. Yet we are repeatedly asked the same question: “If an Islamic government were established (in Iran), how would it treat the religious minorities?” They ask this question because they are constantly instilled with the idea that in the event of an Islamic government being set up in Iran, all the Jews or all the Christians or Zoroastrians would be murdered. At what period in Islamic history did an Islamic country during peacetime- I am not speaking of a country at war here- massacre its religious minorities or murder people from minority religions. Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali) wanted to die of shame when a Jewish woman, a dhimmi, who was living under the shelter of Islam, had her anklet stolen while he was ruler. He said: “If a person were to die in such circumstances, it would be worth it.” Is then Islam or an Islamic government going to do the things they say it will do to those of religious minorities? This is all propaganda created by the Shah and his supporters and trumpeted over their loudspeakers to tarnish the image of Islam and Islamic government and sully the reputation of the Muslim clergy- at least in the eyes of those non-Muslims and non-religious people outside Iran. They promote the idea that they (the clergymen) want to have a reactionary government, a reactionary Islamic government! This man himself portrays Islam as being reactionary. On the one hand he invokes “the true religion of Islam” and on the other he says that those who preach Islam to the people are reactionaries! They are

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reactionary in that they have gone back one thousand four hundred years! They propagate something which belongs to one thousand four hundred years ago. The fact that he himself is reviving something which belongs to two thousand five hundred years ago is irrelevant! He is not considered to be a reactionary, only those who are promoting progressive laws from one thousand four hundred years ago, those who say that this man should be delivered a blow in the mouth for depriving the people of freedom, for establishing foreign rule in Iran and placing the people under the rule of the superpowers, are considered to be the reactionaries! While those who are stealing the wealth of the people through force and suppression, those who have deprived the people of freedom, they are seen to be the civilized ones who open the gates of freedom!

ISLAM OPPOSES CORRUPTION They say they are afraid that Islam will take power and keep the women behind closed doors, that it will lock the doors of their homes so they can’t come out. Such talk and such myths come from abroad and God forbid that some of our own youth should be taken in by these. In the earliest age of Islam, women participated in the wars. They were there on the battlefields tending to the wounds of the injured, and many were killed there! Who has told you that women will be locked up?! They are free like men. Who says the religious minorities will be maltreated? One of their worries is that these casinos will be closed down. This will happen; the doors to the centers of corruption will be closed. An Islamic government will not allow these cabaret clubs, which have dragged our youth into corruption, to remain open. It is of no concern that these intellectuals, these modernists, support these centers of corruption, an Islamic government will close them down. An Islamic government will change cinema as it is at present, these cinemas today are dragging our youth toward corruption and lewdness, it should not be this way, a cinema should be instructive, it should be morally edifying. Islam opposes corruption; it is against the corruption of the youth and of Muslims. It is against robbery; it opposes the plundering of the treasury. Islam does not oppose civilization; it opposes this barbarism. It opposes this corruption that the regime has instigated; it opposes the use of the people’s money in the setting up of casinos on that island294 somewhere. These things will be stopped. If an Islamic government comes to power it will sweep away these effecters of corruption; it will not allow our youth to be corrupted; it will not permit our system of education to be kept in a state of backwardness so that our youth do not develop. Some of these youth who have come abroad to study have told me that (even here) they are not allowed to develop their scientific studies beyond a certain level. Of course, Islam opposes this.

ISLAM, THE TRUE DEFENDER OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS Islam wants men and women to develop. Islam freed women from those circumstances which existed for them during the age of ignorance of pre-Islamic times. Islam did not serve men to the extent that it did women. You cannot imagine what circumstances were like for women during pre-Islamic times and to what degree their situation improved with the advent of Islam. Today, women are being treated worse than they were during the age of ignorance. At that time, they were regarded as unimportant and today the Shah says that women should be playthings, dolls! Such talk insults the dignity of women. He is mistaken in his beliefs 294 It refers to the Kish island along the Persian Gulf.

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about women. Islam does not want women to be treated as dolls, Islam wants women to have a say in all affairs just as men do, however unlike the Shah, it does not want women to make up, enter society and mingle with men for the youth to mingle as such. Islam wants to stop all this. It wants women to preserve their dignity and respect, it wants to give them pride, it wants to stop them from being treated as a mere object. They want to sell women from this man to that man. Islam is against this. Can Islam be said to be against women? Islam did a service for women which has no precedent in history. Islam raised women up out of that slough and gave her back her pride. Is then Islam against women? This is all propaganda. They want to separate you from Islam, drive you away from the clergy and steal your wealth. They want to prevent you from progressing in the field of education, they want to rob you of your subterranean wealth and keep you in captivity forever. Today, if the nation does not join hands together and free itself from this captivity, whatever the cost, then the nation will remain captive forever. Anyone who speaks a word in support of compromise with this man is committing treason against Islam, the Muslims and the country. Take care not to do such a thing, and keep watch over others so that they don’t do this either. If at one time someone were to speak a word of compromise, deliver him a blow in the mouth so that he will not make such a mistake again. May God protect you all. May you be successful and may you be of service to your country and Islam, God willing.

61st Speech Date: November 11, 1978/Aban 20, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 10, 1398 AH295 Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The politico-religious dimensions of Islam Occasion: The eve of the Eid al-Qurban296 Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I apologize to the gentlemen present here for the inconvenience caused by the lack of space. May God protect you all.

SHAH’S FINAL EFFORTS Today is a day of feasting, and in Iran people wanted to offered prayers, however, the army obstructed the participants in the performance of this religious ritual. In Qum, they dispersed the people with tear gas so that they could not hold the prayers. In some places, they have sown chaos and acted with savagery. Well, 295 In Sahifehye Nur, vol. 3, p. 120, the date of the Speech has been noted as Aban 21, 1357 SH. 296 Eid al-Qurban (Feast of Sacrifice): the Islamic feast marking the end of the Hajj rituals in the month of Dhul-Hijjah. It is associated with the offering of animals for sacrifice.

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this is the last bolt the Shah has in his quiver. They have treated the people all over Iran with absolute savagery and want to persist in having their evil way. Military government with a military prime minister who is ignorant of God Almighty- all this is useless. All this hauling and tugging is futile. The Shah has lost ground with the people. Reza Shah’s rule was also illegitimate from the very beginning, and even if it had been a legitimate one, it was based on an (anti-God) rebellion. Through their cries everywhere, the people have rendered it invalid. Now, the Shah is a rebel who is plundering the Treasury through his ungodly rule and is massacring the people. These occasions in Islam like Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Azha297 or Qurban, the Hajj ritual, the Friday and other congregational prayers that are held night and day, have religious as well as political and social aspects; that is, their devotional thread is woven into their political fibers; they are adjoin. The religion of Islam is not only a religion of devotion or a duty a servant has toward his Blessed and Exalted God; it is not only a spiritual duty; neither is it merely a religion of politics, rather, it is devotional as well as political. Its politics is combined with its acts of worship. That is, its devotional aspect has a political facet, too. These very gatherings on feasts for prayers, from which Muslims should derive a lot of benefits, are a form of worship, but ones which have a political aspect too. For instance, in the early days of Islam, mosques were not the lowly places that they were later to become due to some devious personalities. Mosques were places from which armies would march out to fight unbelievers and oppressors; and where sermons would be delivered and people would be called upon to fight when a straying, aggressive individual had rebelled against the Muslims, plundering their property and bullying them. From these mosques, people would march toward enemy camps. In these same mosques, agreements would be concluded. In sermons delivered at Friday prayers, the destiny of the country should be discussed; political issues in the country should find expression and social issues be made current; the problems of the Muslims and their differences should be discussed and solved. Crimes like those of Muhammad Reza Khan should be mentioned and criticized and ways to eradicate these criminals should also be aired at Friday prayers. The Friday prayer is (a form of) worship, but worship that is blended with politics; politics that is blended with worship as the religion of Christ had once been- not this religion that Christians now believe in- I do not believe that the religion of Jesus (as), is the same religion as that which is being practiced nowadays. True Christianity is not a religion that does not concern itself with people’s lives or politics. It is not merely a case of going to (church), ringing the bells after which a little prayer is uttered and that is it, one then resumes one’s daily activities. I do not believe that such a religion was ever the religion of Christ. Christianity has been distorted. The Jewish religion, as well as the religion of the Nazarene (Christ), has digressed and has been distorted. But the religion of Islam, whose scripture is the Qur’an, has been fully preserved. Not a word of it has been changed.

ISLAM, THE SHAPING OF ALL OF MAN’S DIMENSIONS Because of this the Qur’an is all inclusive. The glorious Qur’an was revealed to shape the human being and all his human dimensions. It is a book that contains everything that man needs and endows him with everything he has: spirituality and materiality, exteriority and quiddity. It came to satisfy whatever needs 297 Eid al-Azha: the other term for Eid al-Qurban.

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he has and guide him in matters relevant to him such as his relationship with his Blessed and Exalted Creator, the concepts of the Unity of God, the Divine attributes, the Day of Judgment, socio-political issues and the question of war against the unbelievers. The Qur’an is replete with verses making it incumbent upon the people and the Prophet to fight aggressors and oppressors. When the illustrious Qur’an was revealed, it brought with it dynamism to the Arabs of that time who were a disunited people and who wasted their time by incessantly engaging in inter-tribal conflicts. They led a barbaric life and never bothered about political affairs. However, within less than half a century, within about thirty years, these very same small groups of nomads, who initially gathered around the Most Noble Messenger who had built up and enlightened them, conquered two empires which had nearly the whole world under their domination, namely the Persian and the Roman Empires. Because it (the Qur’an) brought them such dynamism, these Arabs found their way out of the Arabian Peninsula and headed toward Iran and occupied it. They marched into Rome and conquered it and then toward Europe and conquered it! These conquests, however, should not be likened to those made by Napoleon298 when he invaded a country. Islamic conquests were made to perfect human beings, make them monotheistic and just and enlighten them on certain issues. They were not for territorial expansionism. They were aimed at making human beings upright, at civilizing the savagethose who would engage in a life of savagery. And within half a century, the glorious Qur’an transformed a belligerent community, who had been continually at war and savagely killing each other, into a just people who would treat each other equitably like a civilized nation and even better than that! Islam, unlike other religions which are now manifest to us, is a religion that rectifies all aspects of a human being’s life with respect to his intellect, morals and moral edification. It is concerned not only with his physical appearance and outward behavior, but also with all affairs that are expedient to him. It follows then that an Islamic government cannot be similar to other governments which are concerned only with man’s social and political affairs and are indifferent to what a person does at home. Such governments are not concerned with whatever misconduct an individual commits inside his house; (non-Islamic) governments do not care if he gambles in his home and does all sorts of vicious acts because this is not a concern of theirs. They interfere only when he turns offensive and disturbs the peace and order in the society. Islam cares for you and your family in the privacy of your own home. It is concerned with how you socialize with your neighbors and fellow citizens and establish relationships with them. Islam concerns itself with your relationship with your fellow believers too, as well as with those who do not share your religion. All these have rules to follow in Islam. That is, in Islam, a government is not one that is merely concerned with political affairs. One facet of Islam deals with government and governmental and political affairs, and another deals with man’s spiritual development which concerns man himself alone: What should he be in terms of beliefs, ethics and social behavior? What must a man be? In these respects, Islam encompasses every aspect of human life, whereas other governments and societies are impassive toward the same. That is, no government will ever approach an individual and reprimand him for engaging in whatever (immoral) activities at home. It is no concern of such a government whatever misdeed takes place in an individual’s 298 Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821 AD) ruled France from 1799 until 1814 as an absolute monarch. He won many great wars but in his last confrontation with the British army at a location called Waterloo he was defeated and taken captive. Later, he was sent into exile in Saint Helen Island and he died there.

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home. Islam, however, is concerned with the individual even if he is alone at home; that is, it tells him what he is supposed to do, how to behave and what ethics and intellectual perceptions he should adopt. It tells him how a father should treat his children, how a child should behave toward his father, a mother to her child, a child to his mother, a brother to a brother, how families should behave among themselves or a family toward another. All of these have rules to follow in Islam which takes everything into consideration.

ISLAM BELONGS TO ALL OF MANKIND Islam also has ideas about the society. It has matters relating to all mankind. In Islam, no country is inferior to another. It is not limited to a country, say, Iran or Iraq. The whole world is under its supervision because it is aimed at building human beings. It attributes no special relationship to any group of people, the East or West, North or South, or considers one group below or above another. It does not discriminate against any class of people anywhere. It is a divine religion, in the same way that the Blessed and Exalted God is the God of all, not the God of just the Easterners and Muslims or the Westerners and the Christians or Jews. He is the God of all and He provides sustenance for all. That is to say, He is the Creator. Islam is a religion that belongs to all. It was revealed to build up a human being in a way that it proposes; to mould him into an equitable man in such a way that one human being cannot commit one grain or pinhead of injustice against another; that a human being cannot be unjust to his own child or to his wife, or a wife to a husband, or two brothers to one another or these to their friends. Islam wants to mould man into a just being in the fullest sense of the word human being, one whose intellect is humane, whose essence and appearance are human and one who respects human behavior and conduct. Islam wants to materialize these goals.

THE NEED FOR DISCUSSING POLITICAL ISSUES IN ISLAMIC DEVOTIONAL CONGREGATIONS One branch of Islam consists of its system of government and governmental issues are included in its canonical rituals as well. Take the Hajj ritual as an example. The Divine Exalted God has called upon the people to perform the Hajj in which there are stations. However, the Muslims have failed to exhaustively make use of this ritual as they should. The Hajj is a general assembly of all Muslim communities. This is a call to all kinds of Muslim groups whether from the near East or the far West, wherever they may be- north or south or anywhere in whatever country-” people “Have been invited, not only the Muslims. Everyone must become a Muslim and go (to Mecca), that is, those who can afford to do the pilgrimage and have the means to reach Mecca are called upon to go there once a year. The aim of this ritual is actually to bring about a general assembly there. If Muslims realize its value, they can seek the solution to their problems and difficulties in this gathering. For instance, if Iranian Muslims go there and inform others of their problems and predicaments, it becomes incumbent upon the other Muslims to sympathize with them. Once they learn of what Iran wants, what it does, what its government does to the people, they should disseminate these issues in their country when they return. Similarly, if these people have seen anything wrong with their governments or people and have discussed their problems there in Mecca, they (Iranian Muslims) should also sympathize with them. Islam is a religion in which a gathering is both political and an act of worship. A person might think that congregational prayers are merely a form of devotion whereat people gather and pray together. At such congregations, political issues must also be discussed. The person who ascends the pulpit once a week, leads the congregational prayers and preaches, must also bring up the political problems of the Muslims

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and talk about them in addition to other things, like the anomalies they observe in their governments; they must guide the people in both matters of worldly affairs as well as their origin (God) and destination (the afterlife) and all the things they need in life.

EVERYONE’S DUTY IS TO PROPAGATE AND INTRODUCE THE MOVEMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD Now, in Iran, the situation is such that the government is preventing people from performing acts of worship with bayonets. Today, they did not allow this divine act to be performed in Qum. The same iniquity is being committed in other places. We have not received all the news yet. But in many other places killings have occurred and the people have been answered with bayonets. In reply to those shouting: “Hey, Mister, do not give away our oil and natural resources to others! We want freedom, we have been strangulated so much in these fifty years of suppression, we want independence!” and those who protested against their handing over the whole country to others, they came up with a military government with a military prime minister and cabinet. He (the Shah) wants to keep himself installed by resorting to the military. On the one hand, he unleashes his club-wielders to batter the people, and on the other, he sets up a military government! On one hand, he says there must be order, and on the other, he sows chaos! He orders his club-wielders to grab their maces and storm into the cities and set them ablaze and what not. This condition of our country, the Shah’s rule and this life now are indications of the abominable last days of this vicious man. We are duty bound to help the Muslims in Iran. At least we can help through propagation, by making individuals you meet here understand. For instance, these Europeans you meet, make them understand the facts. It is not true, as the Shah claims, that the people of Iran, may I say, are savages and that the Shah wants to subdue them but they cannot be subdued! You should tell the people that the Iranian people are a nation which wants to be rescued from this oppressor; they want to be free; they want to be independent; they want to lead a humane life and this man will not let them. May God protect you all and may you be successful, God willing.

62nd Speech Date: November 12, 1978/Aban 21, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 11, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The Islamic government is a government that the people desire and one that earns God’s pleasure Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful On the one hand, the difficulty of the Iranian nation has almost reached its peak: martial law, a military government in force and, as I have been told, guns and tanks which have trained their muzzles against all mosques are posted in the streets. The people have been subjected to hardships and are suffering from food

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shortages. According to some, they are also facing water shortages. I don’t know whether this is true or not. The Shah is fighting the people with all his might. The struggle has almost reached its summit. On the other hand, the Shah’s downfall is imminent because this regime is shooting the last arrow in its cross-bow. It had previously been surmised that they (the Shah and his agents) would understand that their own ploys were no longer effective; because this present military government is no different from the previous one; it is the very same government and military forces. And supposing this government became more vicious and violent, it could never pacify the nation through bayonets. The people could never be coerced into satisfaction. This government is after pacifying the people, but is it possible to appease someone by force? Or pacify someone with bayonets? This military regime can temporarily suppress the people at gunpoint and stifle their voices, but only for a while. All of this is futile. Well, assuming that the people’s outcry is muffled, what then is the regime going to do with the strikes? Now, all activities have ground to a halt, that is, everyone is on strike everywhere. Can the regime coerce people to go back to work and start factory wheels turning again at bayonet point? This military government has now been defeated. It was obvious even from the beginning that this government was fighting a losing battle, but now, the government itself has understood it has been defeated and has resorted to rifles and machine-guns to suppress the people and end the strikes. This is impossible.

CREATING PEACE BY FREEING THE NATION We believe that unless the Shah leaves, the people will never find peace again. We have carefully studied the situation in Iran and the favors the Shah has done for the foreigners and their interests. All these issues have been well scrutinized, so it is only obvious that things cannot be mended with words. Now, they have set the last arrow in their cross-bow. The next move will be to stage a military coup d’état, banish the Shah somewhere and install another puppet ruler in his stead! This is also a futile move! Until the time that external influence like that of America, the Soviet Union and the like, is meddling in Iran, neither will peace be attained nor do strikes come to an end. These powers must leave Iran alone. Iran- the Iranian nationwants to be independent, wants to be free. These foreign powers must give freedom to the nation, that is, leave the nation alone to manage its own affairs. This military regime needs to stop putting pressure on the people through bayonets, guns and tanks and forcing them into satisfaction. Such things are simply impossible.

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD’S LAWS AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE The Islamic government we are talking about, that is, the government we want is one which the people desire and one to which God, the Blessed and Exalted, could say that these people who pledged their allegiance to you had pledged their allegiance to God. It should be a governing body allegiance to which is allegiance to Allah. In wars, when an arrow is shot, God will say: “You did not throw when you threw, rather, it was Allah who threw,”299 meaning that the hand that threw the dust was God’s hand. The government that we want is one which is the shadow of God and is the extension of His hand; a government that is divine. The government that we want is such a government. Our wish is for a governing body to come to power that will not transgress against divine laws. 299 Qur’an, 8:17

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The Holy Prophet never went beyond the limits of God’s decrees all his life, his hand was God’s hand, his allegiance was only to God. In everything he did, his will was governed by the will of God; whatever he did was what God wanted and his government was a divine one. In such cases, we can say that he did not throw the spear. It was not him who threw the spear, it was God. Even though it was the Prophet who had thrown the spear, he did so as the shadow of God. He never acted independently of God; everything he did was subject to God’s laws. The Prophet was the Qur’an personified. He was the divine law incarnate. We want a government which is the law itself; one that is governed by law, not one ruled by Satan or a Satan incarnate; not by a devil among the people personified in the being of Muhammad Reza Khan! These people are Iblis incarnate, they are the army of the devil. This government is the devil itself and is a follower of the devil; it is satanic and is the follower of Satan. This military rule is such a satanic rule; a rule that is opposed to the pleasure of God and that of the nation; such a rule is a satanic rule. We want a divine rule that conforms with the desires and choice of the people and God’s laws, and a rule that is in accordance with God’s will is also concordant with the people’s wants. The people are Muslim and God-fearing and when they see that the government wants to implement and execute justice they will support it. God wants justice to prevail among the people. God wants something to be done about the deprived and the third class people. Unlike nowadays that the plutocrats have accumulated all the power: one group eats and drinks ad nauseum, while another crams the outskirts of Tehran, starving, without water, electricity, bread or anything. The Shah claims he wants justice enforced. Some justice indeed!

THE SHAH’S REPENTANCE IS MEANT TO FOOL THE PEOPLE He arrogates to himself the implementation of social justice and the crystal-clear tenets of Islam, but he just preaches and never puts anything into practice. He comes and repents before the nation- all these are but his wiles and the nation should not fall for this chicanery and it will not. He says: “Up to now, I have made mistakes, but from now on, I will commit no more blunders”! Who can guarantee that you will not make any mistakes? But what you (the Shah) had done, you had done willfully. It was deliberately that you gave away the nation’s wealth to America and the Soviet Union to devour! This act was deliberate and it was not a mistake. You knew what you were doing. You are a man with malicious intent. Despite the fact that you knew it was the nation’s wealth and America was the enemy of the nation, you still gave the nation’s wealth to its enemy for nothing in return. You were well aware of what you were doing, it was not a mistake; and after all this, you will carry out the same deeds again and then afterwards you will probably come before the nation once more saying you have made a mistake again! You have not committed any mistake. You have purposefully handed the nation’s wealth over to others against its interests. What we want is a government that will work to serve the people’s interests. Of course, we can never establish a rule like that of the Prophet’s time- that was a rule gone past- or find a ruler like Ali ibn Abi Talib. We are not saying that (someone like) Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God’s peace be upon him, should rule over us because we can never find someone like him. What we want is, at least, a government that is governed by the law, one that is based on the laws of Islam, one that is governed by laws correctly derived from Islam. At the very beginning, these people (the Shah et al.) came to power illegally and they will rule illegally until the end. Ever since, neither the incumbent laws of the land nor the divine laws have ever

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recognized their right to rule. And up to now whatever they have done has been against the law and divine canons and laws and is against God’s and the people’s satisfaction. We want to set up a (simple) government- not a complicated one as they make it out to be. They think we want a government to descend from the heavens! Not at all! Right here on this earth, there are individuals who can rule with justice. There are dignified personalities right here on this earth, in Iran, or here abroad. Right here (abroad) among ourselves, there are individuals who can administer their country, who can establish justice among people and make them observe justice, manage national affairs systematically without discord and chaos as we now have in Iran. We have such people who can bring the country’s economy under control. We do have such people. A lot of plundering is going on! A bunch of people are guzzling the country’s oil (dollars) into their monstrous throats and of course, they render the country bankrupt. They are so gluttonous that the more the country produces, the greedier they get, devouring and gulping everything down their insatiable throats. Now, we want these throats to be wrung. A portion of this (national wealth) should be diverted to feed the people who have small throats. We want such a government not one which cares only for itself and its relatives devouring and squandering (the nation’s wealth). Now, you (the Shah) claim that you are calling for their (the Shah’s relatives’) indictment and an inventory of their property so you can put them on trial. You, contemptible man, to whom are you saying these words? Don’t people know you? Haven’t the people known you? Do you really want to arraign your own relatives and sisters? Why don’t you put yourself on trial! Allow them to try you in court and then we will see how much you have plundered the country! You are the ringleader of all these thieves! You are the one who has committed all the treacheries and your sisters took after you. They are just like you. You, your sisters, brothers, uncles, nephews and all your cousins and others, whoever and whatsoever! People say there are 60,000 of these relatives and gobetweens; maybe even more. All the country’s revenues are being drained into their throats and then they complain that the economy is in a mess! Have you ever thought of the economy? We believe that when we are rid of these gluttonous throats, our national wealth will be a lot more than what we have now. We are very rich but thieves in the government abound. Plundering is rampant and throats are wide. Their villas abroad need to be maintained, and I do not know how much- about 100 million dollars300 has to be spent annually on bribing foreigners and foreign media to praise this man and publicize that he observes social justice and that the Iranian nation has not yet reached the stage where it can be free! What do you mean it has not reached that stage? Does the Iranian nation not want to be free? Has it not reached that stage where it can be free!? You (the foreign powers) are the ones who have not reached that stage to be a human being. The Carters have not reached the stage to even think like human beings and become human, not the Iranian nation which says it does not want to give you its wealth.

THE NEED FOR AWAKENING AND COUNTERACTING THE ENEMIES’ PROPAGANDA Be vigilant, gentlemen! Propaganda abroad has increased and they (the foreign powers) are still publicizing here and there that these people (the Islamic activists) cannot administer the country! If administration means killing people, then all animals can also be administrators! If wolves come rampaging into the country, they can administer it better. What do you mean that the nation cannot run the country? Does Iran not have any dignitaries? Don’t we have any students? Either they have been exiled and are living abroad 300 Concerning this, see Jang-e Qudrat-e Iran, p. 117 and Khidmatguzar-e Takht-e Tavus, p. 310.

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and dare not come to Iran or they have been isolated inside the country. When you leave and this regime is toppled, right and competent people will come forth and administer the country. What do you mean there is nobody who can? You, yourself, could not do it, and that is why there is so much turmoil in the country and now you cannot suppress it. You cannot manage the affairs of the country. Very well, go and leave... When you cannot handle things, we will run things ourselves! There is so much propaganda. Focus your (the audience’s) attention on this and engage in propaganda too; counter their propaganda. Proclaim to the public that these people (the government officials) cannot run the country’s affairs. What could be a better time than now that they can no longer manage the affairs of the country? Every affair in the country has been destabilized. There are strikes everywhere because everybody is dissatisfied. You (the Shah) have created a discontented group, a discontented country. If one can manage a country, there will not be so many dissatisfied people in the country. You cannot manage the country, when you cannot, then everybody is dissatisfied. The merchants are dissatisfied; the tradesmen are dissatisfied; the office employees are dissatisfied; and the armed forces are all dissatisfied. Do you think that the military are this handful of inutile men who are massacring the people? Not everyone is like them. The armed forces have sent us word that they are ready (to support the struggle). When the right time comes, they will all be set and geared up to work (for us). Whom have you kept satisfied? You have kept four contented men who are now killing the people and destroying their possessions. You have bought off these four with money. You have fed them with our petrodollars and the nation’s wealth and have unleashed them upon the people. We want to kick them out of our country. They should mind their own business. Enough of the looting! They should go and loot elsewhere!

THE NEED FOR PROPAGANDA TO ACQUAINT THE WORLD WITH THE ISSUES OF THE MOVEMENT You (the audience) are all duty bound to tell people about the problems of Iran. Tell these Europeans and Americans and make them understand that this is Iran’s situation now. A dissatisfied country has now emerged and this is all because of America, the Soviet Union and the flunkeyism of Muhammad Reza Khan. Anyway, his father was just the same as his son, or perhaps a bit better. Perhaps. You, gentlemen, whomever you meet, inform them of Iran’s afflictions. They (the foreign powers) have presented Iran in a bad light. They have propagandized that Iranian people are savages who will not let the country be run properly! You (the foreign powers) are the savages because you did not allow us to run our country ourselves! In every affair you (the Shah) take up, America intervenes. Just take a look at the armed forces and you will find 60, 000 or 45, 000 American military advisers! Now, they are leaving one by one.301 Look at its culture and education and you will see America meddling with it. Its Parliament has been created by them (America). The representatives of the Parliament are chosen from their list. Even the Shah himself was hand-picked by America. Everything is in their hands. What else do we have? We do not have anything. Do we really have our own economy? Everything is in America’s hands and all these crimes are being perpetrated through this man’s treacheries and the crimes of his foreign masters.

301 America’s withdrawal from Iran started in the middle of 1357 SH [circa 1978]. At the time of this speech these were approximately 20,000 Americans in Iran and in the middle of Azar (Ashura that year) it reached 12,000.

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We want a country run by you (the people), one in the hands of the barefooted people who are suffering from hunger. Think up a solution for them. We want a ruling clique endowed with human dignity, one that believes in God and the Day of Reckoning, not like these people (in the government) who are ignorant of God, in order that something good be done for the poor people and the country and we be rescued from the claws of these parasitical oil guzzlers. You (the audience) are duty bound wherever you go and whomever you meet to inform everybody of the country’s afflictions whose cure is the deposition of this wretch, the overthrow of his unrighteous regime and our emancipation from the clutches of foreign elements. If this adversity goes and its remedy is found, which is when this man and the foreigners leave, for all of them are sources of afflictions and are like a cancerous tumor which should be removed... Let us eradicate them all. Our country is a great country, very vast and bountiful. It has everything. But a bunch of traitors is disturbing its state of affairs. This bunch of traitors must go. We have a great country. We will run it ourselves. May God bless you with success. May you all succeed, God willing.

63rd Speech Date: November 12, 1978/Aban 21, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 11, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The need for the resignation of the armed forces Addressees: A group of university students and Iranians living abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

PROPAGANDA AGAINST AN ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT They have launched another series of propaganda ploys claiming that the Islamic movement has but one clear aspect and that the rest of its programs are vague! That which is clear is that all the people are saying this regime and the Shah must go and an Islamic government must be established. This is now on all the people’s tongues. However, a group of uninformed individuals have been spreading the notion that this Islamic government does not have any clear program of its own; that they (Islamic activists) thoughtlessly talk about an Islamic government and that neither the Islamic government nor the Islamic activists have any definite program of their own, claiming that the Islamic Republic does not have a solid base, that it is but a vague idea and allegations such as these!

NOTIFICATION AND WARNING TO THE COMPROMISERS Well, we have two steps to take: the first one is to eliminate the present (monarchical) base and end the current situation. This, they say, is clear. Do they have any objection to this? Which step does those who, in their line of thinking, oppose this (Islamic) movement, disagree with? Are they questioning the first step that calls for an end to the present order, to this regime and to Iran’s present situation which is now at the crest of decline after fifty years, that they are saying such a state of affairs has to remain? Do they believe

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that this regime must stay? Of course, there are those- advocates of the Shah and his regime, individuals affiliated to him or America- who believe that the present situation should remain as it is, or in the words of some, that the Shah should” take a low profile” out of the limelight. This is the scheme they have contrived. But does this group really believe that the present situation is all right and should remain? Or is it that the situation is bad but expediency necessitates that it remains so because there is no other way? If they believe that the situation is all right, then it means that those fifty years of repression is all right! Censorship of the print media and other publications, and the security organization’s divesting them of freedom are also good then. Can they really claim so? How can they have the impudence to say that such things are good while all our publicity and propaganda machinery is kept under surveillance and is being regulated by the security organization and no journalist has any right to oppose any issue dictated by them, and the radio and its propaganda vehicles do not have any freedom to air any program except those which they impose? While such repressive practices exist, can they really call them good? Can a Muslim or a human being state that such things are good? If so, then let one of those who disagree with us come forward and announce the same. Whoever they choose, it could be the Shah himself or any one of his cronies, should come forth and confess that their broadcast and print media are powerless and do not have any freedom in news broadcasting, that everything is regulated by the security organization and all these media should air only what they tell them to and that all these are good! Let one of those who believe that the Shah should stay in power state this in writing. They should publish it in the papers or on a leaflet and sign it! They should write that: “I, Mr. so and so, believe that such repressive measures are being taken, but I say they are good.” Or, let him admit, too, that our education, which is backward, is backward and that they will not let us have an independent educational system; that our educational system is a subservient one, subservient to the will of embassies. Let them come forward and admit all these and say: “We want the Shah to stay because our educational system should be this way; it is a marvelous thing and it has not been forced on us.” Let them say it is a great thing; that it is wonderful that our educational system is retarded and that they never let our youths be educated and trained in the sciences in a way that they become constructive. Those who believe that the Shah should remain in power must publish these matters if they really believe in them and think they are right, that things should be as they are and believe that they are good the way they are. Find someone from all over Iran to state this, publish it with his signature affixed thereto and introduce himself that: “I, Mr. so and so, the son of so and so, confess to such a belief.” I do not think that such a person can ever be found. Or, find someone to admit that: “I confess that the regime’s foreign military advisers are actually controlling our armed forces and that they are under foreign domination, under foreign military advisers, but that such things are good! It is good to be under their domination! Likewise, the various kinds of misfortunes that we have been afflicted with (are good), be it in the main precincts of the cultural order, the military or the economy.” They must admit the fact that they are giving our oil to America so freely and in exchange they are setting up a military base for America in Iran. Let them admit this and declare: “What we are doing is good! It is being humanitarian or being kind, generous and hospitable to one’s fellow men and this sort of thing; that we give away our oil- well, as a gift- to another country! Well, we want to give (America) our oil as a present and the recipient compensates us with guns instead of money.” The thing is, they (the US) are not giving us the guns; these weapons they bring into Iran, they do so because they want to install bases to guard (their interests) against the Soviet Union! You see they cannot just do this without an excuse, so on the pretext that they are paying for the oil, they remunerate us with

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weapons instead of money. Weapons! Does Iran need weapons? These arms’ quantities are so enormous and excessive that the Iranians do not know what to do with them or how to use them. They do not even teach them how to use these weapons. These Americans want to set up a US base here to shield themselves from the Soviets. You see, if they (the US) say they want to build a base with no excuse, it will cause a big commotion (among the Soviets) and so ‘Big Brother’302 will also create an uproar and say: “What will I do in this corner?” They (the regime) do not want these things to happen. So, they say that the US is buying oil and giving something in exchange for it! What is it that the Americans give us in return? In exchange for oil, they are giving us weapons. However, the real issue is to establish military bases for America. Presently, there are bases erected in many parts of Iran and they are all operational. They say that it is something that has already been done and is still being done. Perhaps, it is really good to be so “humanitarian!” So, if they consider it such a good deed, then they should find one crony of the Shah’s or America’s to certify such things in writing, the way I am bringing them up, and sign it. But nobody can say that such things are good.

THE SHAH’S DEPENDENCY TO AMERICA What is left for them to do now is to say something else in this regard. They- these cronies, or may I say, slaves and lackeys303 of the Shah- should say: “No, it is not so and, as ‘His Imperial Majesty’ has declared, we are independent; we do not need anything. Our armed forces can resist Russia, Britain and America!” In his (Shah’s) own words: “The US is not our patriarch that we have to listen to every word it dictates!” With these words, do they want to say that America does not have any military base in Iran? They should look around; bases are so visible here and there, in the mountains, everywhere. All of them are conspicuous. They have been set up all well equipped with underground passages and sophisticated equipment. This being because you are giving away too much. They claim that they do not give America any oil! They deny it. They could at least say: “We do and what a good thing it is that we do!” But they deny the fact that they are giving oil to America, even though the whole world knows quite well that they do! They say they sell a moderate quantity, but everybody also knows that you (Shah) give it away profusely because you, yourself, have admitted that our oil resources will be exhausted in twenty to thirty years’ time. It is such since you are giving away too much. The United States has oil and does not have need for it. It has plenty of oil wells from which it does not extract its oil. It means that the Americans have their own oil wells and are also aware of their underground oil resources, but they have sealed off their wells for their future consumption and are benefiting from ‘His Imperial Majesty’s’ trifling gift while their own oil resource is safely untapped underground! They dug their wells, tapped them, sealed them off, sat on them and then stretched their hands begging Iran and other countries for oil! They say: “We do not give away oil. We haven’t given oil to America, or, if we have, it has been but a moderate quantity.” Well, by the oil revenues you are getting and the billions of dollars’ worth of arms you have imported, it is obvious how much of it you are giving America and the other countries. They brag: “We give them oil, but we are getting foreign exchange!” Very well, let one of them put it in writing that 302 It refers to the Soviet Union as the Russian soldiers call Stalin, ‘brother’. 303 It refers to persons like Iqbal Manuchehr and Asadullah Alam in which the first refers to the Shah in his letters in the following terms, Chaker jan nathar [I am your ransom] and the latter to the Shah as Ghulam khaneh-zad [I am your house servant].

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they are getting money from America. They all admit that they are giving away oil and getting arms in exchange. Do they believe that such arms and all this equipment and these facilities are necessary to the country? Do we wish to gain power like that of the Soviets’ or become as powerful as America? Is this why we need these weapons? Do we have experts in proportion to such and do we really use them ourselves?

CAPITULATION BILL AND ITS PRECEDENCE IN IRAN It is public knowledge that there are about 45,000- some say 60,000- of these American advisers here and experts who enjoy political immunity. And not only these advisers but every single American here! They have been granted immunity from prosecution. These are tales that history should record so that people will understand in the future what the Iranian situation had been. During Reza Shah’s time, when the Capitulation Bill was rescinded304, as they had claimed, it was merely a verbal rescinding. Of course, it now really is abolished. And what a hue and cry they had made in their propaganda stunts when they proclaimed that ‘His Majesty’ had decided to annul the ‘Capitulation Bill, ‘ and so on and so forth. For quite a long while, the newspapers, the radio and other media celebrated the annulment of Capitulation Bill by ‘His Majesty Reza Shah’! They highlighted it with so much pompous publicity for some time. Then, on that day when “His Majesty Muhammad Reza Shah,” legitimate heir to “His Majesty Reza Shah,” revived the Capitulation Bill for the Americans, 305once again the same uproar was raised as to what a great service he had done! The poor media, held captive by the security organization, had to proclaim it. They dictated to them to publish it and the press had to oblige and propagandize what a great service it was and that no service could have been greater than that which ‘His Majesty,’ the Shah, had done. What had he done? That which his father had rescinded, he had now readopted! We are supposed to celebrate its annulment and then celebrated its re-adoption! [audience laughs]. The situation in the country is analogous to that of the poor rooster’s when it laments that it gets beheaded (for the dining table) be it at funerals or at weddings!” [laughter from the audience]. Iran’s situation is such: there is commotion whichever version is recounted- good or bad! These are things we hear and witness at present. Later, will people believe we have endured such regimes? During my lifetime, I witnessed such incidents. You do not have any recollection of such things, not a single one of you remembers. But in my days such incidents took place. That celebration (during Reza Shah’s rule) occurred in my time. And now, this celebration and situation (under the Shah) and the commotion that ensued- all these took place during my time, too; both incidents happened in my time. This was the way things had been. We had to rejoice on both occasions because ‘His Majesty’ treated the issue the way he did! Are they saying such events did not take place?! Well, they did take place! But they say they were all right! What does this all right mean? It means that if a cook at the US embassy or a businessman, who is 304 In 1828, simultaneous with the signing of the Turkmanchai Treaty, the Capitulation Bill, which granted the Russian consulate immunity from judiciary prosecution, was ratified. The Russians unconstitutionally practiced this right for almost a century until 1921 when, for some reason, they renounced it. Six years later, on May 9, 1927/Urdibehesht 19, 1314 SH, Reza Shah’s government decreed that ‘His Imperial Majesty’ had abolished the Capitulation Bill. See Tarikh-e BIst Sal-e Iran [Twenty Years of Iranian History], Chap. 4, pp. 390391. 305 This Capitulation Bill was passed in the Iranian monarchist parliament in 1963. Under the provisions of the said bill all of the US political agents, diplomats, advisors, and military advisors as well as their immediate family members were granted political and legal immunity. Imam Khomeini disclosed the unprecedented humiliating nature of this law in his historical speech that he made on the commemoration of Hazrat Fatimah Zahra’s (as) birthday and called on everyone to mark the occasion as a day for public mourning.

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an American (in Iran), runs over a respectable (Iranian) citizen, say, a top official, a philosopher, a scholar, or anyone, and does it on purpose, the Iranian government does not have any right to hold him responsible for his action! The case should be referred to the embassy where they know how to handle the matter! What this decision, which he (the Shah) propagated so much and the man who introduced the bill to the Parliament306 made so much hue and cry for, affirmatively proves is that every single American here is legally immune from prosecution. Nobody has any right, not even the Justice Ministry, to summon any American whatever (crime) he commits! The armed forces do not have the right to interfere in these matters; no one has any right to interfere in such affairs. Such issues will have to be resolved directly by Americans and in the precincts of the embassy, or, shall I say, in the US territory itself, and it is only obvious what the solution will be! Is this what they refer to as good? Is it very good that Americans enjoy immunity and nobody has any right (to protest) ? However, if the highest official of this country (whoever he may be) runs over (an American) servant, he should then be prosecuted!? When it concerns them, no one has any right to even criticize them, but when it is the other way around, the Iranians should be tried?! Well, is this what they consider good? Does he, who believes that the monarchical regime should remain and that the Shah must stay and rule, mean to say that so far nothing has gone awry and so the Shah must stay?! Or, he does not believe in it and does not approve of the situation. If he believes that the situation is all right and that he approves of it, then let him put it in writing with his signature affixed and state that: “I believe in this system and it is quite favorable; that is if we cause a servant of theirs any trouble, we will have to face charges but if the victim is one of our dignitaries, then nothing should be done to them!” I do not think that a person or a human being can ever attest to such in writing. Yes, some of these (supporters of the regime) have really let their humanity slip, just like ‘His Majesty’ himself who is totally bereft of any spirit of humanity; he is possessed by a spirit other than a human one; that is why he is saying all this bosh and tosh. Nobody can ever really say such things the way he does!

OBLIGATION OF THE REGIME’S AGENTS IN BETRAYING THE COUNTRY! Looking at the other side of the coin, we see the expediency of his overthrow. From this view, you cannot say that the things, that is, everything that has happened to the nation so far- like our educational system being backward or the economy being insolvent or parasitic- is really good. Our whole military is supervised by American advisers. I suppose this is also good!? You cannot admit this either. What is left for you to do is to admit that: “Well, we believe these things are terrible but we had to do them because we had no other alternative, it had to be this way. We had to endorse ‘His Majesty’ and his remaining in power because we had to acquiesce in such arrangements. They made it expedient for us to accede to the notion that our education could only improve to a certain extent. They compelled us to accept their domination of our armed forces; that our Parliament members be appointed by them and that neither we, nor the nation, had any power to interfere (in the elections) ! We had to oblige and because we were compelled to do so, things should be the way they are.” Now, the Iranian nation has risen up against them and is saying that it does not agree with all these so-called exigencies, but up to now nothing has been done. Presently, the

306 Mansur, the prime minister at that time.

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people are mobilized and are following up the issue. Well, if they agree that this is wrong, but that they had been forced out of necessity to accede to it, the Iranian nation has risen up en masse stating its rejection of such so-called exigencies you have done. The Shah says: “I have a mission to serve my country.” He himself had written a book entitled Mission for My Country, and I, too, confirm he had carried out a mission to serve his country. But he says: “I had a mission to do this and that, to take my nation to the so-called ‘gateway of the great civilization’.” I say you had a mission to sell your country’s oil, demean your educational system and reduce your country to what it is now: a total ruin which we call our country! If they aver that the regime has committed treason but which you (Shah) insist as expedient and imposed, can we accept such statements from a Parliament member, a minister or the Shah that they had been forced to betray the nation?! If that is so, then relinquish your post! Who has forced you to become a prime minister? Who has imposed membership of Parliament on you? Or pushed you into becoming a minister? Who forced you to become the king? Resign! A person who does not have the courage to safeguard the nation’s interests, confront the foreigners and a person who is held captive by foreigners and who believes he has to sacrifice his country’s interests for them should resign. Granted you want to keep your monarchy in place, but should you commit all this treason?! Are you not blameworthy? Who says your monarchy has to be preserved? If you are a man, or a human being, a man who is not a traitor, proclaim and say that you cannot protect your country and serve the interests of this nation, and thus you are resigning! Then you will see how people will shower you with blossoms enough to reach the empyrean! Unlike now that everybody is crying out: “Death to the Pahlavi monarchy!” They are crying this out because they have not seen any good deed committed by you to serve their interests. Who has compelled you to stay on the throne so that you can commit all this treachery? How can a person fabricate excuses for this? Well, that Parliamentary deputy who has been representing such and such constituency in Parliament for ten to fifteen years, serving as a representative, not of the people but of the Shah, or worse, the representative of the (US) embassy- they are all aware of this themselves- such people trod on that pile of debris307, and carried out whatever vile deeds they wanted, they committed whatever treason they wanted. Can we believe their pronouncements that they were forced to do so? Who told you to become a representative in the Parliament? Did anybody coerce you to surely become one? Stand behind the rostrum and announce it, tell them the story that you have been sent on behalf of the (US) embassy; that you are not a legitimate representative of the country and for this reason you are relinquishing your post in the Parliament and then you will see how differently the people will deal with you. Can this be a reasonable excuse that a representative says he is not to blame because he was compelled to be one? And can the Shah claim he is free from blame because the (US) embassy compelled him? Who else wants to exonerate himself? What is this nonsense? They are all blameworthy! They are all traitors! They committed treason willfully in order to seize power. One person wanted to be the monarch for a while, another wanted to become a minister for a while, or, become a representative or a senator, etc... They all purposefully committed treachery against the country and all those who have been part of this system and have served this system are all traitors. Not a single one of them is qualified enough to take up even the most menial job, even that of a porter! Gentlemen, these MPs and Senators are the regime’s advisers, and their treason is very clear.

307 An allusion for the National Parliament.

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ILLEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PARLIAMENTS Assuming that you (members of Parliament) had not given your vote to any offensive issues and you were a person who wanted to voice your opposition to such, but can you deny that you were not the people’s representative? Can you deny that you occupied a seat in the Parliament and received a salary for it? Can you put it in writing that you were not a Parliament member and that you went there for no apparent reason and you were not involved, that there was nothing where you went and you did not get paid either?! Tell the people this and in turn, they will say: “No, Mister, you set foot in the Parliament and got paid from the nation’s coffers. You got the people’s money and you were not even their representative. You acted against the Constitution, betrayed the people and embezzled their money when, in fact, you were not a representative.” If a representative is appointed by the (US) embassy or the Shah, then he is not a true representative and his representation is illegitimate. For representation to be lawful for a certain constituency, the people of that area or electorate must elect him. Well, say then that you have been appointed. The Tehran representative should come forward and say that the people of Tehran had elected him, so the people can then deny any knowledge of his election and his person! The Azerbaijan representative should come forth and proclaim that he had been elected by the people of Azerbaijan, so the people can say that they do not know any one of these representatives. Where and how have the people known such representatives? Who knows these men?

NECESSITY FOR THE TOP-RANKING ARMY OFFICIALS TO BE RELIEVED OF THEIR POSTS Their excuses cannot be accepted merely because they asseverate that they have acted upon orders. They aver: “We were forced to obstruct the development of our education and to put our armed forces under (American) domination.” All top ranking officials of the armed forces should have resigned when they witnessed what the American top officials had done. Of course, it was not possible at that time. If only all our civil servants had resigned when they understood that they would have American superiors and that they would be working under their supervision, if all of them had sent in their resignations to the Parliament or the Shah declaring their disagreement with the situation, then American advisers could have not possibly entered the country. They are here because you have not shown any growth and because you are retarded, they are here to subjugate you and run your affairs. If you were progressive, or you were a human being, who cared for this country and land, or you were a religious human being- and religiosity is the very core of all the issuesthen you could not possibly sit passively and wish to be just an official who kowtowed to anything that a man sent in by America said. It would be much better if you had resigned. Who has forced you to be a lieutenant-general or a general! You should have resigned; resign now. Now that everything is as clear as daylight before your very eyes and you have witnessed the Shah’s treacheries, and the Shah himself is ready to make confessions on the radio of all his sins which he calls “mistakes.” He has been saying up to now that what he has done has been” mistakes” and he promises that he will not commit the same mistakes anymore. Now, that you see a king who has confessed to his crimes and has announced them over the radio, begging the people’s forgiveness for his mistakes- all of you (the Shah’s agents) must step aside right now; or abandon your posts in the army or join the people; do not attack people again and kill them. But you do, so you are all traitors! We cannot refer to you as human

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beings who can be trusted by the people. You are traitors in this country. You are not competent to do anything. Low-ranking officers cannot. They say they are ready to carry out some tasks for us. God willing, they will carry them out.

MONARCHY, A CANCEROUS TUMOR This side of the coin says that this regime must be toppled. It is corrupt. It is like a malignant tumor which, if not removed, will kill a person and annihilate (humanity). A sick person afflicted with a (malignant) cancerous tumor cannot just sit without having it removed for it will kill him. This monarchy is a tumor in this country which, if not extracted, will contaminate the whole country. We do not have any choice but to eradicate it. This cancerous tumor, which is more dangerous than cancer itself, has to be eliminated. I would like to leave discussion of the other aspects of the issue for another time as I am too tired to go on. May God bless you with success and grace. God willing, you will return to Iran one day when conditions there have changed. [audience responds with “Amen”].

64th Speech Date: November 13, 1978/Aban 22, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 12, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Introduction of three basic principles of the Revolution Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful We proposed three principles308 and, now, we want to examine which one of these is disagreeable to those who may oppose them.

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE: REMOVAL OF THE SHAH AND OVERTHROW OF THE PAHLAVI DYNASTY One principle points to the fact that the nation of Iran, as confirmed by their demonstrations and slogans during all this time, does not want the Pahlavi dynasty rule. This, in itself, was a referendum in which people nation-wide voted; with their cries they voted that they do not want the Pahlavi dynasty. If anybody opposes us in this regard and openly expresses before the Iranian nation that they want the Pahlavi dynasty to remain as it was before, he should come forward and declare once and for all that he attests to the reality of what the Shah has done, and that what he has done is good! He should admit that the Shah gave our oil to America in exchange for which he has purchased some quantities of scrap metal (arms) which are useless to us; that he has kept our education in a state of backwardness, massacred all these 308 It refers to the three important principles which the Imam announced in an interview on Aban 19, 1357 SH/November10, 1978. The first principle: the removal of the sinister Pahlavi dynasty; second principle: removal of the invalid monarchial regime forever; third principle: providing the preparations for government (Islamic Republic).

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youths, ordered their imprisonment, caused all these sufferings and suppressions; he must state that all these, all these acts perpetrated by the regime, are good. If anyone says these things, it will also be good if he announces them publicly and affixes his signature to his statement stating “I am the person who attests to the propriety of his deeds.” But I do not think that such a person can be found anywhere in Iran to attest to such.

SUPPOSITION OF THE SHAH’S BEING UNAWARE OF THE ISSUES OF THE COUNTRY Or, they can deny these and say he has not done such things and that somebody else did them. Because there are some individuals claiming that “His Imperial Majesty” Was unaware of such matters! That every single event that has transpired in this country, whatever oppression, or treason, has been committed has been committed by somebody else and the Shah never had any knowledge of it whatsoever! Every Iranian citizen knew about these things except the Shah! Wasn’t the Shah one among the citizenry? Wasn’t he one among the people? He who always says in all his commands and decrees that everything in this country passes through his hands. Others also confirm the fact that everything is implemented through him. Regarding what happened at (Qum’s) Fayziyyah Theology School and how his agents attacked it. When we asked anyone, they all answered that it was done on His Majesty’s order. They (the Shah’s agents) said they had no other choice. On that very day, we wrote in one of the communiques309 that whoever we asked they all pointed to His Imperial Majesty as having ordered it. His Majesty had ordered soldiers to barge into the Fayziyyah Theology School and turn it upside down. What they said was true. No one could have ever consented to such acts (except the Shah). No one could order such without his knowledge, and the Shah, who is at the helm of the system ruling over Iran- which he himself admits- says that in this system neither the police chief, nor the general of the army, can order the murder of an individual, the looting of a place or the massacre of one whole area. Nobody else can ever decree such. All these exploits are executed through his orders or consent; the final say is always his! Can we ever say that he did not have any knowledge of all the bills drafted, ratified and passed in Parliament? Has he been unconscious all throughout his rule?! If one is conscious and aware and is the king of the country whom everybody knows controls and dictates all these tyrannical acts, should these advocates of his and of America exonerate him from guilt? Was he ignorant of all these evil deeds? Should the guilt of a king who delivered that infamous speech before a great multitude in Qum and vilified the clergy of Islam and people of all walks of life be passed on to somebody else? Did he not have any knowledge of what he did or said? Was the king, who defamed the clergy on the radio calling them names, branding them reactionaries, and ordering the people to oppose these ‘impure beasts,’ as he put it, not aware of what offence he had committed? Had anybody else committed it? Was the Shah not aware and had somebody else dictated it to him and he read the text without understanding, just like a child who had been given a note to read without understanding its contents! Was the Shah like a child who did not understand the context of what he read (on the radio).

309 Imam’s communique of Urdibehesht 12, 1342 SH [May 2, 1963] on the 40th day death anniversary of the Fayziyyah martyrs.

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THE DISGRACE CALLED “THE REVOLUTION OF THE SHAH AND THE PEOPLE” And the issue of what they called the “Land Reform” Program and the circumstances that entailed it, or even the campaign drive that he himself called “the Revolution of the Shah and the People” or the “White Revolution.” He named it “the Revolution of the Shah and the People” but it was neither his revolution nor the people’s, because neither knew anything about it! Was the Shah unaware of this matter? What he was referring to as the” Revolution of the Shah and the People “Was but a piece of paper on which there was something written that he had to read. And he was so sense bereft that he did not understand that the phrase” The Revolution of the Shah and the People” meant he had a role in it! He read it but did not comprehend what was written on it! According to the logic of the man who claims that the Shah is innocent, he was ignorant of all the affairs (in the country). Well, nobody can believe this. Now, assuming that someone says so, can we believe it? The Shah, himself, says that everything should be carried out as he wills and that “it is me who carries out all affairs,” and who until recently counted on nobody else, no one, not a minister nor a (Parliament) representative- nobody had the right to say anything. Whatever he said was law and no one could utter a word! So, we cannot say that all these things have all been good and that the Shah who has done these has done something good. We cannot say that these issues were wrong but that he was unaware of such or that others had perpetrated them and then later put the blame on him! Now, they have arrested a group of his cronies who were his accomplices in the crimes he committed. I do not know how they arrested them. Is it really true or are they just playing a trick on the people? Of course, their friendship remains; we do not really know whether they have arrested them or not, perhaps they are just tentatively hiding them in a secret place somewhere, perhaps they have made them a comfortable hideout somewhere, we do not know. Assuming that he has betrayed their friendship and has really arrested his accomplices- of course, they purposefully want it this way- he wants such measures to be carried out to find credibility among the people, to show them that because he has now understood that his cronies committed treason, he is arresting them! It now becomes obvious that they are traitors, and because of this he now arrests his own minister 310 who has served him for twelve or fourteen years and who was his own accomplice in committing all these crimes, and now that the people have risen and have created this commotion, he suddenly realizes that what his officials had done was wrong! They have now arrested them so that the people will think that “His Majesty” really means to reform! In the same way that he contrived the “Land Reform Program” and the “White Revolution”, he now wants to stage a revolution, solve the problems and arrest the incumbent ministers, this and that minister, and so on and so forth! What else can the people say?! No one can ever believe that such things took place without his knowledge.

SUPPOSITION OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE SHAH’S REPENTANCE! Well, someone may also say that what had been done was wrong and he was the one who did it, but now he has repented. He has repented before the people and his repentance is acceptable to the people and we must accept the repentance of anyone who has done something wrong. Another solution is to say that because the Shah has repented for the wrongdoings he has committed, we should let him reign as king but 310 Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the Shah’s Prime Minister.

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not rule, and because he has repented everything he has committed will be a thing of the past! And now, that he has repented, he should be pardoned! Well as far as repentances go, assuming that he has repented, one point has to be considered! God will not accept it unless he gives back what rightfully belongs to the people. If one kills another and then repents, this repentance is not acceptable unless the victim is compensated. Only then will his repentance be acceptable to God. They (the Shah’s cronies) think that because he is the first person of the country, God will consider his case a special one, even though he has not expiated his sins and crimes. They think that because this man is the first person in the country, God will overlook the fact that he has committed numerous crimes, absconded with the people’s property, wasted many lives, ordered the commission of wrongdoings, and committed so many acts of treason and crimes. Will God ever condone his crimes of these past twenty odd years simply because he is the king?! Obviously, as they believe, God discriminates between a king and other people! His allies believe that because he is the Shah, he can repent at will! From their point of view people who have lost their youths can just disappear too as they are nobody before the Shah and such matters should not even be brought up before him! How could we say his repentance is accepted if the conditions for his repentance have not been met? If anyone runs off with the people’s money and later claims to have repented, he should return their money before his repentance is accepted. Otherwise, the repentance of one who does not attempt to amend one’s wrongdoings is just like the wolf’s repentance. Now, if the Shah has really repented, let him come forward and disclose his foreign bank accounts and return to the nation the assets held therein. This is one way to compensate the material loss inflicted on the people. We will deal with the killings later on. First, let us take up the material compensation. He has squandered so much of the people’s wealth. He has given oil to the foreigners in exchange for something which is useless to the people and is actually harmful to their interests. Let him atone for all such acts of his first and announce that he wants to compensate for them. It is said that he has announced his wish to make amends and all his family members too will be investigated to determine whether they have committed illegal acts and if proven so, they will be prosecuted. He still doubts whether his family has committed any misdemeanor or not! Obviously, even an issue such as this is unclear to him and he is not aware of it! It is just now that he wants to determine whether they (Pahlavi family) have trampled upon the rights of anyone or have committed any crime. If they are guilty, he is now saying that they have repented. He faces the nation and admits: “Well, I’ve committed certain “mistakes” and I promise not to do so anymore. I now feel duty bound not to commit any more wrongdoings. I guarantee this.” He keeps on repeating his plea. Now, the people, the whole nation, are opposing him. They say: “Well, you have to compensate for what you have done. When you have done so, then you can say that you can guarantee.” The issue is a question of legal rights. It is not as if the issue is one between him and God. God may forgive him for his offences. But we are not God’s public lawyers! God will not accept his repentance before the legal issues (arising from his misdeeds) are resolved. You are responsible for the people’s rights, for the rights of the nation. You have wasted the wealth of this nation; for decades you have so despicably tortured our youth in prison and ordered such tortures to be carried out on them. You should first compensate for these acts then you may ask for God’s forgiveness. You have not atoned for your sins and you are already asking for forgiveness! How could we believe in our right mind that you are repentant?! Do you think the nation has not known you well enough? When you began your rule, you gave all these

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assurances which by law you were duty bound to and now you, in your own words, are admitting you committed these mistakes? Are you not going to make mistakes again? Or, is it that you are saying so to make the people negligent you so you can resume committing the same misdeeds that you call mistakes?!

ALL ROADS ARE CLOSED, SHAH MUST LEAVE Now, the one who supports him and rejects our first principle which calls for the Shah and this dynasty to relinquish power should state: “No, everything he has done is good and you do not understand. People do not understand that suppression is something good! It is a good thing to suppress people and the Shah has committed many good acts. All suppressive measures and similar acts are also good!” Such supporters of the Shah may also come up with: “No, the Shah has not committed any blunders, or, he has not been aware of the misdeeds, or, he has repented”! Now, if all roads are closed he had better not be there (on the throne) anymore.

REJECTION OF SUCCESSION OR REGENCY COUNCIL Another solution (proposed by his advocates) is that: “Well, let him make an exit and allow his Crown Prince and respectable wife to step forward and set up a Regency Council to administer the affairs. The Crown Prince and the Queen have not done any wrongdoing! They are good and righteous.” But the Iranian nation cannot accept this. A nation which has suffered so much under this man and his father and has witnessed so many treacheries regards this son (Crown Prince) to be a chip off the old block, as the Shah himself was a true replica of his father (Reza Shah) ! This was indeed a grave mistake of our nation to allow this son (Muhammad Reza) to rule after the rule of such a father! And it was quite easy for the nation at that time to tell the Allied Forces (which forced Reza Shah into exile), and stand firm on their demand that “We do not want him (to be the king).” It was so easy at that time to bar his way to the throne by reasoning out that he was the son of such a father. I have heard that he (the Shah) had said: “My father is keeping the prisoners in vain; they just incur extra expenses. He should kill them all and let them perish!” It is said that he had made such statements that rather than throw money away on prisoners they should all be killed! It is such a grave matter the possibility of which should be considered by the nation. Man should act very cautiously if he considers an important matter probable. If you consider the probability of an animal, a beast, attacking you and killing you once you leave this room, you will never leave this room. Consider it as a probability. But, of course, we do not view such a thing as possible. I believe in the possibility that if a wild, man-eating beast lurked outside this room, you would act prudently and not go out. Now, we consider the probability that this family is savage and will destroy this nation as they have demonstrated so far and will do the same in the future; furthermore, they are lackeys of foreign powers. But the issue is real and not a mere probability though we are now talking of a possibility. For a fact, he is a tool, as his father had been in the hands of foreigners. Now, they (foreign powers) intend to use his son and manipulate him for their own ends. And how can the nation accept that they stay in power and lord over the nation after all the treacheries they have committed. As such, I do not believe anyone can refute our first principle which says that this (monarchical) base should be destroyed.

SECOND PRINCIPLE: REMOVAL OF THE MONARCHIAL SYSTEM Our second principle holds that the very concept of “monarchy” is baseless. The monarchical regime is an old reactionary one. It was baseless right at its inception. When we speak of reactionarism, we refer to a

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thing that was, in its own time, acceptable but which has now become obsolete. Even if the monarchy was of some substance at the beginning, it is now an antiquated phenomenon. The monarchy is a reactionary issue nowadays. Right from its institution, it has been an absurd practice in which a king gains dominance over a people who do not exercise any choice in choosing him! The founder (of a monarchy), the first king, has always come to power through coercion and has been imposed on the people. There has not been any time in which the people have had any discretion in the determination of a king. Kings have always bullied and coerced people and imposed their will on them, subjecting them to their tyranny and whatever they wanted to do to them. These dynasties have all been founded by usurpers who committed all kinds of evil A monarchy, however, is now viewed as an object of ridicule among the world’s regimes! First, someone revolts against a regime. During the uprising, the move is considered as wrong and the dissenter is looked upon as a criminal who has revolted against a regime. Later, when he vanquishes and kills his enemy, commits all sorts of evil acts and prevails, then everybody begins to recognize him; he then becomes “His Imperial Majesty.” Up until that time he was a thief, a bandit who came and attacked wanting to overthrow, say, the Qajar dynasty. Up until that time he was a rebel who rose against the monarch; he was referred to as a brigand, a traitor. But as soon as he gained power and toppled the regime, the US recognized him, on the one hand, and Britain, on the other! He is now “His Imperial Majesty!” Now, anyone who rises against him is a criminal! He has been a criminal up until now, but because he has now prevailed and has dominated the people and toppled the former strongman, this very hooligan becomes “His Imperial Majesty.” This is the cornerstone of such governments. This very same thief, a thief up to now, and one who, if caught, would be executed with the approval of all, now that he has prevailed and vanquished all, is now recognized by all, one by one. This scenario unraveled in Afghanistan just the other day. At first, they (anti-government elements) rebelled311 against the Afghan regime and became the target of all sorts of accusations. But after they prevailed over the regime, global powers recognized them from everywhere! That is how after the titles changed and this bandit became “His Imperial Majesty,” anybody who criticizes him and his imperial regime, or insults him, will be imprisoned for several years!

THE MONARCHIAL REGIME IS INVALID AND IT RELIES ON FORCE The principle of the monarchical regime has been wrong from its very inception. What sense is there in making a man who is no different from us, who is usually inferior to all individuals in the populace and who is of lower intelligence, the first person and king after which no one can touch him anymore? Of course, these individuals (who ascended to power) were bullies; they were very powerful but the intellect of many of them fell below an average person. We all witnessed that Reza Shah set up a Parliament with the force of a bayonet. It was not a national assembly. But let us assume that he came to power as the consequence of the people’s decision to do away with the Qajar dynasty because of their wrongdoings. But after he came to power, he became untouchable although he ascended the throne through the people’s choice. He then did whatever he wanted and never listened to the people no matter how many times they cried out: “You became king upon our vote and our choice, but we don’t want you anymore. Step down and go about your own business.” To this demand of the people, he turned a deaf ear; he responded with bayonets? This is what is happening (in Iran) at the moment. Our fathers, those before us, chose someone, 311 It refers to the communist coup d’état of Nur Muhammad Turki in Afghanistan in November 1978.

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placing him upon the throne. Those before us chose him (Reza Khan), but we are now paying the price for the crimes of his son (as king). Did we choose him?! Is it logical that fifty years ago, another generation, another populace, elected someone as the king and then that person’s son too, without the people choosing him and actually against their will, remains as king over the people!? That is, he not only can do whatever he pleases, but he also becomes the constitutional king! Why should he be in power without the people’s vote? What sense does it make? It is the prime right of any person, populace or society to choose anything that concerns their country’s fate. If you search all over Iran now, you will not find anyone who admits to having been involved in selecting Muhammad Reza Khan to be enthroned. No one was involved in his selection (as king). In his own words, “it is a divine gift”, people have no role to play in it. In our wrong constitutional law it is stated that” Kingship is a divine gift granted a person by the nation.”312 When did the nation ever confer on him the kingship? When did the nation ever have any discretion in such matters? He (Reza Khan) launched a coup d’état, moved to Tehran from Qazvin, occupied Tehran and arrested and imprisoned a group of individuals, and gradually stayed on. At the beginning he was an army general, became a war minister and eventually the prime minister. He later set up a Parliament at bayonet point forcing the deputies of the Parliament to depose the Qajar dynasty and install him as the monarch. It was the bayonet that forced all those developments. Assuming that the monarchy is a “divine gift” conferred upon an individual by the people, when did the people confer it on him? When? As I have mentioned earlier, supposing that the people conferred the kingship upon his father, then what? The people who were living then deputized someone as their ruler, but my father was not my representative (to vote on my behalf). None of you remember that time; you could not vote at that time. You were non-existent to cast your vote. None of you were living then. Those of us who were around in that period could not vote at that time and the people had not voted for him, either. But still let us assume that the population then gave their votes to him. Now, we are alive and we wish to choose someone to determine our country’s fate and administer its affairs, can that someone interfere in the country’s affairs without us having any knowledge or approval of what is going on and does anything he pleases?

COMPARISON OF THE MONARCHIAL SYSTEM TO THE REPUBLICAN SYSTEM Therefore, the very principle of monarchy is wrong. What is a “monarchical” regime?! First, the people should appoint someone. For instance, the people should choose someone as their deputy to work for them. They should choose someone to administer their affairs, but later, they should be able to tell him to step down whenever they do not want him anymore. But in a regime which comes to power, like Iran’s present regime, if the ruler learns that for whatever he does the people cannot touch him or depose him, then naturally he can stay in power forever. This is how monarchy is; people will be stuck with anyone who becomes the king. Such a person has a free hand to enact whatever unlawful act he pleases. He has no worry of being deposed. There is no overthrowing him. He will rule eternally. All the people, too, will have to be king-lovers! But if someone is elected, for instance, to head a country as president, say, for five or ten or eight years and is asked to run the affairs of the nation and if people are free in choosing someone for the task, then that person, no matter how bad he might be, will think of his own vested interests but at least he 312 The 35th Supplement of the former Constitution stipulates: “The monarchy is a divine gift granted to the person who is King by the nation.”

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will tell himself that “Well, I’ll be out of office after five years and I’ll be taken to task by the people then. If I have done injustice to someone then the people will skin me alive. I hold the reins of power now but after five years, I’ll be an ordinary citizen like the others.” Such a thought will surely keep him at bay. So, the monarchical regime has always been something wrong and imposed on the people. Our second principle concerns the baselessness of the principle of a monarchical regime. People should have the discretion to choose. This is a logical issue and any sane man agrees that each individual should have the authority to decide his own fate. It is up to the people to whom the country belongs to determine that all the wealth and resources of the land should be spent in such a way as to serve the people’s interest. Everything in a country should be directed to the best interest of that country. Now, how can people entrust their fate to the hands of a person who is estranged from the people and believes that the latter have no say (in the national affairs) and says that he has the absolute power and he should be able to do anything he wants with no popular intervention? This runs counter to a situation in which people gather and declare to choose a certain person as their president for five years. Assuming that that person is a scoundrel, still the wisdom of this cunning man will not allow him to do whatever he pleases and do injustice as he wills. Assuming that the people do not have any rights, but in a republic, rights exist. So you (the Shah) are wrong and should mind your own business! If the republic is Islamic, everything is then quite clear because Islam has set forth certain qualifications for the one who is to lead people and has a patriarchal role to perform toward the people. If any one of those qualifications is not met, his leadership is subject to automatic dissolution. It is no longer necessary for the people to gather to depose him; he becomes nothing. If the president of an Islamic republic commits an act of oppression or slaps somebody with no good reason, he will be deposed and his rule ended. A misdemeanor such as this will terminate his tenure of office. And for slapping a person, he should compensate it in kind, that is, he should also be slapped on the face. This is the kind of regime we want. Therefore, our first principle is that we do not want this dynasty and it is crystal-clear that this is the way it should be. People are in agreement with us in this. This is a popular demand; an issue which concerns the people’s right, is a popular one. All people have shouted this in street demonstrations. They are presently shouting it. Just today, it has been relayed that some fifty thousand people have revolted against the regime, launching a movement and staging demonstrations in Isfahan. They too are saying the same thing. The second principle of ours holds that a monarchy, a royal regime, is false from its very origin and this will be attested to by any sane person who deliberates on it that such a regime is not an upright one at all. The authority to decide the fate of the country should rest with the people. If someone is appointed to be the king by another power and if this king appoints another person as his successor, the fate of the nation will be in their hands (and this is wrong)! Everybody must exercise the right to decide their own fate. This present generation should decide its own fate and its fate must not be decided by someone who lived, for instance, 700 years ago, and who has now gone about his own business. (Electing a) president means the people must decide their fate. People now wish to elect someone as their president whose term of office will end in five years after which they will elect another and then another. This is better than that. That was a mistake; this is better. It is possible that it is better. But the republic we are referring to does not mean electing just anybody to the post of a president. This criterion applies everywhere, that is, the head of state, in order to preside over the people, should possess certain

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qualifications. A ruler has to meet the requirements specified by Islam in order for the country to enjoy a just government.

THIRD PRINCIPLE: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC Our third principle pronounces the fact that we want an Islamic government; an Islamic republic in which popular votes will be sought and qualifications (for the head of state) will be announced. Islam delineates such qualifications. You can select anyone who meets these requirements. Requirement should not be such that thief can be chosen to run the government. No sane person will accept it if we appoint a thief to this office and we will never do so. This is our third principle. That is the third principle. I now feel exhausted and will continue this discussion later. Some statements have been made and “His Imperial Majesty” Has also made a speech today. Let me have a look at what he has said and consider how we should respond to that.

65th Speech Date: November 15, 1978/Aban 24, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 14, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The need for the rejection of the monarchical regime and establishment of an Islamic government Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE ULTIMATE GOAL, REALIZATION OF AN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC The Iranian nation, in whose path we tread, demands three basic principles as aired in all the demonstrations which were, and are, being held across the country. The people’s objective is nothing but the realization of these three principles. Of course, the third principle, that is, the establishment of an Islamic government, an Islamic republic, is the main and principal goal, which is their ultimate objective. The other two principles are intertwined with the third one, that is, even if the people only voiced this third principle, the other two would intrinsically follow as imperatives to the third. People are calling for the formation of an Islamic government or Islamic republic, the realization of which necessitates the downfall of the monarchical regime; and the negation of this system is a negation of the person of the Shah even if he were lawfully enthroned, let alone if his rule were totally baseless.

CRIMES OF THE LAST 50 YEARS, A REASON FOR THE REJECTION OF THE SHAH Well, these two other principles, although not as significant as the third, seek the same end. The ultimate goal is the establishment of a just Islamic order; yet the people’s call for this man’s (the Shah’s) and this dynasty’s removal from power has now become an objective in itself for the Iranian nation. It has become so because over the past fifty years, the regime has perpetrated countless crimes against the Iranian nation and has subjected the people to numerous afflictions. It is this very regime that has staved off the young generation’s attempt to attain intellectual growth. Just consider how much debauchery has been spread by

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the regime through its establishment of countless centers of corruption and prostitution. The diffusion of immorality by these centers, such as the proliferation of liquor shops (everywhere), casinos and places such as these; the magazines which were vehicles of moral depravity published merely to corrupt the youth, the deplorable state of affairs in the radio and television stations and the movie theatres- all these are consequences of the fact that this regime and government are aiming at depraving our youth. All these centers of corruption were established everywhere in order to drag the youths out of universities into taverns of hideous and evil activities. To make our youths indulge in corruption is, therefore, one of the plots hatched by this corrupt government. If this government were an upright one and cared for the expediency of Muslims and the nation, it would never let this great force of the youths and this immense national power fall prey to corruption, transforming them into otiose citizens. The people consider the present situation a handiwork of this very ruling clique established by the Shah and his corrupt regime. On the other hand, the Iranian nation also believes that all afflictions that are now extant in Iran in the educational, economic, and other realms stem from the ruling clique. It is a fact that a corrupt government is to be blamed for all the depravities beleaguering us. As such, it is now the objective of the people to get rid of this man and this regime. This is indeed now a noble and a necessary goal for the people although, if we look at it, this is only a prelude and an imperative to the achievement of the main objective (in this uprising). The toppling of this regime is a must in the setting up of a rightful Islamic regime. Therefore, no one can object to these two principles and a rational being who is not dependent on the US and the Shah can never accept the remaining in power of this system considering the iniquities associated with it. Nor can anyone deny the fact that corruption has been so rampant that even the Shah himself has realized it. That was why, as you heard over the radio a few days ago, he admitted committing all those acts which he chose to call ‘mistakes’. He confessed, however, that whatever has been done so far has been against the law and he promised to stop them. Yet, there are times when people, who are more fervent in supporting the regime than the Shah himself, who are either mentally retarded or drowned in wishful thinking and who still love to keep the country under the Shah and the Americans, would like to exonerate the Shah of his crimes, while he himself has admitted that many mistakes had been committed during his rule. From our point of view, however, these have not been ‘mistakes’ but willful acts. Since his coming to power, all the measures he has taken have been against the nation. Even if we announce that a king reigns through legally right procedures, once he betrays the nation, he is not fit to rule anymore; he is defunct and hence, deposed.

THE INVALIDITY OF THE BASIS OF THE MONARCHIAL REGIME Therefore, the nation’s first and second adopted principles call for the Shah’s abdication. Besides, ever since its inception, the monarchical regime has always been an outdated invalid regime that runs counter to conventional wisdom. Let us assume that these kings came to power at the nation’s behest, although we know it has never been the case. We know how the founder of the Qajar dynasty took the reins of power and how he disturbed the national scene in order to establish himself. We have seen how Reza Shah grabbed the helms of the government. It was indeed spectacular and sensational how he made his debut onto the scene. I remember how he acted and how he, in complete disregard for the nation, established his domination and monarchical rule using coercion and the force of the bayonet. Let us now assume that a

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nation has brought a monarchy to power, or let us say that, some 700 years ago, the Iranian nation assembled and chose a man to be their king who, in turn, bequeathed this monarchical legacy to his descendants. Well, the nation’s choice then only concerned the king ruling at their time and with whom they dealt. The country and its affairs belong to you and you may choose any person to rule over you. But let us ask the people living some 70 or 700 years ago this question: What relation do you have with us? What business do you have with our affairs? For what reason did you appoint a man to be our king? Because it is we who should choose a ruler in our time. If a man or a dynasty were chosen to rule 700 years ago, could this choice be logically, legally applied to us at this time? If so, for what reason? Any law article compelling us to submit to a choice made 700 years ago regarding someone’s selection as king is not valid. So, even if we could assume that Reza Shah’s rule had been made possible by popular consent and that the then National Consultative Assembly, although unlawful, had been lawfully set up, the majority of those who voted for these, except for a very few found here and there in cities, have passed away. Furthermore, it is not clear whether those who are still alive today were of the proper age to vote then. Most of them were either minors or quite young. Well, let us assume that 70 or 60 odd years ago, the Iranian population, who were the forefathers of the present population, elected a group as deputies to the Parliament to choose someone as the king. Let us also assume to be true, that these deputies were free in casting their votes and had the right to select someone to hold the reins of power. But these deputies were not our deputies. You were not living then to have deputies. So, these deputies were not yours. On what grounds then did they decide to give the rein of your fate to the son of Reza Khan? What right did our fathers have to do such a thing? Neither had we deputized our fathers, nor had we appointed those Parliament deputies. They had no right to do such a thing.

THE KINGSHIP OF THE “SHAH” IS EVEN AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REGIME So the monarchical regime carries this absurdity within itself. The very constitutional law of that time with all its spurious by-laws holds that the kingship is a divine gift granted to ‘His Majesty’ by the people. Now it is a ‘divine gift’ and the people grant it! How the people became God’s deputies to grant this divine gift is in itself a mystery! What nonsense is this?! Well, perhaps at that time they (the deputies) saw that they could not oppose Reza Shah and the other kings and they were forced to draft the Constitution the way they did thereby adding insult to injury! All these are nothing but nonsense. This monarchy is a decadent and false order. But anyway, the Constitution holds that the kingship is a divine gift granted to the king by the people. Now, we want to apply the very same law article to him (the Shah): that the people should bestow the kingship on the king. Now, we ask people all over this country this question: “Did you grant the kingship to this man?” No one can answer this question in the affirmative. Even if this statement were right, although I believe it is false, and your fathers had given this divine gift to Reza Shah, he is now dead and so his rule is now over. Neither were our fathers our deputies or guardians, nor were the majority of the people residing out of the country that their fathers had to act on their behalf. On what grounds then does Muhammad Reza Khan within the framework of the present Constitution which regards the kingship as a divine gift granted to the Shah by the people, now consider himself the king? We ask him: “Which people gave you such a vote?” He, himself (the Shah), admits that the people gave their vote to his father, not to him. Moreover, among those who cast their votes- if ever they had really cast their votes- only but a few have remained alive; most of them have passed away. So, according to the same

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constitutional article to which he refers as the basis of his rule, the Shah has no right to rule, because this divine gift should be granted to a person to become the Shah, and the people have not given him such a mandate. And I must remind you once more that the foregoing is based on the assumption that the people did grant Reza Shah the kingship, but we know very well that the people did not. Let us assume that the kingship was a divine gift given to the Shah by the people. We now make this assumption that the people themselves gathered together and presented this divine gift to Mr. Aryamehr! But now the people are saying that they do not want him anymore. So, the issue is resolved! [Audience laughs]. The people granted it and are now taking it back. A thing can be given by someone and taken back by the same. Let us assume that one day all the people unanimously endowed this mandate upon and presented this divine gift to Muhammad Reza Khan. What are you saying now? He wanted to rule basing his right to rule on the previous monarchy! Yes, that was presumably the case in the past; and as you claim, it was done legally! But what about now? People are saying “no” to your rule. Sometime ago, the people of Isfahan were setting everything on fire and this wretched man, or one of his cronies, was praising the Isfahanis as the “king-loving” people of Isfahan! [Imam and the audience laugh]. They are describing the people as the “king-loving” people of Iran! Well, these “king-lovers” have gathered and are now unanimously voicing their opposition to him. They are saying: “We have deputized someone and he will be our deputy for as long as we have not revoked his appointment as one. Once we do, then he can no longer argue that because we have appointed him, we have no right to voice our opposition to him.” Well, the kingship was something to be granted to a person by the people and we assumed that the people gave him this right. But they are now saying they do not want him as king anymore. What excuse can he resort to for staying in power? He is but a usurper now! I sometimes refer to him in my writings as a usurper and this is not an exaggeration. He is a usurper. A usurper is a person who, contrary to law, imposes his rule and deceives the people. Whatever abuses he has committed all these years have been out of rebellion and deception. If we assume that a king should be given a certain salary and he received this salary, this act is tantamount to deception because his rule has not been legal and as such he was not entitled to receive any remuneration! Even if we assume that being a king entitled one to a salary and even if he ruled without violating any laws and then received this salary, we want to ask him this question: “What right did you have to get this salary? You were not the legitimate king to have done so. Now, the people are shouting “no” to your face. For what reason that you have occupied a place that rightfully belongs to the people and have continued to rule? You call on the people; what right have you got to take away the people’s money? How can you justify such an act for the people?” It is then a principle in this movement that he (the Shah) should be deposed the people are now saying that he should no longer stay in power. Perhaps the majority of people have neglected the fact that this man should not have been in power from the very beginning. No longer (being in power is) for someone who was there in the first place. But anyhow, we are now saying: “Hey, mister, you’ve been in power up to now. Fine. What about from now on?” We are saying that the hustle and bustle should stop! “Whatever good or bad you have done so far, well, we do not want you to continue ruling anymore.” If we delve further into

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this issue and look into the history of his monarchy, whatever may still have remained in some people’s minds, and whatever has been written in history books- if indeed anybody found the courage to write it down, apparently, they did write it, although not very clearly- those who know the truth realize that the monarchy of Reza Khan, the father of Muhammad Reza, was not granted to him by the people as held by the Constitution. The monarchy of Reza Khan, the father of Muhammad Reza, was imposed through bullying and the force of the bayonet and by a Parliament that was formed at gunpoint and whose deputies were coerced to ratify a law that when one dynasty313 bowed out, another314 should come to power. But neither dynasty was legitimate.

THE SUPERPOWERS SUPPORT THE SHAH SO AS TO STABILIZE THEIR INTERESTS The Parliament was not a legitimate one, nor were the votes. We do not believe in the legitimacy of your regime from its very inception. The Shah has not been a legitimate king from the beginning. His father was imposed on the nation by the British. He, himself, was installed by the Allies (during World War II). In other words, he was imposed on us by Britain, Russia and America! Who has ever said he should be king other than those who, up until now, have been staunchly backing him and have been shouting night and day that they want him and that they cannot find anyone better than him? Carter has explicitly said: “He is our man and should stay in power.” But we do not want him Mister (Carter) ! You have installed him for your own vested interests. But we should consider our own interests. The Iranian nation is saying it wants to safeguard its own interests, not those of the America. America, Britain and Russia are united in propping him up. But the outcry of the nation is: “Who are these powers to say that the Shah should stay on the throne? It is our nation and land. None of you has any right to say that he should remain in power.” Some (foreign powers) claim, “He preserves our interests better than others.” Well, he safeguards your interests, but what does it have to do with us? If he preserves your interests, then take him anywhere you wish and do away with him as you please. What logic is there to this that a person safeguards your interests but he, in effect, steals from us and gives our property over to you! We want him to steal no more. We intend to tie up his hands so he will not be able to steal and give away our people’s property to you. We have two archenemies: the US which plunders our wealth, and this man (the Shah) who loots the people’s wealth.

THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE COUNTRY IS WITH THE SHAH’S PRESENCE, NOT WITH THE SHAH’S ABDICATION Yet, this man is making other comments. He repeatedly says that “Once I abdicate the throne, this country will disintegrate. It is now an integrated Iran but it will crumble into fragments which can be dominated by Russia, becoming part of it as Uzbekistan is; and I do not know what else is going to happen next; Iran will be a fragmented Iran: on the one hand it will be partitioned into four parts and on the other, one part of it will be under British, Russian or American hegemony; Iran will crumble into pieces.” In other words, he claims that Iran is now whole only because of the blessing of his presence! If he is not there, Iran will disintegrate, with each chunk falling prey to a different power! Now, if each part of Iran is seized by a 313 Qajar dynasty. 314 Pahlavi dynasty.

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certain power, will it be to the interest of those powers or not? It is definitely to their advantage. Now let us see if the country will disintegrate with him in power or with him off the scene. He says that once he bows out, the country will crumble. Such an event is then to the interest of those powers. So how come these powers are all supporting him?! He says that if he is not in power, the Russians will devour Azerbaijan. It is, of course, the great wish of the Russians to annex our Azerbaijan. The British too would love to take possession of parts of our territory, and presumably, other parts would be taken over by others such as America, which would love such a thing! Now, if his removal from power serves their interests and will cause Iran’s disintegration, how come they all stress that he should stay in power? Why does Carter, time and again, voice his support for him and say plainly that they (the US) need the presence of this man (in the region), he should stay in power because this serves their interests, while according to him (the Shah) his disappearance from the scene gives them access to parts of our land, which is, in reality, to their greater interest! Are you (the Shah) saying that the foreign powers do not understand and only you understand the situation?! [laughter from the audience] Are you saying that Carter and these Americans and the British do not realize what will happen if you are removed from power, while this will be to their advantage, and this is why they are supporting you?! This absurd statement is unverifiable. It is quite evident that the country is in a state of disintegration with you in power! We do not have an independent country now. Our armed forces are run by one power; its educational system by another and the Parliament, too, is controlled by another power. What do we really have? A country is a country if it has a valid Parliament. But we do not have a true Parliament. He, himself, has admitted in his own writings and speeches that foreign powers would send lists containing the names of would-be Parliament deputies to his father during his reign. The Shah does not really know what he is saying! At times, he praises his father and at times, he admits that until a few years ago “foreign powers would send us lists with names of deputies of their choice for the governments to determine the Parliament members there from.” He admits to the same thing being practiced for quite a while during his father’s time as well as during his own. But now he is saying that it is not the case anymore. Anyway, this is the situation of our country; they provide the list of deputies to be elected by the people for the Parliament. Not even the king has a say in this. The foreign embassies dictate to him as to who should become deputies, so it means we do not have a Parliament, then the Constitution and its implementation make no sense at all!... There is no Parliament to legislate on the Constitution. We have no Constitution to act upon. It was drafted and then shelved. Our educational system too, as you know, is one imposed by foreigners. The same is true of our armed forces. And the state of our economy is the worst; all its sectors are under foreign control. Now our country is a disintegrated country, one that is supervised and controlled by foreigners who are plundering all its resources. Moreover, they are corrupting our youths, causing their energies to be dissipated and obstructing them from advancing in their studies. Even some of our students, in particular, a group of students who went abroad to study atomic energy, one or two groups of them came to me the other day telling me that hurdles were being put in their way, barring them from advancing. They said they were being intentionally kept below their true academic level. The authorities do not allow them to study in our own universities either. They do this to our youths to stunt their intellectual growth, to keep it at a certain level so that they cannot become potential threats to those in power in the country. Therefore, the removal of the Shah from power will eliminate the danger of disintegration and lead to the establishment of true independence in the

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country. Islamic government is the entire nation’s vote He (the Shah) says that our plan for an Islamic government is a plan to disintegrate the country. The people’s call for the establishment of an Islamic government, according to the Shah, will lead to a disintegrated government! But the people’s ubiquitous and unanimous call for an Islamic government is, in itself, tantamount to integration. This means that the people are united in this demand. Disintegration and dispersion is when one group wants something and another wants something else. One of the things he says is that with his removal from power, Kurdistan would become detached (from Iran)! According to this line of reasoning then Baluchistan, Lorestan, and other provinces too would become detached from Iran, each one opting for an independent and an autonomous government. Right now the whole country is in a state of turmoil. But the fact that all the people are crying for an Islamic government means that they do not want the country to be disintegrated. It means that Kurdistan and other provinces wish to have an Islamic government. Everywhere, cries for the establishment of an Islamic government are echoing. Go now to Kurdistan, you will hear cries for an Islamic government; go to Baluchistan, people are crying out for an Islamic government; go to Khurasan and it is the same; everywhere you go, it is the same talk of an Islamic government- the same thing is being said everywhere- people are crying out for an Islamic government. Now, with the entire nation demanding an Islamic government, will the country be disintegrated?! Can anyone ever call this disintegration? This is nothing but a propaganda ploy of the regime. I now feel exhausted to go on explaining about the rest of the Shah’s ‘remarks’. May God support you all and rectify the affairs of Muslims and those of Iran, God willing.

66th Speech Date: November 17, 1978/Aban 26, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 16, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Monarchy is rejected and invalid Audience: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION Out of those two fundaments we and the Iranian nation propose three principles: the first one; the Pahlavi dynasty is not legitimate. Hence, it should be ousted. The second one; the very monarchy with its regime is not rightful, and should be eradicated. Let us now turn our attention to this article (on monarchy) in the Constitution. Muhammad Reza Shah315 based his reasoning on this constitutional principle that “the 315 Reza Khan, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran, likewise known as Reza Shah, and the father of Muhammad Reza, staged a coup in Iran in 1299 SH [1920] based on a plan devised by the British. In the year 1925, he was crowned. Before staging a coup, he was the commander of a unit of “Cossacks” in the city of Qazvin. In 1941, when Iran was occupied by the Allied Forces, Reza Shah abdicated, as

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monarchy is a divine gift granted to the king by the nation.” Well, a nation comprises the population presently inhabiting this land, being the native of this country, and united in their beliefs and several other directions. The population in Iran forms the nation at present. What about those who no longer exist nowadays? Are they to be regarded as the Iranian nation? “Were” they the nation or “are” they the nation? It is beyond doubt that, say, five hundred years from now, Iran will have a population; can they be considered Iran’s present nation? Those who are yet to be born, can they be from Iranian nation of today? In the same way, can we say that the Iranian ulama and the people’s political parties of today are the ulama and parties that will come into existence five hundred years from now? For instance, if it is to be desired that an issue must be decided by Iranian ulama or physicians; who are they? Whether those who are yet to come into existence are the ulama of Iran? Or, those who are not existent now should be named as Iran’s physicians or ulama? As it has no bearing on the persons yet to come, similarly this law too cannot be applied to the claim that the nation of Iran would come into being later, bestows the kingship. Every nation is regarded a nation of the time wherein it actually exists. Those who are now existing, such as the physicians of Iran who are now living, are the present physicians of Iran; their ulama now are the ulama of present Iran; their engineers today are the present engineers of Iran; their tribes, say, of Kurdistan, are the present tribes of Iran. But those who will be born five hundred years from now cannot be regarded as the ulama, engineers, physicians and nation of present-day Iran. Likewise, those who existed five hundred years ago and are now out of existence constituted the Iranian ulama of that time and not of any other time; their engineers “were” and not “are” the engineers of Iran. The regime now resorts to the Constitution which holds that “the monarchy is a divine gift granted to the king by the nation.” Well, according to this criterion, the nation that exists now should confer the monarchy upon a certain individual. Let us assume that the people who lived five hundred years ago had knowledge of the unseen, and based upon that knowledge, they knew that Muhammad Reza Khan would emerge in Iran in such and such a year and that the kingship should be granted to him who would come into existence five hundred years later. But they are not the Iranian nation of today. They made up the Iranian nation of their own time when they were living. So, at present, it is the present Iranian nation that should bestow the kingship on him. The present Iranian nation is made up of the people who exist now. If, and only if, this Iranian nation, according to the constitutional law to which the Shah refers, votes him as king, then he can be the king. But the present Iranian nation has not given him its vote. Who, from among the nation, has voted him to be the king? Now, we do not want to base our argument on the fact that the people have already withdrawn their vote because they are now saying “no” to his rule. Before delving into this issue we say that you (the Shah) yourself are saying that the Constitution says that “the monarchy is a divine gift granted to the king by the nation.” Those who confer this position on the person of the king should constitute the nation at the time. Those who, for instance, voted for the kingship of the great, great grandfather of a king, made up the Iranian

was ordered by the Allied leaders, in favor of his son, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi whom the Allied leaders deemed an appropriate person to rule over Iran. The political atmosphere, resulting from these changes, paved the way for a five-year-long liberalization. These charades were being organized based on the plans by the British government and executed by their agents. The British also ordered Reza Shah into exile on Mauritius Island, south of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Reza Shah finally died in 1944 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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nation as far as the king of that time was concerned. Well, according to the Constitution, they gave their vote to that person and he became king. But they gave their vote to that man who existed in their own time and not to the present king who did not exist at that time that is of course assuming that they did indeed give their vote to the king of their time. However, those voters do not comprise the present nation of Iran. They are all decomposed (in their graves) and so have their votes; their story is now a closed book.

NEITHER DO THEY EXIST NOW, NOR DO THEIR VOTES. Can anyone claim that the decision of the people who lived five hundred years ago still holds at the present time? Well, those people have no vote now. They have all passed away and may God bless their souls! So, on the basis of the constitutional law, the nation has not voted for him to be the king, because we all know that there has been no consensus among the people to give their votes to him. We assume that those who lived during Reza Shah’s time did give their votes to him. But except for, maybe four, five, ten or maybe a hundred old men, no one has survived since then. They are not the Iranian nation which is made up of those who exist at present.

OPINION OF THE IRANIAN NATION So the bygone generations are not the present Iranian nation, that is, those who have passed away- our forefathers- are not the Iranian nation. The present Iranian nation is made up of us who exist now. You can survey the whole Iranian territory to find who gave his vote to him within the framework of this constitutional article that regards the kingship as a divine gift to be granted to the person of the king by the nation. This law does not apply to him.

ILLEGITIMACY OF THE REGIME Another issue arises here and that is the fact that this law as the article contends that the kingship is a divine gift that the nation grants to the person of the king. Assuming it is true, although it is not, that fifty years ago, the nation intended to grant the kingship to the present Shah’s father who was a real living person. Those who gave their vote to him later extended the votes to include “his dynasty.” But “his dynasty” is only an attribute, not a person. A “person” has to be real. The term “scholar” is an attribute, not a person. This man present here is an actual person. The law holds that the kingship is a divine blessing to be granted to the “person” of the king by the nation. We take it for granted that it did not really matter that the nation of Reza Shah’s time is not the nation of today. We assume that it is the same nation. However, the law says that the kingship should be granted to a person, a real being of such and such height and weight with such and such characteristics by the name of, say, Muhammad Reza Khan who possesses such “magnanimous morals” that drive him to massacre all the people! [Laughter from the audience] But Reza Shah was an external (not a subjective) being- a being with two ears and a head is an external being. Let us assume, too, regarding Reza Shah’s rule which was absolutely, definitely and positively false and wrong from its very inception, that the people gave, God forbid, this divine gift of kingship to him. [Laughter from the audience] However, the nation did not give their vote to him (Muhammad Reza). Later, they included the “Pahlavi dynasty and his progeny.” “His Progeny” is a general name, not a real “person”. This utterly contradicts the

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law which holds that the kingship should be given to his person because in fact it has not been bestowed on his person. All these are based on the assumptions, although false, that when Reza Khan launched his coup d’état, occupied Tehran and committed all those atrocities and sordid acts, the Iranian people should have voted for Reza Shah! In fact the people of Iran had no knowledge of the whole affair and indeed they were inherently against Reza Khan. But the bayonet had been brought into play. Just as today the military government rules by the force of the bayonets, at that time, too, Reza Khan’s forces marched in with their bayonets and set up the Parliament. They brought in a band as deputies without the knowledge and consent of the nation. Everything was done at bayonet point. It was by the force of the bayonets that they established the Parliament, coerced it to depose the Qajar dynasty and install Reza Shah. Every single thing was done at bayonet point. There has never been a time that the nation ever implemented this particular article of law. In other words, if we take a look at history, from the time that (as the regime says) Iran had its first monarch up until the present time, that is from 2,500 years ago, or shall we say a hundred thousand years ago, from the time that kings emerged in this world, they were no more than a bunch of thieves who invaded and occupied a land by force and set up their rule. Had the people voted them to power? Had these kings ever cared for the people? Before the constitutional movement, not even this view or law (that the kingship should be bestowed by the nation) was existent. So, anybody could invade and occupy any place! At first the thief was merely a thief, but later, after he conquered a land, he became “His Imperial Majesty”! [Laughter from the audience] This law article has never been enforced since the constitutional movement. From the beginning of this movement, that is, since the time of Muzaffaruddin Shah, up till now, your time, the few kings who came to power- with Muzaffaruddin Shah being succeeded by Muhammad-Ali Mirza who was then replaced by Ahmad Shah who was then toppled by Reza Shah and eventually, this man (the Shah), ascended the throne- this law, which holds that the kingship is a divine gift the nation grants to the person of the king, has never been implemented. Muhammad Reza Shah must produce a single witness to state that a village- if he can produce a village (of voters), let alone a whole nation- had given its vote to him. Leave the people to their own volition; do not force them to vote at bayonet point. They (the regime) should let the people be free and set aside their bayonets; and like an ordinary citizen, he (the Shah) should come forth and ask the people who they will vote for. If a single village casts its vote in his favor, then we will confirm that he is the “King of kings”! But this will never happen. Neither have people voted him to power nor has this law article ever been implemented, not in the past, or during his monarchy. Even if we forego all its other flaws, this article has not been acted upon or implemented, like many other constitutional law articles which have been ignored from the very beginning.

ILLEGITIMACY OF ALL THE AFFAIRS DURING THE SHAH’S RULE Well, based on the illegitimacy of this man’s monarchy, he is, first and foremost, a usurper. One whose rule is illegal and imposed on us is a usurper according to the Constitution. He should be prosecuted and made to answer as to why he has kept the reins of power; why he claims to be the king; why he held a coronation ceremony and why he treated the people iron-handedly; why he levied and collected taxes; why he got the monarch’s salary; there are so many ‘whys’ and he does not have any answer to give. And more importantly, according to the Constitution, all contracts which have been made since the constitutional movement until the present time are void and illegal. The Constitution holds that the Parliament should be set up based upon

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popular vote, and it is only when the incumbent king who has sworn to serve and be faithful to the people, etc., decrees that elections be held freely and honestly within the framework of the Constitution and its subsequent amendments, then the vote of the people acquires legal merit regardless of whatever the election outcome might be. None of the contracts entered into since the constitutional movement, whether under Muzaffaruddin Shah and Ahmad Shah, or under these two from the Pahlavi dynasty, are legal, for the simple fact that neither the kings nor the Parliament have been legal according to the Constitution. As I have just mentioned, the king has no legal standing because the people never voted him to the throne. The Shah himself should succumb to this reality. But he and his clique claim that the nation and every child that has been born have come into existence with a love for monarchy! If you ask them even now that people are shouting “Death to the Shah,” they will still say that the people are king-lovers! The people’s cries are signs of their “love” for the Shah! [Laughter from the audience] Therefore, his kingship is “legal” indeed!

THE ILLEGITIMATE PARLIAMENT Let us now talk about the Parliament. As we know, the Parliament has not been set up as a result of popular vote. It is one of those crystal-clear facts that popular vote was never sought during the reigns of Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah. Everybody knows this. Just think about the present Parliament. Those of you who are aware of such matters, can you believe that the people in Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, or Kerman ever gathered to elect their representatives to the Parliament? Or, was it the case that, as the Shah himself admitted some time ago, the list containing the names of the Parliament deputies would come from these foreign embassies dictating who should become a deputy. Of what import are the people that they should decide? What is the government to decide on such matters? Who is the king to make any decisions? Our fate is decided by the American, the British and the Soviet embassies. And this is what has been going on so far. The list containing the names of Parliament deputies was determined by them. They included in this list only the names of their cronies, or, in other words, their lackeys whom the foreign embassies had determined, so that they would ratify in the Parliament whatever bill will secure their own interests. So, as far as we remember, under these two dictators there has never been a legitimate Parliament, nor has there been a national one based upon popular votes. Perhaps there were, say, four deputies whom the nation popularly elected to the Parliament, but the rest were not elected in the proper manner. Four deputies, say, from Tehran, were somehow popularly elected. Electoral formalities were accorded due regard and the people elected four people to the Parliament such as the late Mudarris316 whom the people voted for, but a 316 Sayyid Hasan Mudarris (1859- 1938) was one of the greatest religious and political figures in the recent history of Iran. He received his elementary education in Isfahan and then traveled to the cities of the holy shrines (the cities of Iraq where some of the Imams are buried: Najaf, Karbala and Kazimayn, and to a certain extent some others) where he received further education from such scholars as Mulla Muhammad Kazim Khorasani and, after graduation to the level of ijtihad, he returned to Isfahan and began teaching Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] and principles [usul]. In 1909, at the time of the Second National Assembly, he entered the Parliament having been chosen by the maraji’ at-taqlid and the ulama of Najaf as one of the five mujtahids who were to oversee the law-making procedures. At the time of the Third National Assembly, he was chosen as a Member of Parliament. When Reza Khan carried out his coup d’état, Mudarris was arrested and sent into exile, but after being freed he was again chosen by the people and again entered Parliament. In the Fourth National Assembly, he headed the opposition majority against Reza Khan. At the time of the Fifth and Sixth National Assemblies, he opposed the proposal for the establishment of a republic, which Reza Khan was in favor of, to replace the constitutional government, and he dissuaded the Parliament from approving it. He was resolute in his stand against the stubborn Reza Khan, such that the Shah hired an assassin to kill

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Parliament is legitimate only when all its members are elected according to legal procedures so that one can say it has been formed upon the (people’s) vote. The majority of the Parliament deputies who voted for a contract, (setting up) a company or an issue were not legitimate, although a few of those deputies were nationalist elements and were elected by the nation. No one can ever claim that during the reign of Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah, the Parliament was a National Assembly formed through the votes of the people. No one can ever say that the people elected those deputies. Yes, Mudarris and very few individuals like him entered the Parliament by popular vote, but one, two or three rightfully elected deputies cannot sufficiently legitimize a system. All of these deputies should be national deputies, that is, the nation should have voted them to the Parliament in order for the legislative body to acquire legitimacy. If this had been legally done, then when the majority of the deputies voted on something, that vote would have been valid and legitimate; but it was not like this.

ILLEGITIMATE CONTRACTS All the contracts signed during the constitutional years, or under Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah, were approved against the Constitution and contrary to the will of the nation. This nation is opposed to all those contracts. Not even one of them is legitimate. As such, all these contracts, with whomever they have been concluded, even if some are useful to the nation, are yet illegal. Yes, if an Islamic national government is formed, all these contracts will be re-examined and if one or two are found to be beneficial to the nation, if they exist, then such contracts will be signed again and approved. That is, these contracts that have been null and void in the past will now be legal ones. In other words, if such a government, which is legitimately set up, accepts a contract as legal, then that contract becomes legally binding. But this cannot be retroactive or vice-versa because they were all illegal. So, if those who are backing Muhammad Reza Khan, these governments which are propping him up, persist in their support for him, all their contracts with Iran, even if they are to the national interest, will be cancelled. They should reconsider their stance regarding these matters.317

Mudarris and when he escaped the attempt, he sent him first into exile in the remote town of Khaf near the Afghan border, and later in Kashmar, where eleven years later in Ramazan 1938 AH, the agents of the Shah poisoned him. In this way, one of the greatest political and religious personalities of Iran was martyred in the way of Allah. Mudarris possessed outstanding qualities, and even though he was a man of great political and religious influence, he lived very simply. Imam Khomeini always spoke of him with a great deal of respect. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on the occasion of the renovation of Mudarris’ grave, wrote: “At a time when pens were broken, voices silenced and throats gripped, he never ceased from revealing the truth and abolishing falsehood this feeble scholar, weak in body but strong in a spirit joyful from belief, sincerity and truth and possessing a tongue like the sword of Haydar Karrar (Imam ‘Ali) stood in front of them and shouted out the truth and disclosed the crimes, making life difficult for Reza Khan and blackening his days. Finally, he sacrificed his own pure life in the way of dear Islam and the noble nation, and was martyred in exile at the hands of the oppressive Shah’s executioner and joined his virtuous forefathers.” 317 Imam Khomeini’s threats arising from possible policy changes in the future Islamic government regarding contracts and their possible nullification in cases of continued foreign governments’ support of the Shah aroused the concern of companies and governments holding huge business investments in Iran and were given massive foreign media coverage. This put pressure upon European governments continuously supporting the Shah and as a result, the British House of Lords demanded the suspension of arms deals with Iran (the BBC’s Persian broadcast). Some European papers reflected Imam Khomeini’s stances and warnings as cumbersome blows to the Shah’s supporters.

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THE CRITERIA OF TODAY’S WORLD The Iranian nation will not give in to their current threats. There is a possibility that they will unleash their lackeys on the people and beat them up as they are doing so in the cities at the moment, or hire kolis (to carry this out) or disguise military men as hooligans to attack and beat up the people318. Or, it may be assumed that the Soviet and American governments will deploy their troops (to help the regime). But this is just empty talk! These ploys will not work because of the criteria current in the world. Today’s world is totally different from that of yesterday. It is not the case anymore that one does as one pleases, at will, and one uses one’s force to impose one’s will on others. Everything has to be done according to a certain criterion. Now, a whole nation has risen up and says it wants to be independent. This means the Iranian nation does not want the US to meddle in its affairs and this applies to the USSR as well as Great Britain. We want our country to be totally ours.

THREATENING TO CANCEL THE FOREIGN CONTRACTS Now we declare here that if these governments persist in their policy of supporting Muhammad Reza Khan, once the desired government is set up, the Iranian nation will ordain to nullify all their contracts with Iran even if they are favorable to the nation. If the US does not change its stance, no more contracts will be signed with it. From today, the US officials must define and rectify their stance. Each of these foreign governments and presidents had better correct their stances toward Iran. That is, they must stop supporting this man who, with his family, has persecuted the people in the last fifty years, and who has, on numerous occasions over these recent years, especially this last year and also on Khordad 15 (1342 SH) (June 5, 1963), massacred so many people.319 He is the archenemy of the nation and the people are his enemies. If these foreign governments continue backing him and persist in their support of him, the Iranian nation will cancel all the contracts signed with them, and will never enter into any other deals with them. There will be no oil or anything else for them [Laughter from the audience] ! We will not give them even a drop of venom [Laughter from the audience] ! However, if they desist from backing him, behave themselves like decent human beings and clearly define their stance toward Iran, we will sell them the oil, as we cannot guzzle it down! But we will take the money from them to ameliorate the nation’s conditions. We will not sell the oil to buy their arms that will be used to safeguard their own interests in Iran. 318 As the Revolution reached its climax, Frank Giles, a correspondent for the Times newspaper, met in America with Ardashir Zahedi, the Iranian ambassador to the US at the time. During the interview, Zahedi sought Giles’ opinion on the tactics used by the ruling body in Iran to stop the Revolution. Giles told him that were the military to stop shooting the people so indiscriminately, perhaps the situation would get better. Zahedi said that he would pass his opinions on to the Shah. On October 29, 1978/Aban7, 1357 SH - the same day that Zahedi was supposed to inform the Shah of Giles’ opinions- the regime suddenly switched tactics and brought groups of hired thugs onto the scene in place of armed military personnel! October 30 [Aban 8] was the day that these thugs attacked people in different cities, including Tehran, Yazd and Sanandaj, and the day that the ‘Salarjaf’ hirelings attacked the inhabitants of Paveh. These thugs, who were a number of destitute, ignorant and refractory people, became tools in the hands of the regime and they were used in the worst possible way. 319 On June 3, 1963, Imam Khomeini delivered a historic speech in Qum, repeating former denunciations of the Shah’s regime and warning the Shah not to behave in such a way that the people would rejoice when he should ultimately be forced to leave the country. Two days later, he was arrested at his residence and taken to confinement in Tehran. His arrest prompted a major uprising in many Iranian cities, which resulted in the deaths of not less than 15, 000 people in the span of a few days when the Shah’s troops opened fire on unarmed demonstrators. The date on which this uprising began was 5th June or 15th Khordad according to the solar calendar used in Iran and became known as the uprising or movement of 15th Khordad.

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Just a few days ago, Mr. Carter spoke about Iran. Among the things he said was that Iran has purchased 18billion worth of arms from them and a strong country has been established which serves their interests and staves off the communist threat and that of the Muslim leftists. He also said that Iran was their gendarme in the Persian Gulf and that this was very important to them. Well, it is on account of these very statements that the Iranian nation says: “We don’t want this man who has purchased 18 billion worth of arms and is siphoning our oil to you in order to be your gendarme and guard.” It is for this very reason that the Iranian nation is sacrificing its youth and giving up its wealth and everything it has to eliminate this man who has betrayed the nation so willfully. Carter regards this 18- billion-dollar arms purchase an issue to laud him for, because he has made the country strong enough to face American foes- the communists and Muslim leftists- and to safeguard their interests in the Persian Gulf, and so on and so forth.

PEOPLE’S POVERTY AND DEPRIVATION, THE SHAH’S LEGACY It is for these same reasons that the voice of the Iranian people has risen, saying: “We do not want to be dependent upon others. We do not want our country’s wealth be given to you (the US). We want this wealth to be spent for the betterment of the poor and helpless people; those who have no fresh water to drink and nothing to eat.” There are areas in Iran which do not have anything. Do not believe in their attempt at depicting Iran as a prosperous country. It has been customary that when the Shah accompanied by a certain head of a foreign country intended to pass a certain place, they (government officials) would force the people to line up on the streets and made them put on their best suits which they had to procure by hook or by crook, so that the visiting dignitary would think the citizenry nation-wide consisted of well-dressed people. The miserable people were starving but they had to line up on the streets, or sometimes the nonnatives, in new or borrowed suits were hauled in to shout “Long live the Shah!” so that the visiting foreign head of state would think that Iran was a prosperous land. Do not be deceived by the few (modernized) streets in Tehran. Go and see for yourself how the situation is in Khuzestan and localities around it where water and land are being wasted and people are starving. Go and see those areas where, according to a recent issue of the daily Ittila’at, or Kayhan, people use urine to wash the trachoma-infected eyes of their children so they can open their eyes. Do not be deceived by Tehran’s few posh streets that have been factitiously decorated to show off its prosperity to foreigners. All parts of the country should be seen. Go to the remote areas. Right here in Tehran, go to the shanty towns and see how people are living. The Iranian nation has raised its voice in protest at these bitter realities that the regime has brought about. On the one hand, there is the regime’s propaganda machinery: each time one turns on the radio you hear nothing but cries, praising “His Imperial Majesty, the Aryamehr”. You probably could not find any station which did not report constantly on the activities of “His Imperial Majesty” or this or that “Exalted Highness”.320 While the people are kept abject, helpless, all of them hungry and miserable, a particular group has acquired wealth for themselves either because they are from the Shah’s clique or because they are in liaison with him, or, are rich themselves.

320 Wala Hazrat or “Exalted Highness,” was a title given to Reza Khan’s and Muhammad Reza Shah’s children (Ghulam-Reza, ‘Abd ar-Reza, Ahmad-Reza, Mahmoud-Reza, Hamid-Reza, Ashraf, Shams, Fatimah, Reza, Ali-Reza and Farahnaz.)

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PEOPLE ARE AWAKE In any case, people no longer heed the regime’s propaganda. Nothing changes whether you (the Shah) impose martial law or set up a military government. The situation remains the same even if you change its name and call it a “government”. Iran has for a while now been under martial law. Some cities are officially under martial law, while others unofficially. The military is involved in everything; is everywhere. Can you (the Shah) ever manage to survive without the force of the bayonets behind you? Spare the bayonets for a single day and you will be destroyed. You cannot survive for a minute without coercion. Assuming that the US plans to set up another government in Iran, take the Shah away and stage a military coup, nothing will change, it will be the same situation, the same massacres, the same crimes, the same discipline. And neither will the people change; they will not give up their struggle. The people want to be free from the Shah’s shackles. They (foreign powers) should think. They should leave Iran alone and mind their own business. They should let Iran be free. May God grant all of you success and may you all succeed in your undertakings, God willing.

67th Speech Date: November 18, 1978/Aban 27, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 17, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Material and spiritual destructions of the Shah for Iran; the mission of message-conveyance of the Iranians abroad Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

BRAIN DRAIN May God protect you all. I hope that these skilled people who are the most important resource a country has and whose skills are now mostly being utilized abroad at Iran’s expense will return to serve their own country. This is another loss in addition to the material and spiritual losses, which our nation has had to sustain because of the Shah. The environment in Iran has been made such that the Iranians themselves, those people who are useful to the country, cannot remain in Iran. Unfortunately, many of the physicians, doctors, engineers and others who could be of service to Iran, who could administer the country’s affairs, spend their time abroad because of the problems which exist in Iran and which have been brought about by the Shah. Only today, two physicians who had come to see me from America told me that there were about twenty thousand Iranian physicians and their families living in America. They said that they had been there so long that their children had been brought up there and (many) did not understand the Persian language. These people constitute a force and they should be in Iran using their abilities for the benefit of Iran. However, because of the repression which exists in Iran and because the people have had enough of the situation in

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Iran, many skilled individuals have left the country. And now much of our skilled workforce is being wasted in foreign countries. These skilled people should be serving their own country. I hope that this movement which has started in Iran and all the citizens of Iran who have risen and who seek freedom and independence will, God willing, be successful and these skilled Iranians who make up a huge force abroad will return to serve their own country.

IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY NATION’S IDEALS I hope that you young people who are abroad now will unite with the people back home and inform those in the countries where you reside of the situation in Iran. There is much propaganda being put about by the Shah and his family. They present the situation in Iran in a bad cloak and misrepresent the people’s demands. Perhaps many foreigners are of the opinion that the Iranians are complaining now because they have been given such extensive freedoms, as indeed Carter would have them believe, and perhaps many of them think that the Iranians are sedition-mongers and barbarians! Whereas in fact they are only after freedom, which every human being desires, and independence, which everybody wants. They want to cut short the arms of the foreigners that are stretched out against their land. They want the economy of their country to be in their own hands. They want to administer their educational system independently. They don’t want their army to be administered by others. They don’t want American advisers to come to Iran and take possession of the army; they want to get rid of the American bases in their country. They want a free and independent country. The call of the people of Iran is that they want a government of Islamic justice to do away with all the corruption.

THE MISSION OF IRANIANS ABROAD TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE I hope that you young people abroad will get the message of the Iranian people across to your American, Italian, British, and French friends and make them understand that it is these things that the Iranian nation wants and the people are not shouting out because they have been given too much freedom! No, this is not the case. They are shouting out because of the repression, which exists in Iran. Even now as this man goes on about how he has granted freedom and so on, the newspapers are suppressed, the radio station is in the hands of the military, the country is in a state of emergency, and the military and the bayonet prevail throughout Iran. There is no peace in Iran now. Every day there are killings and every day there are arrests. Even now, as I was informed by telephone from Iran, demonstrations are taking place in Mashhad for the murders which were committed yesterday and about which I have little information at present. May God grant you all success. I pray to God that you all return to your homeland, to a safe, independent and free homeland. May God assist you. [the audience replies with “God willing” and a salawat].

68th Speech Date: November 18, 1978/Aban 27, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 17, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France

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Subject: The ultimate aim: the formation of a government of Islamic justice Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

TO ACT UPON DIVINE DUTY IS A GREAT VICTORY In this affair in which you and I are involved, there are three basic principles: the deposition of Muhammad Reza Khan and the abolition of the Pahlavi dynasty; the destruction of the monarchical regime; and the establishment of a government of Islamic justice, that is an Islamic republic. In everything man does, there are two kinds of action the fruitfulness of which he must take into consideration: Will it produce good results or not? Will he reach the aim he has set himself, or not? If he is sure that he will reach his aim, he carries on the work, otherwise he ceases his action. And the other he performs because it is his God-given duty to do so. This action may be fruitful and then again, it may not. Achieving a result does not come into it; man performs this act because it is his duty to do so.

CAMPAIGNS OF THE SHIA IMAMS Amir (Imam Ali)321, upon whom be peace, rose up against Mu’awiyah to remove him from his position and put a just person in his place to govern over Syria, for Mu’awiyah was a sinful man who stole the wealth of the people. Rising up to stop Mu’awiyah’s tyranny, to show the people that he was a tyrant and that individuals like him should be driven away, was his religious duty. So he rose up against him, but he did not succeed in removing him from his position. The Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Husayn) rose up against Yazid, perhaps knowing fully well that he would not succeed in deposing him, and indeed, as is reported, this was the case. So even though he knew that he would not succeed and that his own death may result from his action, still he and his followers rose up, for their uprising was one against an oppressor. They killed and were killed and in the end the Doyen of the Martyrs lost his own life. 321 Amir: Imam Ali (as), the leader of the Muslim world was born in 600 AD to his mother by the name of Fat3mah and a father by the name of Abi Talib (Prophet’s uncle), and from the age of 6 he grew up in the Prophet’s house. He was the first man to accept Islam and promised to aid the Prophet (s). In the early days of his mission when, at God’s command, the Prophet was inviting his kith and kin to Islam, at a gathering, he announced to them: “He among you, who accepts my Faith will succeed me.” He repeated this declaration three times and each time, only Ali (as) declared his faithfulness. On the eve of the hijrah or migration, notwithstanding the plot of the Quraysh against the Prophet’s life, Ali (as) slept in the Prophet’s bed and thus proved his fidelity to him. The Prophet selected him as his brother and when returning from the last hajj pilgrimage, at a place called Ghadir, introduced Ali (as) as the master and guardian [wal3] of the Muslims, after himself. Ali was the companion of the Prophet during his loneliness and his aid in his struggles and in time of dangers. After the Prophet’s spiritual ascension, for about 25 years, Ali (as) kept aloof from government administration and leadership. During this period he was the observer and overseer who prevented deviations and defections. After the murder of the 3rd Caliph, the Muslims swore allegiance to Ali (as) and elected him as the caliph. The Imam’s period of administration lasted for 4 years and 9 months. Ali obliterated the changes that had been made after the Prophet (s) and restored things to their earlier conditions. Opposition elements, whose personal interests were threatened, rose pretending to take revenge for the 3rd Caliph’s death. Bloody civil wars followed that lasted throughout the reign of Ali (as). Finally, the unique man of history was martyred at the altar in Kufah, Iraq, after injured by a fatal blow on his while leading Fajr prayers in Kufah mosque. Several books have been written on the glorious life of Imam Ali. For further information on the Imamate of Ali ibn Abi Talib, see Yousuf N. Lalljee, ‘Ali the Magnificent (Qum: Ansariyan Publications, 1987); Muhammad Jawad Chirri, The Brother of the Prophet Mohammad (Imam ‘Ali), (Qum: Ansariyan Publications); George Jordaq, The Voice of Human Justice, trans. M. Fazal Haq (Qum: Ansariyan Publications, 1990). All these books and several others can found full text at: https://www.al-islam.org/

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Now, today, we have a similar situation in Iran with the Iranian government and the Shah; however, Mu’awiyah was a congregational prayer leader and a leader of the Friday prayers. He was not a person who refrained from performing his namaz (the ritual prayer) or from fasting. No, he did his namaz, he fasted, and he led the congregation in prayer. He used to go to the mosque and the Muslims would stand behind him and do their namaz. He would lead the Friday prayer and outwardly perform his religious duties. So Hazrat Amir did not rise up against him because he did not do his namaz or because he was an unbeliever, no, for this was not the case, he was not an unbeliever; he was a Muslim who outwardly espoused Islam. He rose up against him because he was a brigand, he was an oppressor who stole the wealth of the people and who committed acts of oppression and murder in whatever way he could, and because he had usurped his position. Mu’awiyah’s government was unjust; he himself contravened the divine rules and usurped his position and then governed in an oppressive manner. This is why Hazrat Amir rose up against him, and even though he did not achieve his aim, still he had performed his duty, a duty which was to actively oppose and do battle with such a person. A similar situation exists in Iran today, in that the ruler there usurped his position and just as Mu’awiyah’s rule was tyrannical, so too is this man’s. As I have said many times before, even if we consider ourselves to be bound to the Constitution, then on this basis too his rule is illegal for it violates the Constitution. Constitutional law states that dominion is a divine gift that the people entrust to the one they want as ruler, and we know that the people did not entrust dominion to him or to his father before him. So as his rule has not been entrusted to him by the people, he has therefore, according to the Constitution, usurped this position, and consequently, in the eyes of the law, he is a bandit.

UNLAWFUL REIGN According to constitutional law, this man is a bandit like any other who captures a place and seizes control of it illegally. According to religious rules also, these Pahlavis are in no way worthy of legitimate rule. He who is entitled to rule over the Muslims has to meet certain conditions which these people do not satisfy at all. Therefore, in accordance with both the constitutional law and religious rules, this dynasty, that is, this man, his father before him and his children after him- if they succeed to the throne- has usurped this position and is not entitled to rule. So he can make pilgrimages as many as he likes, he can ask for forgiveness and publish copies of the Qur’an to his heart’s content, he can play as many of these tricks as he wishes, it won’t make any difference. He has still usurped his position and no matter how much a usurper asks for forgiveness, as long as he remains in this position, it is one which he has taken illegally322.

THE DUTY TO STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENTS When oppressive leaders such as Mu’awiyah and others like him, usurped their positions, it was the duty of the Muslims to depose them and hand over the reins of government to the person in whose hands they should have been held, and who, on the basis of the divine law, had the right to rule. Today too, this is a

322 In order to present himself in a pious light, the Shah occasionally made pilgrimages to Mecca and the shrines of the Imams (as) and held discussions with religious figures. In addition, he organized religious mourning ceremonies in the name of the Court; arranged for the formation of a Religious Corps; increased the number of religious programs aired on radio and television; and saw to the repair of holy shrines. Ordering the publication of the Aryamehr Qur’an was another act in his deceitful show of piety.

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bounden duty for the Muslims, it is obligatory. We are Muslims and it is incumbent upon us to strive to remove the Shah from this position, even if we are unsure of success; we don’t have to be certain of success. However, it is more than probable that this movement, which has been embarked upon by the Muslim people who all shout out together that they don’t want this man, will be successful, and, God willing, he will be toppled [the audience replies with “God willing”]. Amir fought a bloody battle with the forces of Mu’awiyah for eighteen months in which men from both sides were killed, men who were Muslims- for the followers of Mu’awiyah were also Muslims, albeit sinful ones, while those of Hazrat Amir were justice-seeking Muslims- yet he did not succeed in removing Mu’awiyah from his position. Suppose that in our case too, the Shah proves to be mightier and that just as Hazrat Amir was unable to remove Mu’awiyah, we too are not able to topple the Shah this time, the thought of a number of us being killed or killing a number of the enemy in an attempt to achieve this does not strike fear into our hearts for we are acting upon our duty. God the Blessed and Exalted has charged us with a duty to actively oppose and do battle with people like him, with oppressors and those who weaken the foundations of Islam and destroy the interests of the Muslims, and if at some time we are able, we will take up arms, we will throw guns over our shoulders and fight them, whenever it is necessary. We are not afraid of sacrificing ten or twenty lives. In Hazrat Amir’s eighteen-month battle, more than ten thousand or even twenty thousand people were killed. It was the same at the time of the Prophet. When the Prophet wanted to depose a leader, when he wanted to depose those Quraysh infidels, he had to face them in battle. In some of these battles he triumphed, while in others he was defeated. Men were lost in these battles, great men like the Prophet’s uncle. In the battle of Siffin323, Ammar Yasir, that great man, was killed. Many were killed. At this time too, it is of no consequence to us if we have to sacrifice lives.

TRANSFORMATION OF MASSES, GREATEST GAIN OF THE MOVEMENT Some people complain: “You have given lives, for what? This is our duty, but what has been achieved?” First of all much has been achieved. The situation in the country was such that when a policeman entered the bazaar and told the people to close their shops, they did so. When the police entered the bazaar in Tehran, the largest bazaar in Iran, and told the people to close up shop and bring out the flags for today was the fourth of Aban (October 26: the Shah’s birthday), they didn’t disobey, it never even entered their heads to disobey a command from a policeman. A four-star or even a three-star officer could enter the bazaar and commit any malfeasances he liked; no one would say a word to him. This holy, Islamic movement has 323 Battle of Siffin: This battle was fought in the year 37 AH between Imam Ali (as) and the Governor of Syria (ash-Sham), Mu’awiyah, for the so-called avenging for the killing of Caliph ‘Uthman. But in reality it was nothing more than Mu’awiyah who had been the Autonomous Governor of Syria from Caliph ‘Umar’s days not wanting to lose that position by swearing allegiance to Imam Ali (as) but wanting to keep his authority intact by exploiting the killing of Caliph ‘Uthman, for later events proved that after securing the government he did not take any practical step to avenge ‘Uthman’s blood, and never spoke, not even through omission, about the killers of ‘Uthman. Mu’awiyah at the head of an army decided to wage a war against Imam Ali and when they reached an area close to the Euphrates River, called Siffin, he confronted Imam Ali’s troops. The two parties fought each other in 90 battles. When Mu’awiyah found out he could not defeat Imam Ali, he resorted to a trick contrived by ‘Amr ibn al-Aas and told his men to hang copies of the Qur’an on their swords and at the same time called for the end of the confrontation through arbitration. The trick was successful and Imam Ali finally yielded to arbitration. The Battle of Siffin lasted for 110 days in early seventh century AD. For a brief account of the battle, see Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 123, “To exhort his followers to fight”, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-1-sermons/sermon-123-whoever-among-you-feelsspiritedness-heart.

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changed all that, and now even small children shout out in the streets: “Death to the Pahlavi monarchy!” This is the change which has come over the people, such that today the people disregard the police; they pay no heed to officers or to martial law. Previously, when the country was put under martial law, the people would continue to go about their daily lives and would never dream of opposing or fighting it. Today, however, martial law is in effect and according to one of its regulations, gatherings of more than two people are not allowed, yet seventy thousand, one hundred thousand, five hundred thousand people take to the streets and begin shouting against the Shah! This is indeed a great change which has been brought upon the nation, it is not something insignificant.

RETREATING STEP BY STEP We see that in some areas the Shah and his regime are now retreating from their previous stance step by step- indeed, they have to be taken to death’s door to be made content with a temperature. Was the Rastakhiz Party324 a matter of little importance that they relinquished it as easily as they did? You all saw to what extent they eulogized it and how this wretch himself (the Shah) went on and on about it with his idle talk: “Everyone has to be a member! Whoever is not must leave the country for he is not an Iranian,” and other such nonsense. But then, because of the people’s movement, because these bare hands prevailed over the guns and tanks of the regime, the Rastakhiz Party was suddenly dissolved! They announced that it was an insubstantial thing and the government itself did not accept it! [the audience laughs]. It became something that even the government did not accept, even though its members came from this party! They changed the calendar and then they had to change it back again325. A man who was not prepared to concede anything to this nation now comes forward and addresses all classes offering his apologies and saying he has erred, he has made mistakes which he will not repeat in the future. You all saw what this man was like fifteen or twenty years ago, and the same can be said of him during the period of stagnation- from Khordad 15 to the present- he took no account of anyone. He was responsible for everything that happened. Now when he talks about making “mistakes”, he is lying! Everything he did, he did so consciously, knowingly and intentionally, as the servant of the foreigners; mistakes did not come into it. All these “mistakes”, all these

324 The Shah had ordered for various parties to be formed such as the Mardom Party, the Milliyyin Party and the Iran Novin Party. In 1974 [1353 SH] however, he announced that the Rastakhiz Party was to be regarded as the country’s only legitimate party and he made membership of it obligatory. He demanded that anyone who was opposed to this party should leave Iran! The Rastakhiz Party was established on the basis of three principles: allegiance to the constitutional law; allegiance to the monarchical regime; and allegiance to the Shah-People Revolution. Hoveyda, the Prime Minister of the day, was elected as Secretary General of the Rastakhiz Party and ‘Rastakhiz’ became the focal attraction for those who sought power or influence. No sooner had this party been established than Imam declared its illegality according to religious law. He thus issued a religious decree forbidding anyone to become a member of this party and he argued that to demand compulsory membership was a violation of the Constitution. On the party’s first birthday following its establishment, the regime announced that this party enjoyed a membership of twenty-three million people; the total population of Iran at that time was thirtythree million people! The Shah forbade the party’s members to discuss or hold meetings about oil, the White Revolution, the procurement of arms and equipment, and the country’s foreign policy. Six months after its establishment, high-officials of the American embassy in Iran reported to Washington that this party played no practical role in the politics of Iran. 325 After the tragedy at the Rex Cinema in Abadan [August 19, 1979/Mordad 28, 1357 SH, in the early days of September [Shahrivar] the government of Jamshid Amuzegar was dissolved and a new cabinet led by Sharif Imami brought in Shahrivar 5, 1357 SH [August 27, 1978]. During the first few days of his premiership, Sharif Imami announced that the imperial calendar which the Shah had decreed on March 31, 1976/Farvardin 11, 1356 SH would be changed back to the hijrah calendar.

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“blunders” Were carried out intentionally and if you give him a respite now, he will carry out more of these “mistakes”.

OUR GOALS Anyway, these are the concessions made by degrees until now, but we should not let it stop here and say we are satisfied with these. No, we seek to achieve the final aim which means that we should continue with these initial steps until this man goes, until the Pahlavi dynasty and the imperial regime are done away with, until the hands of America, Britain and Russia are severed from our land and our country is ours to administer ourselves, and until an Islamic government is established, God willing. [the audience replies with “God willing”]. This is what we are seeking, and we will continue to endeavor to achieve this with all the strength at our command. If we are successful, then praise be to God, we will have been able to be of some service to this nation. If, however, we do not succeed, then still we will have carried out our duty and we will not have to make up excuses before God for not having done so; for truly we tried, and were unsuccessful, and we will not have lost face before God. Thus, we must go through these stages which comprise this man’s going, this dynasty being abolished and the hands of foreigners being severed from our land, to reach the ultimate goal which is the establishment of a government of Islamic justice based on Islamic ordinances. This is our ultimate aim. All the rest form a part of this aim, and of course it goes without saying that when we declare that we want an Islamic government it means that we don’t want this dynasty or the present regime, and the hands of the foreigners must be severed from this land, for under an Islamic government no unbeliever has the right to occupy an Islamic land. So even though these three aims are intrinsically present in the ultimate aim, I have elaborated on them here and presented them as forming a part of our hopes and aspirations.

ABIDING BY GOD’S DECREE, A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT To get back to the main point that I am trying to make which is that if we do not succeed in our aims, we should not question the value of our efforts or ask what has been gained by the spilling of blood. For indeed much has been achieved. First, they (the Shah and his regime) have had to relinquish their obstinate stance a little and secondly we have carried out our duty. Such questions were likely to have been put to Hazrat Amir by the Kharijites326: “What has been accomplished? You have done battle for eighteen months, for what? What have you achieved?”

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF “FOR WHAT” HERE? IT WAS OUR DUTY. We perform our namaz, and someone may ask us what we have achieved after twenty or thirty years or so of doing namaz. In reply we can say that by praying we have obeyed God and ask them what they mean by “for what?” We have obeyed God, this is what He told us to do and we did it. The question “for what?” applies to something which is not a religious duty but a personal matter, something which is done with an aim in mind and when that aim is not achieved then one can ask: “What was it all for?” But when one is trying to prevent an oppressive system from demolishing the foundations of Islam and the clerical 326 Kharijites: from the Arabic word, khawarij meaning seceders or dissenters. After the Battle of Siffin, a group of Muslims who had fought with Imam Ali in the battle split off from his army and using the slogan “No command except God’s” sought to kill him. This group became known as the Kharijites [Khawarij].

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establishment, when that system is destroying a nation and has placed the interests of the people and the Muslims in danger, indeed has already destroyed them, then it is the duty of the Muslims to rise up and make this Shah eat his words, to throw him out of the country, or, if they are able, they should arrest him and put him on trial and get back the money that he has taken from the people. In the event of him not having it or having squandered it, he must be punished for each oppressive act that he has perpetrated. This is something which is incumbent upon us as Muslims. If we are able to do this then praise be to God, we will have carried out our duty and achieved our aim; if we cannot do this, still we will have performed our duty; in the same way as we did our namaz. So then what is the meaning of “what for?” We did our namaz, we opposed and fought against oppression, we did battle with a person who wanted to ruin a country and who has in fact ruined the country, who has trampled over the interests of the Muslims and has given their resources away to infidels, we shed blood and spilled blood, we did all of this and we fulfilled our duty. If we achieve our aim, then praise be to God, if not then at least we can say we did our duty. We are not afraid to do our duty and God willing we will achieve our aim. [the audience replies with God willing].

PROPAGANDISTIC SUPPORT I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to keep you in good health. Nearly every day I repeat the same thing, and that is that we are all duty bound, all of us, not just one or two of us, to assist the people who have embarked on this movement in Iran at present. They are sacrificing their youth. One old lady lost a few of her sons, still she stood firm and said she was prepared to sacrifice everything she had. We have to help this movement. Even though you are over here you can help by telling the people you are in contact with, your friends and acquaintances, the truth about the situation in Iran and thus counter the propaganda disseminated by the Shah, his regime and the reporters who are in the Shah’s pay, which portrays the Iranian people as anarchists and barbarians and so on. You must tell the people over here who do not know any better the truth about this movement in Iran. You can hold demonstrations, and you must do so. Whenever you are in a gathering of Europeans or Americans, a few of you stand up and tell them they are mistaken in their views on what is happening in Iran. Tell them what the Iranian people are saying. Tell them the Iranian people are not barbarians, they are a progressive people who are saying, “We want freedom; we don’t want America to steal our wealth.” Put it to them that if someone says America should not take their wealth, does it mean that they are barbaric and have broken the rules? Have these people contravened the rules by saying they want freedom and independence? This is something everyone can accept; whomever you tell will accept that the Iranians are a people who have risen for their independence and their freedom, a people who do not want other countries to hold sway over them. Up until now the Shah and his regime have betrayed the nation and now the nation wants to get rid of these traitors and place the country in the hands of trustworthy individuals, people who at least will not fill up their pockets as is being done now!

THE DESIRED GOVERNMENT Of course, we could never find a ruler like Hazrat Amir, one who would live a life as he did. We don’t expect to ever find one like him. On the last evening of his life, the following morning of which he was to die a martyr from his wound, this man who reigned over such a vast realm- it is impudent of me to say he “reigned,” rather he was appointed to administer this realm- was staying in the house of one of his daughters. History relates that when his daughter brought him salt and milk to have, he turned to her and asked her

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when she had ever seen him take two accompaniments with his bread. When his daughter came forward to take the salt away he stopped her and told her to take the milk instead, that he would eat the salt. Naturally, we cannot find such a ruler, but we can find one who is not a thief, one who will not steal the wealth of the people in this way, one who will not plunder the country and give its resources away to others. We seek a ruler, who will not spend the people’s wealth on himself and his family, who will not give the bigger part of it to America, Russia and other countries in order to preserve his throne.

THE DESIRED RULERS Such treason he and his regime have committed! We are not even aware of most of it. Later you will come to discover the extent of their perfidious acts, but now none of us is fully aware of them. However, there are those who do know, they have recorded them and hold their records in safekeeping. Later, God willing, people will see just what this man and his regime has done, just what treachery they have committed against Islam, the Muslims, the Islamic countries and Iran. God willing, these things will eventually come to light. We want this treacherous ruler to go. We cannot find a ruler like Hazrat Amir, but at least we can find one who is loyal, one who will not squander the wealth of the nation so, who will not give the oil away to the Americans and in return build bases for them here on the pretext that we want the arms! With these arms they have made bases for the Americans in Iran; in return for the oil they build bases for them. We don’t want this set-up. We can find a ruler who will meet these requirements. There are many honorable individuals to be found both within Iran and among the Iranians here in Europe who would fit the bill. God willing, we will select them for government and these problems will be solved.

69th Speech Date: November 19, 1978/Aban 28, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 18, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The Islamic government of Hazrat Amir (as) as the model of all governments Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

AN ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT MODEL The festival of Eid al-Ghadir is one which commemorates the day when the Most Noble Messenger, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him and his descendants, determined the duties and the form of Islamic government for all time. He demonstrated that a governor in Islam should be an individual who is righteous and highly qualified in every way. Of course, the Most Noble Messenger knew that no one except Hazrat Amir, upon whom be peace, could satisfy these qualifications, but he determined that the governor for all times should strive to emulate Hazrat Amir’s example.

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Amir himself, in his instructions to Malik Ashtar327, laid down the program of Islamic government and determined the duties of those whom he appointed as governors328. According to the stipulations of the Most Noble Messenger concerning the caliphate and based on the program laid down by Hazrat Amir for government, which embraces the attributes those who govern should possess, all those governments which have come to power after Imam Ali, apart from the few days that Imam Hasan, upon whom be peace, ruled, up until the present, whether those which were educated in the correct behavior of rule and to a certain extent adhered to the example of the Prophet- if indeed any can be found- or those which did not at all, all of them have not been fit to rule.

THE IMAM’S UPRISING AGAINST MU’AWIYAH, A PARADIGM FOR CAMPAIGN AGAINST DESPOTIC RULERS Amir, upon whom be peace, himself rose up against Mu’awiyah, even though Mu’awiyah too was an adherent of Islam, performed Islamic acts and possibly even held Islamic beliefs, then there again maybe he didn’t. In any case, Hazrat Amir did not pay any heed to the words of those who thought they were giving him sound advice when they told him to leave Mu’awiyah in power in Syria for the time being until the foundations of his own rule had been strengthened, then depose him. Hazrat Amir’s argument for not listening to their advice was that he could not tolerate someone who was acting against the divine laws and establishing oppression throughout the land to remain as governor for even a moment.329 Had he allowed Mu’awiyah to remain in his seat, he would have set a precedent for a corrupt individual to be appointed

327 Malik Ashtar was from Nakha tribe of Yemen and he was one of the loyal companions and commander of army of Imam Ali (as). He was appointed governor of Egypt by Imam Ali (as). When Mu'awiyah learned this, he plotted to assassinate him using poison imported from Rome and sent a delegate with the poison to al-Qilzim on the borders of Egypt. On the way to Egypt, Malik Ashtar decided to stop at alQilzim. Upon his arrival, the man who agreed to poison Malik invited him and served poisoned honey and within moments Malik Ashtar was martyred. Muawiyah is said to have rejoiced upon hearing of Malik Ashtar's death. Imam Ali (as) has praised him highly in Nahj alBalaghah. For details on the life of Malik Ashtar, visit: https://www.al-islam.org/malik-al-ashtar-kamal-al-sayyid/malik-al-ashtar 328 The letter of Imam Ali (as) to Malik Ashtar is the name given to the famous instructions Imam Ali wrote to Malik ibn al-Harith al-Nakhai surnamed al-Ashtar (the man with inverted eyelashes) because of a wound he received in battle when he appointed him governor of Egypt and its provinces in the year 659 AD (38 AH). It is the longest set of instructions in Imam Ali’s Nahj al-Balaghah and is one of the earliest and best expositions of Islam’s explicit and implicit instructions concerning government and its role in society. Among all his letters, it embraces the largest number of good qualities. The instructions were written before Malik left to take up his post in Egypt, a post he never did assume as he was poisoned on the journey to Egypt. The most important points to be found in these instructions are: (1) The need to refer to the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the example of the Immaculate Imam himself in all political and social affairs; (2) The establishment of social justice and the creation of prosperity through the adoption of a correct method of tax collection and distribution of wealth and resources; (3) Looking into the affairs of the employees and the criteria governing their selection; (4) Adopting correct methods in carrying out affairs and paying attention to the manner of relations between the administration, the governors and the inspectors, and their attributes; The determination of the position of the traders and classes of the people and stating how to deal with them. A complete translation of these instructions can be found in Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, A Shi’ite Anthology, pp. 68- 82 available at: https://www.al-islam.org/shiite-anthology-sayyid-muhammad-husayn-tabatabai; Nahj al-Balaghah [Peak of Eloquence], Letter 53, “An order to Malik al-Ashtar,” available at: https://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-2-letters-and-sayings/letter-53-order-malik-alashtar. 329 Mu’awiyah refused to comply with the order for his dismissal. Mughayrah ibn Shu’bah and Abdullah ibn Abbas (Imam ‘Ali’s cousin) did not agree with the removal of Mu’awiyah and recommended that a moderate approach should be adopted in their dealings with him and they should be condescending for a period of two years until Mu’awiyah himself secured the pledge of allegiance from the people of Syria for Imam Ali. Only then, he proposed, should action be taken against him. But Imam Ali was not prepared to allow Mu’awiyah to remain in control of the lives and wealth of the Muslims for even a short period of time.

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governor by the one who holds authority (wali-ye amr). Hazrat Amir refused to do this, even though it may have been to his advantage to wait until his rule was stronger, when he could have possibly deposed Mu’awiyah; but this he didn’t do, he did not allow himself to permit Mu’awiyah to govern even for a day. His action is proof that, if we are able, we should dispose of oppressive governments. However, if, God forbid, we cannot do this, then to give our approval to such governments, even for a day or an hour, is to approve of oppression, tyranny and the plunder of the wealth of the people. No Muslim has the right to give his approval to an oppressive government, not even for an hour. We are all duty bound to wage war against these governments which contravene divine ordinances and secular law, and which even contravene their own laws. Everyone should oppose them and wage war against them to whatever extent they can; no excuse is acceptable today.

RISING AGAINST SHAH A RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM Today, the vigilance of the Iranian people and their awareness of the problems have led them to rise up. The cities, villages and hamlets in Iran all resound with one call which is that they don’t want this oppressive government, they want an Islamic government, they want to be free, they want to be independent and they want their government to be an Islamic government. This is the response that the people have given to the command of the Prophet of God, may the peace of God be upon him and his descendants [the audience says a salawat]. The attributes which are found in the government that the Prophet established are attributes necessary for valid government. We should take our example from the nature of the government of Hazrat Amir, upon whom be peace. Of course, we cannot observe the manner of his government in all its aspects, for in addition to those attributes which it possessed inherently, there were some exemplary deeds which derived from the nature of that great man. The principal thing is that government must be just and not oppressive in any way. Under an Islamic government, if someone kills another, he is arrested and punished by the law of retribution; and if anyone even slaps the murderer, then the latter has the right to seek retribution for the slap he was given, because it was something in excess of his (prescribed) punishment. To imprison someone wrongly for a day contravenes the Islamic system of government. Sometimes circumstances demand that a person be imprisoned, but it is not as if under an Islamic government anyone who is arrested can first be made subject to beatings for a while, then tortured during internment, as people so often are under some governments in power today; or when after a period the authorities carry out investigations and realize that they have made a mistake, they cannot simply turn around and say: “We made a mistake,” and that is an end to the matter!

THE IRREPARABLE BETRAYALS OF THE SHAH This wretch (the Shah) has ruled the people for twenty-odd years and in that time he has persecuted them. He has robbed them of their peace of mind and deprived them of their freedom; he has deprived the press of its freedom; he has kept the educational system in a state of backwardness; he has given the Muslims’ resources away to the unbelievers, to foreigners; and he and his friends have plundered the wealth of the Muslims. Now he turns to the people, to the great maraji’ and the most learned ulama and says: “I apologize,

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I made a mistake! Come, make peace and cooperate with me!”330 He extends his hands to others too. But this has no meaning, it is wrong. Even asking God the Blessed and Exalted, who is the most compassionate and merciful, for forgiveness carries with it certain conditions. If someone who has tyrannized the people, taken their wealth, oppressed, persecuted and imprisoned them- the very things that this man has done all along and is still doing- now comes forward saying: “God, I repent,” Does that mean an end to the matter?! The hell you have repented! You have truly shown repentance when you have made up for all the deeds you have done up until now. Only after you have done this, will it mean something when you say you have repented. Is everything he has done of no consequence? He sent respected people to prison for sometimes ten years or more, thousands of people were tortured in his prisons, their feet were sawn off, they were burnt, they were subjected to all kinds of disgraceful acts331, and now when he says: “I have repented,” should we reply: “Very well, all is forgotten! He has repented and his repentance has been accepted”?! How can it be accepted? He has to make up for his actions to really repent and for God to accept his repentance. We cannot assume that he is being truthful in what he says and that he does not want to trick the people, for the evidence points to the contrary.

SHAH’S DECEITFULNESS IN EXPRESSING REPENTANCE At the very same time that he made his address saying he was sorry and that he had made mistakes which would not be repeated in the future, he installed a military government, and the persecution and killing of the people continued! The day before yesterday there were killings in Mashhad, but I do not know how many people were killed in this incident. Killing is however something quite normal in Iran nowadays. It is now normal for the (various) governments to kill the people and wipe out our youth. So then as soon as someone addresses the nation saying that he has repented, should someone else say that it is enough he has repented? That everything should end now?! No, the Shah is doing this to fool the people and strengthen his position. If he succeeds in doing this, then the situation will be worse than before, a hundred times worse, because now he knows his enemies and once his enemies are known and his position is strengthened, his actions will be more severe.

THE PROGRAM OF ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT Islam has determined the nature of government and has prescribed the program for government. It is not the case that Islam does not have a program for government. This is just the nonsense that has been uttered. The attributes of the ruler have been made clear and laid down in Islam, and the program for government

330 In a speech delivered on November 6, 1978/Aban 15, 1357 SH, the Shah said: “I herein request the grand Ayatullahs and the most learned ulama, who are the spiritual and religious leaders of the society and are the guardians of Islam, in particular of the Shia faith, to strive to save the only Shia country in the world through their counsel and calls for calm and order.” 331 In 1957 [1335 SH], the Shah ordered the establishment of a National Information and Security Organization (SAVAK) and in 1971 [1350 SH] on his orders a joint committee of SAVAK and the Town and City Police was organized. Agents of this organization arrested opponents of the regime and took them away to political prisons. In these penitentiaries, prisoners were subjected to various forms of physical and psychological torture which included: abuse; whipping and beating; long periods of interrogation; sleep deprivation; the extraction of nails and teeth; tying the prisoner to a metal table heated to a white heat or an iron frame like a bed-frame covered with wire mesh which was electrically heated like a toaster; the breaking of limbs; electric shocks; beating the soles of the prisoner’s feet with an electric cable; hanging prisoners from the roof and broadcasting the screams of torture victims by means of tape recorders. Another of SAVAK’s heinous methods of torture was placing the legs of prisoners in boiling oil. For more information on SAVAK’s activities and its abuse of human rights, refer to Fred Halliday’s Iran, Dictatorship and Development, pp. 78- 90.

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has been determined by Hazrat Amir: the kind of government an Islamic government should be; how justice should be administered; what qualities its judges should possess; and how the various branches of government should function, have all been made quite clear.

A STATE LACKING FREEDOM LACKS CIVILIZATION So when this gentleman (the Shah), or his friends, say that if he is not around a vacuum will be created, this is just sheer nonsense. The vacuum exists at present. His existence has caused the vacuum since everything has been emptied of reality. We have no realities, everything is superficial, just talk, vain talk. All his words are empty. Everyone knows that there is nothing in all that bluster about how we have arrived at the “gates of civilization” and are ready to go through them. Civilization is not in sight. The first step toward civilization is the freedom of the nation. A country which has no freedom has no civilization. A country which has no independence and is dependent on others, this being because of his actions, cannot be said to be a civilized country. A civilized country is one which is free, one whose press is free and whose people are free to express their ideas and opinions. No one (in Iran) is free! He kept going on about how we had reached the gates of civilization, etc. Every day he would go on about this and rant on about this party business saying that there should be a popular party and what have you, but afterwards it became clear that all of this talk was literally just that, words which had no meaning. Everything we have now is hollow, empty, nothing more than a sham. It is now that a vacuum exists. If this man were to go, then there would be no vacuum, for there are just, educated people who can be found both here abroad- for they cannot return to their country- and within Iran itself- those who have retired from public life- who can fill this vacuum as soon as he has gone. Islam’s program is clearly laid down, the qualities of a ruler and the kind of person he should be having been determined. We are telling the people that a ruler who meets the specifications laid down in Islam and who is their choice should be appointed. The parliamentary representatives likewise should be chosen by the people. It is the people who should decide on everything. There will be no vacuum if he goes, indeed once he leaves the country all the vacuums will disappear. This talk of a vacuum appearing is just that, talk and nothing more, this is just a myth they have created. I hope that God will show us mercy in these days and grant us success in this struggle. May He grant victory to the Muslims in their struggle, strengthen Islam and bring about the establishment of an Islamic government so that the world will see what the attributes of a government are; what the meaning of government is; how a ruler behaves; and how he treats his subjects, so that these are made clear. The kind of people the government employees should be; the kind of people the judges should be; the kind of people the teachers should be, all of these things have been stipulated. If, God willing, an Islamic government is established, all of the country’s affairs will, please God, be carried out according to the will of the nation [the audience says “God willing”].

70th Speech Date: November 19, 1978/Aban 28, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 18, 1398 AH

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Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The Iranian nation’s uprising is divine and its victory is a certainty Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

UPRISING FOR ALLAH “Say: I do admonish you to do one thing to rise up for God, it may be in pairs or it may be singly.”332 The admonisher here is God and the conveyer of this admonition is the Most Noble Messenger. In this verse, God the Blessed and Exalted says: “I do admonish you to do one thing;” this one thing must be of great importance for God to speak of it in this way. The admonition is: “... to rise up for God, it may be in pairs or it may be singly.” In order to rise up for God, to rise up to establish justice, it is not necessary to first form a group then rise up, this duty can be carried out by man individually: “... it may be in pairs or it may be singly.” This duty to rise up for God can be performed either individually or in pairs, which is the least number of people in a group. A group is first formed by two people and then the number of people in that group can increase to any number above that. The cardinal rule is that man determines that the uprising is for God. If the uprising is for God, then there is no need to be afraid of being alone, or of being small in number. If the uprising is for God then there is no loss involved, no detriment. Uprisings for worldly aims have two aspects: one is loss and the other gain. When man trades or partakes in other business enterprises, one aspect of this is loss and the other is gain. Sometimes he sustains a loss in his business dealings and sometimes he makes a profit. When man’s motives are spurred purely by material gain and God does not play a part in his actions, then whatever he does he will never truly gain from it. Sometimes he does make a gain, but this is only a material gain, and sometimes he suffers a material loss. However, if man does something for God, if he rises up for God, then he will never suffer a loss. One may think that fighting with the unbelievers, killing and being killed, constitutes a loss. But this is not the case, and those killed (in this way) are alive with God. The rewards which are to be gained from these actions have nothing to do with this world. That which is done for God is always to one’s advantage, it is always protected against loss.

PROPHETS CONFRONTING THE TAGHUTS ALONE Throughout history, many men have confronted forces without help from anyone else. Hazrat Abraham (as) rose up alone and destroyed the idols. When he was told that this was what he had to do, he rose up alone and confronted the idol-worshippers and the devil of that time.333 He was not afraid of being alone, for his uprising was for God and because of this he knew he would gain whatever happened. If he won he would

332 Qur’an, 34: 46 333 Nimrod (d. 1638 BC). He is a despotic king of Mesopotamia mentioned in the Qur’an who casted Abraham into a blazing fire. Mentioned in Surah al-Anbiya’ 21: 68- 70. “They said, ‘Burn him, and help your gods, if you are to do anything!’. We said, ‘O fire! Be cool and safe for Abraham!’. They plotted to harm him, but We made them the biggest losers.”

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gain and if he lost he would still gain. He had the best of both worlds, for he would either succeed in his worldly aims, or, if he did not achieve this, he would most certainly attain the good things of the afterlife. Moses was a shepherd. He was the shepherd of Hazrat Shu’ayb334. He was commissioned to rise up (against Pharaoh) and for a time he carried out this mission alone. Then he asked God, the Blessed and Exalted, to allow his brother to join him. So then, there was a pair. Moses initiated his uprising alone but then his brother joined him and thus one became two. What kind of system did they rise up against? It was a Pharaonic system the remarkable remnants of which can still be seen in Egypt today. Moses confronted this system alone, being joined later by another: his brother. As for the Bani Israel (the Children of Israel) they did not do anything but create trouble, just as today they do nothing but create trouble. When the Most Noble Messenger, may the peace of God be upon him and his descendants, first rose up, he did so alone. Alone he rose up and invited his people to the One True God and to Tawhid (belief in the divine unity); nobody supported him. His wife Hazrat Khadijah335 was one, who believed in him, but she was in the home, and the other who had faith in him, Hazrat Amir, was a child at that time. Over a period of thirteen years in Mecca he could not perform his mission, for the people of Mecca were powerful and wealthy and they perceived that were acceptance of him to grow, this would conflict with their interests. Because of this, they opposed him; they opposed him out of fear that were this to develop further it would be inimical to their interests. The idols were a tool for them to use, it wasn’t a case of the idol-worshippers really believing in these idols. Their principal concern was their material possessions and the fact is that they perceived the Most Noble Messenger to be a threat to these and felt that their material wealth was in danger of being lost. It can be said that as long as he was in Mecca, the Most Noble Messenger was practically alone. He had only a small number of followers and their activities were limited to propagating Islam-which had to be done in an “underground manner” so to speak- until the time was ripe and they went to Medina. It was here that they began their work in earnest and stood up to the great powers.

THE FRUIT OF FAITH IN GOD’S POWER When anything is done for God, fear of other powers does not come into it, for no power is like that of God. Those who have no faith in God, the Blessed and Exalted, should fear the power of others. The Muslims, the believers who have a firm belief in an original power, should not be afraid of other powers. The Most Noble Messenger believed in the absolute power of God, the Blessed and Exalted, and rose up even though his followers were few in number and were indigent people; they were a poor, powerless people but they had the power of faith and, one by one, they defeated the moguls of that time and invited everyone to Tawhid. They promoted Tawhid in society and within a short space of time these Muslims, who took part in important battles with nothing but one camel, perhaps ten horses and ten swords among them, were able to defeat the armies of two empires- one the Roman Empire and the other the Persian empire, both of which

334 Shu’ayb: Arabian prophet sent to warn the people of Madyan to worship the One True God and against sharp business practices; they reject his message and are punished accordingly in an earthquake. Shu’ayb has sometimes been mistakenly identified with Jethro. Shu’ayb was the father of Moses’ wife. 335 For detailed biography of Hazrat Khadijah (sa), visit: Khadijatul Kubra - A Short story of her life by Sayyid Ali Asghar Razwy available at: https://www.al-islam.org/khadijatul-kubra-short-story-her-life-sayyid-ali-asghar-razwy

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predominated over the world at that time- and take Islam to Rome and Europe because they had the power of faith. The main thing is the spirit of faith which should prevail in man. These powers which we confront today are trying to frighten us because they are superpowers. It is true that Russia, America and Britain enjoy great power, but the power of a nation which is speaking the truth, which has risen for God, and which wants its country to be a true Islamic country, not one whose outward appearance is Islamic but whose essence is otherwise, is stronger. This uprising upon which the nation of Iran has now embarked is against all these superpowers, and you can be sure that these superpowers cannot do anything, for God, the Blessed and Exalted, has set them against each other, and if one wants to make a move, the other will threaten it. Russia has recently warned America that if it interferes in the affairs of Iran, it will react in some way336 But they cannot do anything. Again, it has been said that the Russian leaders have said that the Iranian people should determine their own destiny themselves. Of course they are just saying this, but this is indeed true and every nation should determine its own destiny.

IRANIAN NATION’S UPRISING, A DIVINE ONE If a nation rises up for God, as the Iranian nation has now done, I believe, and indeed it is so, that it could not have been brought about by man’s propaganda or by words spoken by somebody like me. We might be able to move a small theological center or create a small wave in society, but this uprising is different. It is God who has created this uprising. Throughout the whole of Iran tribes that previously had nothing to do with such matters are now involved. And it is not only them; the bazaar in Tehran, the country’s main bazaar, previously did not concern itself with such affairs, and the same applies to the other bazaars in the country. For the past few years, the people at the universities and the political factions have never even spoken of such matters; they had nothing to do with such affairs. The clerical groups too had their hands tied and their mouths gagged, and they did not dare speak out. Those groups that might have achieved something have been suppressed during these fifty years of black rule. During the time of Reza Shah, the clerical establishment was delivered such a blow that the people themselves stood against the clergymen. The latter were not allowed to ride in a taxicab for the drivers did not want people from this social group in their cars. Once I was riding in a cab when the petrol or water finished, a shaykh337 was traveling with me and the driver said that his car had stopped because the shaykh was sitting in it! His car had certainly stopped, but only because the water or petrol, I can’t remember which, had finished [the audience laughs]. However, the propaganda spread at the time of Reza Khan by himself and his agents, or more appropriately by his executioners, was such that a taxi driver in those days would attribute his car’s running out of petrol and stopping to the presence of a shaykh in his car! He would blame

336 In the final days of the Shah’s rule, Pravda wrote that Moscow would regard any foreign military interference in Iran as a threat to the interests of its security. This was the Soviet Union’s strongest warning to America since the Revolution began. Pravda also wrote: “The crisis in Iran does not just arise from the people’s opposition to the monarchy, rather in reality it is an uprising against American imperialism. The Russian leaders have stressed that they oppose any kind of foreign interference in Iran.” It is important to remember that the Russian leaders continued to support the Shah’s regime as long as they were unsure of the victory of the Revolution in Iran. 337 Shaykh: old man, chief, title of respect for Islamic religious leader, tribal head, master of a Sufi order.

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it on the presence of someone from that group of people who, as you are witnessing at present, are very active in Iran and who have at times managed to render ineffective the actions of the government. People from other walks of life also adopted a similar attitude toward the clergy. Throughout Iran, religious assemblies could not be openly held, and if any were organized, they had to be held in a clandestine manner in the middle of the night; all kinds of religious propaganda from whichever quarter was stopped. The politicians had all retired into a corner and did nothing; indeed, they were unable to do anything. No one raised a voice in protest. Yes, the clergy rose up a number of times but each time they were defeated. The clergy of Azerbaijan rose up and suffered defeat, subsequently being arrested and apparently sent to Sunqur338. The clergy of Isfahan also rose up and once again the uprising was defeated and the clergy dispersed.339 Uprisings did take place, but they were uprisings which could not bear fruit. The people at that time were not awake; they did not face their problems properly.

VICTORY OF GOD’S ARMY What I want to make clear is that at this time neither the political factions can say that they have brought this about, that they have mobilized the whole of Iran, nor can the clerical factions. It is the army of God that has brought this about. This has come about because of God’s command. Therefore there is hope. This is not man’s doing, so one cannot say that it has no support. God has commanded this. Only a few years ago this nation was such that if the regime wanted to close the bazaar it was enough to send just one policeman to do so, but now it has risen up to confront all the powers. The people have clenched their fists and stand against the powers shouting: “No, we don’t want this set-up.”

338 One of the freedom movements during the despotic reign of Reza Khan was that of the ulama of the Iranian province of Azerbaijan. This movement was led by Mirza Sadiq Aqa and Angaji, two of the great religious jurisprudents [fuqaha] and maraji’ of the people of Azerbaijan. In order to suppress the movement, Reza Khan sent these two theologians first to Kurdistan and then to Qum. Angaji was able to return to Tabriz after a while, but Sadiq Aqa remained in exile in Qum until the end of his life. 339 In 1927 [1306 SH], Reza Khan called for conscription to become compulsory and he gave orders that the clergy be indirectly prevented from carrying out some of their duties and from interfering in the affairs of the state. This command constituted a declaration of war against the ulama and the clergy and hence the people of Iran, especially the ulama and the people of Isfahan, protested bitterly to the government. Ayatullah Haj Aqa Nurullah Isfahani, a militant clergyman of that time, set out for Qum along with about one hundred ulama and religious combatants and a group of ordinary citizens all from the city of Isfahan. On entering Qum, he issued a letter of invitation to the entire ulama, clergymen and religious combatants of Iran, and while inviting them to Qum, he urged them to issue a warning to Reza Khan’s government and to take action so as to check those measures already taken by Reza Khan. A number of the clergy from different cities accepted this invitation, came to Qum, and arranged a gathering of over seven hundred people. These clergymen came to be known as “the migrant ulama”. Following this ‘migration,’ a general closure was announced in several cities including Shiraz and the holy city of Mashhad. Telegrams were cabled to the government from both the people and the clergy in support of the demands made by the council of ulama in Qum, and the spread of popular demonstrations and augmentation of protests made by the ulama caused Reza Shah to become alarmed. Thus, on the latter’s orders, the Prime Minister (Mukhbir as-Saltanah) and the Minister of the Royal Court (Teymurtash), accompanied by the Friday prayer leader and Zahir al-Islam set out for Qum where they met and held talks with Ayatullah Nurullah Isfahani and the city’s elected council of ulama. Eventually, a compromise was reached over the following points: the practice of compulsory conscription was to be reassessed; five ulama were to superintend legislation in the Parliament (Majlis); in each of the country’s provinces someone was to be appointed as guardian of the religious laws; pre-emptive action was to be taken against the perpetration of sinful acts; and registry offices were to conduct their affairs according to Islamic laws. However, Haj Aqa Nurullah, who had agreed to the migrant ulama returning to Isfahan on condition that the above points were legally legislated, died under mysterious circumstances on the eve of December 25 [Dey 4]. Since he had been the one who had until then conducted affairs, after his death the body of migrant ulama broke up.

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At one time, as soon as the name ‘martial law’ was mentioned people would stand around with bated breath, afraid to utter a word. They would not violate martial law; they could not even contemplate the idea of someone violating martial law. But now martial law is a meaningless thing which the people pay no heed to. Yes, it is true that the regime continues to create a fuss about it, issuing declarations one after the other, but following their announcement that gatherings of more than two people were not allowed, groups of a hundred thousand and two hundred thousand people rose up in defiance. In Isfahan, Tehran and Qum where martial law is in force, the people are violating it every day. They pay no heed to it. So then they installed a military government, but there is no difference between the two, military government is the same as martial law, both are run by the military and by these old spongers who have plundered this nation for years. They will not be able to do anything. They are good-for-nothing, all they can do is give orders to kill, but this is of no use any more, this is no longer effective! The military government cannot do anything either, it has no substance.

REPLY TO THE THREAT OF A COUP D’ÉTAT Let us suppose that after this their last-ditch effort is a military coup d’état- about which the Russian government is also speaking saying that they have such intentions and if they carry them out then Russia will take action, however we have no need for your action, we will take the necessary action- even if this were to come about, at the end of the day it would be the same military, the same old men and the same guns! It would be nothing worse than the martial law that for the past few months this nation has been living under and has defied, or the military government which is in power now and which the people can see is not capable of doing anything. So even if a military coup d’état were to be enacted, it would be nothing new, just another military regime. The people are accustomed to this now; a divine power holds dominion over Iran now.

DIVINE MAKEOVER OF THE IRANIAN NATION You must realize that this is not a human power which is involved here. Man is not able to bring about this change which has taken place in a country a few times larger than France with a population of thirty-odd million people. From the seven- and eight-year-olds who attend primary school, and even those who have not yet gone to school and who have just begun to speak, to the old men who are (normally) asleep at home unable to leave the house, all are shouting: “Death to the Pahlavi dynasty.” This is God’s voice. This is divine inspiration. This is not something that a human being can bring about. A human being cannot suddenly change a whole nation, a nation of thirty-odd million who yesterday were afraid of one policeman; when one policeman entered the bazaar and told the people to put up flags for it was a certain day in Aban, he never met with any opposition340. Today, however, even if “His Imperial Majesty “Himself were to go to the bazaar, the people would tear him limb from limb with their bare hands. He is too afraid to come out [the audience laughs]. When the Chinese leader went to Iran, the Shah did not dare take him through the

340 It refers to the fourth and ninth of Aban, the birthdays of the Shah and his son, respectively.

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streets because of the people there; they would not have been able to pass through. So he went above the people’s heads and took him to the airport by helicopter! And from there he went about his business341. Today, Iran has undergone a great transformation. All classes of people are involved in this uprising. Do not think that all the people in the armed forces want the Shah. A few people from the air and ground forces have come to see me to date bearing messages to the effect that they are ready. The problem is that America, the American advisers and Israeli military men are there342; but we are not afraid of them, we will kick these Americans out of Iran. We will kick the American advisers out of Iran along with those Israeli military personnel and those who are devouring the people’s land and destroying the resources of the Muslims. God willing we will throw them all out of Iran [the audience says God willing].

IRANIAN NATION’S UPRISING BACKED BY THE POWER OF GOD God’s hand has done this. We need not fear man’s failure, for the hand of man is not involved here. Do not think that thirty million human beings who only have a few weapons cannot stand up to such powers as China, with a population of a billion, or somewhere else, with a population of a few million or a few hundred million. Of course, our power as human beings is inadequate, but when the uprising is for God, then you need have no fear. God admonishes us to do one thing and that is to rise up for His sake. If you have risen up for God, then you need not fear any man. What is the power of the whole of mankind compared to God’s? If the whole of our solar system were lost in these other solar systems which exist, even the angel Gabriel would have to search to find it for these systems are so huge. That which has been discovered so far is amazing to our small minds. Some stars are so far away from the earth that it takes six billion years for their light to reach us! Just think about it; light which travels at such a great speed, takes six billion years to get from there to us here! The universe is so huge. The power that created this is a divine power; it is the power of God. Carter cannot silence a nation which has arisen for God and for truth. He says that he supports the Shah, well so what? Lend him your support, let the other lend its support too, they won’t be able to do anything for the power of God is involved here. One cannot trifle with the power of God. These people are a godly people, they are Muslims; they have risen up for God, for truth. Young and old alike are shouting: 341 On August 29, 1978/Shahrivar 7, 1357 SH, just when the movement was escalating, Hua Kuo-feng, the Chinese Premier, came to Iran by invitation of the Shah on a four-day visit. His stay coincided both with the dissolution of Jamshid Amuzegar’s government and the appointment of Sharif Imami’s government, and with the burning of the Rex Cinema in Abadan. The Shah boastfully sensationalized the fact that great nation states such as China still regarded him as a powerful sovereign and that they had pledged their support for him. Hua Kuo-feng however, was hopeful that by accepting the Shah’s invitation to come to Iran, he would be able to gain further important concessions from him. 342 The political relationship between Iran and Israel dates back to the post- 1953 [1332 SH] years. In 1960 [1339 SH] the government of the day in Iran gave official recognition to Israel and a friendly relationship between the Shah and Israel got under way. During these years of friendship many army officers and SAVAK agents were sent to Israel to receive training from MOSSAD (the Israeli intelligence agency) agents, and hundreds of Israeli officers and agents came to Iran to supervise the army and the Shah’s intelligence agency (SAVAK) and to assist the Shah’s agents. Toward the end of the Shah’s reign the transactions which passed between Iran and Israel had reached an annual sum of four-hundred-million dollars. The Shah had himself ordered for an arms purchase worth six-hundred-million dollars in one go alone. According to the documents which were obtained from the American ‘Espionage Den’ after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Shah’s regime had in fact, since 1958 [1337 SH], been a member of an official tripartite organization composed of the security services of Iran, Turkey and Israel which was named ‘The Triple-Headed Bayonet’. Refer to Documents from the US Espionage Den, Muslim Students Following the Line of Imam. Also refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, pp. 364, 442.

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“We want an Islamic government, we want Islam.” Such a power cannot be defeated by machine-guns and the other things they employ. Eventually they will be forced to yield and eventually this man will go, God willing [the audience says “God willing”]. It may take a little time, but for certain he is on his way out. He needs another push, God willing [the audience laughs]. May God assist you so that you may give him this final push, God willing [the audience says “God willing”].

REVEALING THE SHAH’S CRIMES, A DIVINE DUTY All of you, all of us have a duty to discharge, a duty which is God-given, and that is to assist this uprising, this movement upon which the people of Iran have at present embarked. Every day they are sacrificing lives, only today we were informed by telephone from Iran that a hundred people had been killed in one city. A hundred people killed in only one city of Iran according to the report that we received! In another city thirty people have been killed, in another sixteen people, and this happened only yesterday and the day before They are now targeting the people, they are killing the people, but be assured that, God willing, this power, these powers, will not be able to do anything in the face of the power of the people, which is the power of God. Now that our brothers welter in blood, we have a duty to help them, and the help that each one of you in Europe and other countries can give them is to propagate their cause. In other words, tell the people about the crimes that this dynasty, and in particular this man, the Shah, has committed. Tell your friends in the universities or the factories, wherever you may be, tell these European friends of yours the truth of the matter. Tell them that he (the Shah) has committed crimes and that the people who have risen up want freedom; their call is: “We want freedom, we want independence.” Tell them that these people who want freedom and independence are not barbarians, they are civilized for they want freedom and independence. The barbarians are those who have taken their independence and freedom from them, not these people who want freedom and independence. Freedom and independence are two rights to which all of mankind are claimants. They constitute one of the basic rights of human beings. He who deprives the people of these is the barbarian. He who wants this right is civilized. The nation of Iran is a civilized nation, but it is held captive by barbaric governments. Thus, it is incumbent upon us all to help the nation of Iran, each one of us to the best of our ability. You who are over here should propagate their cause in whatever way you can. You, young people, wherever you may be, in the universities, in the other places you go, enlighten the people there to the facts. They have been exposed to malicious propaganda to such an extent that they cannot believe that this nation is one which has stood up for truth, or that it is a civilized nation which is standing against barbarism. They describe the Iranians as barbaric! But in actual fact, the Iranian people are the civilized ones who have stood up to the barbarians. May God keep you all secure from danger and protect you. May God grant you success.

71st Speech Date: November 20, 1978/Aban 29, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 19, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France

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Subject: Clarifying the motives and the aims of the uprising and warning against reconciliatory plans Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

FALL OF MONARCHY DESIRED BY THE NATION AND LEADER There are a few demands that all the people of Iran are making- and as one of those people I myself am also making them- and about each one of which doubts sometimes arise. One of these demands which all the people are voicing is: “We do not want this Pahlavi dynasty.” All the people are saying this. Today, if you go to the mountainous regions of Iran or the provincial cities, the people there are all saying the same thing: “We do not want this.” Sometimes the demand is that they do not want the Shah, and sometimes they say: “We don’t want this dynasty.” This is the Iranian nation’s demand. Of course it is not the demand of those who are the servants of America or of the Shah, those who earn their daily bread from him, but they should not be counted as being a part of the nation. Those who fill the bazaars and the fields of Iran, those who run the factories of Iran comprise the nation of Iran, and their call is this: “We don’t want this dynasty.” This is one of the principles about which I have always spoken and about which there is no doubt to make someone ask: “What is the wish of the people? “Or “What is the wish of so-and-so?” There is no doubt; it goes without saying that we do not want this Pahlavi dynasty. First it was Reza Shah, now it’s the turn of Muhammad Reza Shah, and if, God forbid, this dynasty should remain in power, then later it will be the turn of Reza Pahlavi. We do not want them. No explanation is needed on this matter for there is no question about it. If someone were to say something to the contrary, then this would be against the demands of the Iranian nation; it would be against my demands as a member of the Iranian nation.

THE AMBIGUOUS SLOGANS OF LIBERALISTS If someone says that we want constitutional law, or we want free elections or a government of the people to rule over the people; then whoever may say such things is saying something which is quite different from the demands that we are making. He either does not know what he is talking about or he means that this dynasty should remain and constitutional law should be implemented. The meaning of constitutional law is that this dynasty should remain, and the meaning of free elections is that the order for the elections lies with Shah, that he must issue a decree for the elections to take place. This is contrary to that which we are saying. We are saying that we don’t want any of this. There is no question about this. Those who say that they want the constitutional law are also inevitably saying that they want this present set-up to continue. Therefore, between these two opinions there can be no compromise. No one can say that we are both making the same demand. No, these are two different demands.343

343 After Imam Khomeini’s announcement in Paris in November 1978/Aban 1357 SH] that whoever did not accept the three principles: the overthrow of the Shah, the removal of the monarchical regime and the formation of an Islamic government, would be rejected by the leadership and the people of Iran, the nationalists in their interviews, most often without making clear their position in this regard, said that their words were the same as those of Imam. This was at a time when they spoke of the establishment of a national and democratic government instead of an Islamic government and they repeatedly stressed the importance of constitutional law, free elections and a stepby-step policy. Imam Khomeini’s speeches are testament to this.

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We should learn from the people what it is that the Iranian nation is demanding, just what it is saying. As everyone has witnessed in these demonstrations that the nation has embarked upon in the various cities and which continues to hold in every city, that which the people are shouting is: “We don’t want this dynasty,” and sometimes they say that they don’t want the Shah. So there is no question about what the people want.

ANSWERING THE VAIN TALKS It is true that the Shah has created some doubts about this demand and some people are repeating what he says. From time to time some people in Iran who have connections with this regime, people who want this regime to be retained and some of whom would like to secure a position for themselves in the regime, a ministerial post or the premiership, write letters repeating what the Shah is continually saying, and some respected individuals have also voiced concern in this regard. They repeat what the Shah is saying that his going would threaten the independence of the country! That he is the one who is preserving the country’s independence! Sometimes the Shah would put it this way and sometimes he would say that if he were to go the country would be divided, that Russia would take one piece and Britain another and Iran would be reduced to the province of Iran. It would become something like Uzbekistan, a part of another country! Thus he argues that he should remain to preserve the independence of Iran and prevent it from being cut up into pieces! Sometimes he says four parts! He himself says Iran will be divided into four parts. So most probably one part would go to Russia, one to America, another to Britain and the part which is left would most likely be for Iran. Tehran would belong to Iran, but the other cities from one end of the country to the other would each become the possession of another nation. This is how they have cast doubt on the first demand that we are making, that this dynasty must go. They say okay this is so, then they ask: “But what of the country’s independence if this dynasty does go?” And they make a lot of other points about which I have repeatedly spoken. However, concerning this matter that if the Shah does not remain in Iran then the country’s independence will be lost, the people are saying something very similar, only they say that there is no independence because he is in Iran! We should evaluate just what a country’s independence is, then decide whether with him around, the country enjoys independence and were he to go it would lose that independence, or whether independence has actually already been lost because of his presence and were he to leave, the country would find it again. Which one of the Iranian government’s main institutions now enjoys independence?

A LOOK AT IRAN’S MILITARY Well, the most important one, about which he boasts so much- at times saying that its strength puts it at such and such a level when compared to all other countries and superpowers- is the army. The army is one of the country’s institutions which should be independent; it should not work for foreigners and the hands of foreigners should not be involved in its running. Independence of the army means that it is under the control of its own country and that foreigners and those outside the country do not interfere in its affairs; the army should be in no way linked to them; links to another country or being subjected to the influence of another power run counter to the idea of independence. Is then our army independent? Is it not subjected to the influence of another power? Or is our army presently being controlled by these forty-five thousand American advisers- as some put the figure- who are in Iran? Do we at present have an army that is under the command of the Iranian government? Let us suppose that the government is itself one with an

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independent will and let us appraise its army from this point of view. Is the Iranian army one that belongs solely to Iran that works solely for Iran and for this nation and one that is in the service of this nation?! The army belongs to the nation; an army is for the protection of the country and is to serve the nation just as any government in any country is there to serve the nation. So we will appraise the Iranian army to see whether it is an independent army and a national army, one that is for the nation and is to the advantage of the nation, or whether it is an army dependent on others, in the service of others and one which acts against the interests of the country and the nation.

PLUNDERING OF RESOURCES As everyone knows our oil is leaving the country, is in fact going to waste, at a rate now exceeding that which is necessary to meet the needs of the country. It is going into the pockets of America and others, and that which the Americans give us in return for this oil is weaponry! In their own words eighteen billion dollars’ worth of it! The people in Iran cannot use these weapons; they don’t even know what they are, let alone how to operate them. So, American advisers have to be there to show the Iranians how to work them. This weaponry has been brought into Iran not for the benefit of Iran, but to create bases there for America. That which America does for us in return for these bases is to take our oil! It takes our oil and in return creates these bases for itself! If in the first place America had said that it wanted to build bases for itself in Iran against the Russians, the Soviet Union would have stood up to it and told it not to make that mistake! So it is on the pretext that because the Americans take oil and the Shah wants to make his country a powerful one that he has, hitherto, received eighteen billion dollars’ worth of weaponry in exchange for the oil. This is the figure given by Carter. Is there a reason for him, buying this eighteen billion dollars’ worth of weaponry that Iran cannot operate, other than because the Americans wanted to build bases? Today, even in the mountains of Iran their underground bases can be found.

ARMY HEADS IN SERVICE OF THE US The oil workers have stopped work saying that they don’t want to give their oil away, now who is pressuring them to return to work and why? Why is the bayonet being used to try to force them back to work? The army is doing this. Why? Should these workers return to work so that this oil, this black gold, will flow again for other countries, for America? This is why the army is not our army! The army is not independent. For if it were, it would not want to make sure America got its oil. The army is an army dependent on America and under the command of American advisers. They use this army to oppose what the nation wants. The nation says the oil is ours, the army says the oil is America’s! At present it is the practice of the army to use bayonets to force the oil company workers in Abadan and the vicinity to return to work so that oil can be exported.344 This action is something that the army is doing

344 After ‘Bloody Friday’ (the tragic killings by the regime on September 8, 1978/Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH) most of the oil workers (about thirty thousand workers) in Abadan, Tehran, Ahwaz, Gachsaran, Aghajari and other places stopped work. On September 27, 1978/Mehr 5, 1357 SH twenty thousand oil workers on Khark island went on strike. These strikes stopped the export of oil. Sharif Imami’s government in an ultimatum described the striking workers as traitors to the country and on October 31 [Aban 9] a military group took over control of the country’s oil installations and tried through threats and intimidation to force the workers back to work. But the workers continued to show resistance. The government announced that if the striking workers did not return to work within

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against the nation of Iran. It is an act of treason that it is committing against the nation of Iran; or rather the heads of the army are using it to commit an act of treason against the country. These heads are under the supervision of someone else, and it is America itself which is carrying out this action. So the Shah should be saying, should be maintaining that if he goes we will be independent! If he goes the army will no longer be under the control of America and will no longer force the people, or rather the (oil) workers, to give the oil to America. At present the workers are forced to keep the oil flowing to America and every day to take large amounts of oil from the pocket of the Iranian nation without the people deriving any profit from it. This is the way in which the wealth of Iran is being destroyed. Part of this wealth goes into the Shah’s pockets and into the pockets of these sixty thousand people who are described as his rapacious followers and an even greater portion goes into the pockets of America and Britain while the gas of this country goes to Russia. Now the people want to stop giving the oil away, but the army tells them they have to. If the army were independent, it would not tell them to give it away. It is because it is dependent that it tells them to do this. So this is the shape of our army which is one of the things about which he is always speaking, saying we are independent and boasting that we have an army. This is the state of our army. Is this army of ours in the service of the people? Is it in the service of the nation? Or is it against the nation? Who constitutes the nation? The nation is made up of these merchants of the bazaar, these cultivators and farmers, these industrial and office workers. It is made up of all these people who have stood up and are saying that they don’t want him.

IRAN IN A GENERAL STRIKE Government offices, one after the other, are going on strike. The employees are shouting out that they don’t want to go to a job from which others benefit, and consequently they are leaving their jobs. Our universities are closed; our schools are closed; these days everything has shut down. There has been a shutdown in all sectors of Iran. What is the aim of this strike and for what reason does the army want to break these strikes? Why have the people closed up shop and gone on strike? To find the answer one should listen to what they are saying and what their demands are. One of their demands is that they do not want this dynasty. This is one of their demands, one which is even among those voiced by the oil workers who say that they do not want the Shah, that it is the Shah who is betraying them in such a big way and that the amount of oil they are exporting to other countries is pricking their consciences.

ARMY’S ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE STRIKE The nation has risen up to attain independence and freedom, the army has risen up to stop them from attaining independence and freedom! If the army were an army in the service of the people, if it were an independent army, one which served Iran and was under the command of the nation, a nation in whose hands everything should be placed, then this army would enjoy independence. It would not stand against the nation, trying to break the strikes upon which the nation has embarked. The heads of the army and the military prime minister give the commands and subsequently the army is set loose into the streets beating three days, they would be fired. The brave workers paid no heed to this threat and continued in their strike action. This strike delivered a severe blow to the regime.

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and killing the people in order to break the strikes! The people are striking because they want independence; they want freedom and an Islamic government. That which breaks these strikes is opposing the wish of the nation. The people say we want freedom and it says no, there should be no freedom! It is opposed to their wishes. If it were of the same opinion as the nation is then it would not break these strikes. It does so because it opposes this wish of the nation. The nation wants independence, but these people oppose this.

ARMY COMMANDER: SHAH OR CARTER? Thus, the country’s army is opposed to independence! According to army regulations, the Shah is its commander-in-chief, but in point of fact the commander is Carter! This is the reality. Do we enjoy independence with all these advisers in the country? Can independence be created with one word? As I have said before words in our day and age have lost their true meaning. Many impressive-sounding words are spoken and much whitewashing has been done. But these words have no substance. The word independence has no substance. “We are independent!” “If I go the independence of the country will be lost! The country will be divided!” That wretch too says that the people are shouting because the Shah has given them an aggressive freedom, because he has given them freedom too quickly!! Words have lost their meaning. Words are used the true meaning of which is unclear! They mean something else! Are we independent? Wherever you look in the country you see we have no independence, we are dependent. This army above everything else caters to the desires of the Shah. Such an army it is that he constantly brags about; an army which does not serve the nation but is in the service of America. It kills the people of its own nation in order to satisfy the interests of the Americans.

DEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM So now let’s take a look at the education. Do we have an independent educational system that others do not interfere in? Do we have universities that are independent, that think for themselves and are run by the university chancellors? We can only dream about such a system. Have we ever had a correct educational system from the constitutional period to the present time? It was always a dependent system, a system that others devised for us! This is why if the tonsils of a viperous prince were to become inflamed and he were to come down with tonsillitis, they would bring doctors from America or Europe to treat him or alternatively take him there for treatment! At one time we did have a proper, independent university, if we had one now, then we would have proper, independent doctors. When we want to tarmac a road, we have to hold out our hands and ask people from other countries to come and do it for us! How shameful! The story of tarmacking roads in Iran is quite an amazing one: with the excuse of tarmacking a road, the nation’s wealth is destroyed. The same is true for the very many other jobs which are carried out there. If we need a building put up, if we want to build a hospital, then most certainly someone has to come from abroad to draw up the plans and tell us how to build it! If we had a (proper) educational system... we have had modern schools for over seventy years now, from the time that Dar al-Funun was established, and it has been for many years now that we have had universities; if these universities had been to the benefit of this nation, if they had allowed our youth to receive a proper education, if the system had not been an imperialist one, then everything would have been put right by now and our youth would have been people who would have stood up to the government. If we had had one independent university then the country would not have found itself in the state that it is in today where everything is in ruins.

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UNDERMINING THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS OF THE YOUTH The youth constitute an important force in our country and they (the Shah and his regime) have destroyed this force. They have squandered the energies of the youth. Two groups of young people who came abroad to work in the field of nuclear physics came to see me- the number in one of the groups was quite largeand they said that they were all agreed that what they were doing was quite useless! They said their work was futile because Iran has oil and if we suppose that we have oil for another twenty years, then after that time this kind of nuclear physics in which they are involved will be of no use. The work they are doing is therefore useless, and, more importantly, they told me that they are not allowed to learn anything, that they are kept at a low level beyond which they cannot progress, adding that the training they had received in Iran was more than the small amount they were being given abroad! They said they had been brought over here to be kept at a low level so that they could not progress. Our youth are not allowed to acquire an education. The story is the same in the Iranian universities; that is the system is such that they are kept at a certain level. The system is an imperialist one. We have an educational system which is in a state of dependence. We do not have an independent system. Through this educational system which is dependent on the imperialist government, they want to keep the youth in a state of backwardness like this. It is at the hands of that man who talks about taking us to “the gates of a great civilization”345 that our youth are presently being kept at a low level and are not allowed to progress! So much for our education which is an imperialist education, one kept in a state of backwardness and not allowed to progress. It produces neither competent doctors nor skilled engineers. Nothing comes out of it right. They have paralyzed the country by depriving it of its force of young people. We do not have a force of young people at present.

CORRUPTING THE HUMAN RESOURCES Look at this culture of ours, that part of our culture which is prevalent nowadays, they count this corruption which exists in Iran nowadays as being part of the culture! The cinemas are considered to be part of the culture! They say they stem from the culture! And which cinemas do they mean? Those cinemas which have destroyed our youth, our force of young people, those which have paralyzed them so that whatever happens means nothing to them! They (the Shah and his regime) are creating an atmosphere whereby it is enough for the youth to busy themselves in the pursuit of bacchanal desires! They are destroying, and in some cases have already destroyed, the very roots of this country. Each country is a country because of its human resources; if its human resources are of no use then it is no longer a country. These people are destroying our human resources; everywhere our human resources have nearly dried up. So, if he goes our

345 In mid-August, 1978 [Mordad 1357 SH], the Shah said: “It is my hope that this new chapter we have recently begun in Iran, where as much freedom as the law permits is enjoyed by the people, has a good ending, and that it takes the country of Iran forward toward progress and greatness, and toward a great civilization. The course of action to be followed to this end has been described in the book: Toward the Great Civilization, and has been accepted by the Iranian Nation’s Reconstruction Organization. Those who would like to see the country advancing toward a great civilization know what is expected of them and how they are to cast their votes. And once the voting is over, they shall see just how great is the number of those who support the idea of taking Iran toward a great civilization.” (!) Quoted from Ittila’at, August 19, 1978/Mordad 28, 1357 SH.

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cultural independence will be lost, will it?! What independence do we enjoy for it to be lost? He says if he goes independence will go with him! He asks what will become of our country without its independence! We want independence.

OVERALL DEPENDENCY The problems of our country stem from the fact that it has no independence! Its culture is not independent, its army is not independent and neither its economy is. Its economy is in a state of dependency. These people do not do anything right. They have created a dependent economy which is, to use their terminology, a montage. They have to bring in goods from abroad, to buy goods from abroad, and we assemble them. We are consumers, bring in the goods and let us consume! We are a consumer country. Such an agrarian economy this Iran of ours enjoyed at one time. It enjoyed such farming and cultivation that it did not need to turn to foreign countries. Indeed, Iran exported goods, it was an exporter.346 It took only one of its provinces: Azerbaijan, Khorasan or Fars, to meet the needs of the whole country, but now it has been reduced to a state where even the regime itself in its appraisal says that we can produce only enough food to meet the country’s requirements for a thirty- or thirty-three-day period, in order to meet our needs for the rest of the year we have to hold out our hands to others.

IRAN, AN ARENA FOR THE LOOTERS They (the Shah and his regime) have given away to others whatever could have benefited our country. The” nationalization” of our pasture lands indeed! I was informed of these things by someone who wrote to me giving me documented evidence to prove what he was saying; however the documents are not with me now; they were sent to me while I was in Najaf and unfortunately have been left behind there. The gentleman in question wrote telling me that when British specialists came to Iran and saw some of the finest pasturelands in a certain area- he did write exactly where they were- they remarked that they were the best pastures for the farming of any kind of livestock. And so the Shah and his regime gave them away to the British Queen and some other people! 347Our forests have also been “nationalized,” and they too have been given away to others! In this way they have fallen upon this banquet (which is Iran) and are plundering it! A part of the profit made from this goes into his pocket and toward preserving his rule. From every corner of the world we hear

346 For many years, Iran’s agricultural output had been enough to meet the needs of its population. According to existing reports and documents, animal and agricultural produce constituted Iran’s primary export. Following the imposed ‘Shah-People Revolution’ and the implementation of its first tenet, i. e. land reform, agricultural production began to decline. This is itself a common phenomenon in the immediate aftermath of land reform, however in Iran this weakness continued long after the short-term unsettlement of the reform itself had worn off and in a short period not only did the country experience a decline in its exports, but agricultural production was no longer sufficient to meet domestic demand. During the years 1972- 1977 [1351- 1356 SH], the money paid for the import of cereals rose from 6. 8 to 35. 8 billion rials! Most of the imported cereals were those which could be produced within the country to the level of self-sufficiency; however the regime’s agricultural policy of the time prevented this. Consequently, in only a few years, the shortage of Iranian wheat had knocked the country off the list of wheat exporting countries and onto the list of wheat importers. In 1968 [1347 SH], the export of wheat, even though reduced, reached 254, 000 tons, whereas in 1970 [1349 SH] not only was wheat not exported at all, but it had to be imported into the country. In 1977 [1356 SH], imports of wheat into Iran reached more than 1. 4 million tons. Refer to The Economic History of Iran and Fred Halliday’s Iran- Dictatorship and Development, chap. 5. 347 The Arjan Plain is a vast plain situated on the rural outskirts of the small province of Kazeran. Embraced by a mountainous range, it is the repository of the water of numerous streams which runs into it from all sides via waterfalls, forming a lake of clear water in its center. The lush, verdant land of Iran, like that in Kazeran, was given over to the British to do with as they pleased.

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countries saying that they support him, but it is not because he is the apple of their eyes, no, they want the oil! And there is no one better than him to give our oil away to them. In the name of “land reforms”348 they want to turn the country into a market for America! America has a surfeit of wheat which it has to throw away, to throw into the sea, so what better than to give it to Iran in return for oil or money. They have completely destroyed the country’s animal husbandry. They have completely destroyed its agriculture and they have given its pasturelands away to others. They have destroyed everything it had, leaving you (Iranians) in need of everything. If at one time these countries stop exporting to Iran, then after thirty-three days everyone in the country must go hungry. This is the state of the country that he says if he is not around, will break up! The country will no longer be a country! We need a country so let him remain so that this country will remain! A few days ago in a speech he said: “Come, let us all think about the country!” [the audience laughs]. This is exactly what we are saying. The whole nation is of the same mind and that is why the people have raised their voices. They didn’t think about their country before, but now they have begun to do so. They are thinking about their country now for they are shouting out and asking: “Hey, what the dickens do you think you are playing at devouring so much? You’re ready to burst!” God only knows how much these people have plundered! You don’t know and we don’t know, but later on it will be discovered just what they did to the well-being of this nation and this country.

THE LOST INDEPENDENCE What do we have? What independence do we have to lose if you go? Do we have cultural independence to lose? Do we have economic independence to lose? Or military independence, do we have that to lose if you go? Just what kind of independence do we now enjoy that we will lose if you go? You go and let us put it to the test! [the audience laughs]. So this is their logic concerning the first aforementioned demand of the nation which is that he should go; the people want him to go, but they create doubts asking what would happen to the country if he did go! He himself is constantly talking about this. Now a certain group of people are repeating his words in an attempt to keep him in power. Why are they doing this? Well some of the reasons are obvious: they want to become ministers or whatever and they realize that were the nation to prevail, they would have to forget the idea, and for this reason they are now panicking and are making efforts to keep him in power. God willing, this nation will not be taken in by these people [the audience says God willing].

348 Land Reform was one of the main principles of neo-colonialism, which was urged on all the countries under the dominance of colonialism, from Latin America to Asia and Africa, and was implemented by the governments of these countries in a very similar manner. In 1962 (1342 SH), the Shah launched the land reform program as the first tenet of his six-point ‘White Revolution’, later renamed the ‘ShahPeople Revolution. ‘This ‘Revolution’ was not a revolution at all, rather it was put into effect on the one hand to win the confidence of American capitalism; to show his approval of and co-operation with the new strategy; and to open a new market for the Western economy, and on the other to curb internal discontent and actually prevent a revolution! The reform program, which was dependent on foreign, especially American investment, dragged the Iranian agrarian economy into bankruptcy, such that a few years after its implementation the country had been changed from a wheat exporter to a major wheat importer. In addition, as a result of the migration of villagers into the towns and cities and their attraction as a cheap work force to the industries and the service sector, over a period of eleven years from 1966- 1977 (1345- 56 SH), 20, 000 Iranian villages became uninhabited!

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FISTS MIGHTIER THAN BAYONETS Know this, the bayonet cannot rule. There are times when this bayonet is not needed: when the people are not awake, when they are asleep in their homes, each one going about his own business. Yes, at such times they can frighten the people without resorting to the bayonet, they only need to threaten and frighten them by using someone with a few stars on his shoulder. But there are times when a change occurs in the people, and this is the case now. What is happening in Iran at present is an example of that change and wherever you look throughout the course of history you will not find an example like Iran. This change which has taken place in the people has no precedent in Iranian history, and I’m not sure that you would be able to find an example in the histories of other countries either of a period when within only a short space of time the people of a country changed to such an extent that they became something completely opposite to what they had been. There was a time when on the fourth of Aban it was absolutely unheard of for the people to disobey a command to put up flags. They did not do it because they truly wanted to, but because the police had told them to! And no one could argue with the police! This was the situation, but in a short space of time this nation changed, becoming another kind of nation, the kind whose small children and old men alike shout out in the streets: “Death to this Shah” and “Death to this Pahlavi monarchy.” This is the transformation that has taken place, a country has changed from top to bottom, once it was one kind and now it has become another. This movement cannot be stopped by bayonets; the bayonet does not possess such power. We have seen this for ourselves. They imposed martial law whereby gatherings of more than two people were prohibited; and the people listened to every word! Fifty thousand [Laughter from the audience], one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand came together in every corner of the country, in those places where martial law was in effect! When they (the Shah and his regime) saw that martial law was not having the desired effect, they went a step further- if indeed it was possible to go any further- and brought in a military prime minister and the government became a military government. But it was still the same thing. The people have seen the military; they have weighed it up and have defeated it. The power of the people, that is the power of the fist, has prevailed over the tank. The power of religion, the power of faith, has prevailed over the tank and over guns. This power is a divine power. It is a divine power which has vanquished these tanks, guns and machine-guns with these fists. Thus, martial law was defeated and a military government arrived. Their military government is the same as their martial law, it is nothing new; the only difference is that at the time of martial law the prime minister was a politician and now the prime minister is a military man. They are both two old men who are good for nothing! [Laughter from the audience]

MILITARY COUP D’ÉTAT, A CONSPIRACY ALREADY DEFEATED Let us suppose that this military government will pass too, the next step, if their way of thinking is once again confined to such methods, will be a military coup d’état, whereby the Shah will go and the military will take over the reins of power. But it will still be the same military, it will be nothing new, it will be the same military that yesterday enforced martial law and was defeated by the people, and which today forms the military government and has been defeated by the people, for indeed it has been defeated. Tomorrow it will be the same thing, it will be nothing new, the people have seen it all before. They won’t be experiencing

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something strange that will frighten them. It will be the same military, only they will have called it a military coup d’état! This too will be defeated. A country whose people have risen up and have clenched their fists and say: “Shoot us, but we want independence, we will not go away,” Whose men and women are saying the same thing, cannot be driven back by bayonets. That woman whose four children were killed and who shouts as she does in Beheshte Zahra inviting the people to clap not to cry for her dead children- and as one person said the people both clapped hands and cried over the disaster which had befallen her- is not going to be frightened by this, it is nothing new. Such a country cannot be driven back by bayonets.

PEOPLE’S DUTY TO KEEP UP THE MOVEMENT Keep this uprising, gentlemen. It is the duty of us all to do so. It is my duty as an akhund, it is the duty of you sir, it is the duty of you merchants of the bazaar, you workers and you scientists. We all have a duty to fan the flames of this uprising which has appeared in Iran. Through this movement you can attain your independence and secure freedom for yourselves. You and I will be held accountable by God the Blessed and Exalted, we will be held accountable by the future generations if we cannot, if we are not competent enough, to utilize this movement which has appeared. You have to be competent enough to utilize this movement. Do not let this movement subside. Those who are in charge of affairs, the heads of political parties, the ulama, the religious students, the merchants of the bazaar, the people from the universities, the people from the Justice Ministry, the lawyers from the Justice Ministry, the various groups of people in the country should not let these strikes subside, they should not allow this movement which is alive in Iran now to die down. If, God forbid, this movement should subside, then we will be under the yoke of oppression for all times, and the next time this man draws his sword he will sever your line.

NEGATION OF A STEP-BY-STEP POLICY I told some of the gentlemen who had come to see me and spoke about a “step-by-step policy” saying we should take one step now, wait a while and then take the second: “Gentlemen, if you relax in this step, then in the second they will defeat all your plans. They are not going to wait after you have taken the first step allowing him to reign but not rule!” After all these crimes that he has committed they say that this man should now reign but not rule! They are after quelling this uprising in whatever way they can. If this movement is stopped, if this fire which is aflame in the hearts of the people- may God make it brighter [“men” of the audience] - is quenched, then it will not be possible to start it again or for another one like this to occur, everything will be lost. If this man’s position is made secure before you achieve your aim, if such a disaster should occur, then you will suffer for time to come, and your sufferings will not be the same as they are today, he is only catching his breath now, then he will discontinue your line. Be vigilant! The Iranians should be vigilant, the Iranians should be aware of the sensitive stage they are at, of the sensitive situation that Iran is in at present. The situation today is not the same as it was before for us to say: “Well, if not today then tomorrow.” No, this is no longer possible. You are in a life or death situation! I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to help this movement and He will help [the audience says “God willing”]. God will support you provided that your uprising is for God and is to establish His religion [“God willing” from the audience].

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72nd Speech Date: November 21, 1978/Aban 30, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 20, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty and its unconstitutionality Addressees: A group of (Iranian) university students residing abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

SHAH’S REGIME AND THE CONSTITUTION Now, they (pro-Shah governments) have resorted to certain tactics and are in a frenzy regarding what we and the nation want: that is, the first principle (of this movement) stating that the nation does not want the Pahlavi regime and the Shah and that it renounces the Pahlavi dynasty. The previous prime minister349 in his time reasoned that they (military agents) killed the people because they would shout unconstitutional slogans! What he meant was that the people were saying “Death to the Shah” and “We don’t want the Shah”- and this was against the Constitution. Well, first we must set one angle from which to approach the issue and then we will analyze it to see if these slogans were really unconstitutional or not. One such viewpoint is to ask if anyone who says any antiConstitution slogan should be machine-gunned and killed. Or, are there laws regulating such activities? According to the law, what should be done to someone who has, presumably, opposed the Constitution? Secondly, let us examine which act constitutes a constitutional infringement: the nation shouting slogans, or, the Shah being the Shah? We are now discussing the present Constitution (which says that): If there is a king and dynasty empowered by the constitutional law which stipulates that the nation should elect someone king- the Shah himself confirmed this (constitutional) provision that “the monarchy is a divine gift granted to the king by the nation”- we should probe into whether the people have really invested him with such an office, in which case, if there was any hostile slogan (said against him), we could then construe that such an act constitutes a violation of the Constitution. Or, could it be that the people had no knowledge of such issues at all?

REZA KHAN’S COUP D’ÉTAT When Reza Khan first came to power through a coup d’état and occupied Tehran350, he achieved everything at the point of a bayonet. Nobody, at that time, had any regard for the nation. Even today, they are in culpable negligence of the nation. I remember the time he grabbed the helms of power, although you, or perhaps most of you, may not have any recollection of those incidents. But I witnessed such incidents; I remember everything: how he staged the coup d’état and came to Tehran. Initially, he pretended to be so religious and Islamic. They said that at night during Muharram, he would walk the streets barefooted

349 Ja’far Sharif Imami: Prime Minister of the National Reconciliation Government. 350 Esfand 2- 4, 1299 SH.

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mourning (for Imam Husayn (as)); he would attend all the takiyah351 ceremonies held in Tehran and assert his pretensions to faith352 and his being Islamic before the takiyah’s organizer until his rule slightly gained a footing. It was like this at the beginning; then when his rule became firmly entrenched; he resorted to the use of the bayonet, went around with it and suppressed people of all walks of life. Those days were different from today; it was not like this recent year that a change has taken place in the nation that they question and oppose (the ruling system). There had never been a word uttered in protest against Reza Khan’s decisions as no such possibility existed. He came (to power) with a bayonet and with it set up the Parliament, without the people knowing any of its deputies or being aware of the issues at all. Furthermore, it was not clear whether Reza Khan had really done it himself or not, because lists would be brought in from embassies, as the Shah himself admitted, written in which were names of deputies for each constituency. Their functionaries would go and deputize a group initially appointed by embassies which would provide the lists and determine the deputies. During Reza Khan’s time, the British embassy held paramount importance and during his (the Shah’s) time, it was the American embassy. These embassies would give the list and determine the deputies. These appointments were, in reality, made by those (foreign powers); Reza Khan and, presently, Muhammad Reza Khan would superficially second the motion. But what involvement did the people have in this?

APPOINTED MPS DURING THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND PAHLAVI PERIODS We never had any legal Parliament recognized by the very same Constitution during the entire constitutional period. I do not know what transpired during the first term of the constitutional movement, but as far as I can remember there has never been a legal Parliament. One article in the Constitution’s amendments stipulated that five mujtahids353 to be determined by the maraji’-e taqlid (Religious Reference Authorities) should be assigned to the Parliament to oversee its affairs. If these mujtahids were not present there, the Parliament could not acquire legitimacy. During the whole constitutional period, this stipulation was observed only once, only in the first term of the Parliament- whether it was during the whole term or just halfway through it, is not within my knowledge- but if my memory serves me correctly, since about sixty years ago, such an amendment has never been applied, that is, neither have these five people ever gone to the Parliament nor have the people had any knowledge that they should deputize anyone to this end. And if ever any deputy would be elected by the people in some places like Tehran, in other places, even

351 Takiyah: A place where Shia Muslims gather to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (as) in the month of Muharram. 352 Malik ash-Shu’ara Bahar, a leading Iranian poet, wrote: “It was the day of Ashura; a group of Cossack soldiers under the command of Reza Khan (he had not yet become Shah) arrived at the bazaar in a particularly organized and disciplined manner. Accompanying them were some horses and a few groups of musicians who were playing a dirge... Sardar Sepah could be seen leading them, his head was bare and he was throwing hay over his head (as a sign of mourning). Similarly, on the evening of the tenth day of Ashura, groups of Cossacks arrived at the bazaar again and took part in the ceremony for Sham-e Ghariban [the night immediately after the demise of somebody]. Sardar Sepah himself attended mourning ceremonies at the Friday Mosque and the Shaykh ‘Abd al-Husayn Mosque in Tehran where, at that time, some of the largest rawzah ceremonies were held. He entered with a group of his men and walked around the gathering once, in an act which demonstrated the great importance with which he viewed the religious rites. Such demonstrations were to continue every year for the following two or three years until, that is, he became Prime Minister, after which he gradually prohibited chest beating, the holding of rawzahs and other religious assemblies and became the number one enemy of Islam.” Refer to Tarikh-e Mukhtasar-e Ahzab-e Siyasi, vol. 1, pp. 183- 184. 353 Mujtahid: an authority on divine law who is entitled to give an independent judgment on a point of theology or law.

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sometimes in Tehran itself, the deputies were perhaps completely estranged from the people. All deputies were hand-picked by the Establishment. During all this time, we know and you know that we have never had any national deputy; there is, and was, not one single deputy in the Parliament elected by the people. None of them have been true representatives of the nation; they have all been chosen by the government and have been their (the embassy’s) protégés. Lists were either brought in from the US embassy dictating to install those deputies, or, as the Shah himself put it, lists would be brought to them during his father’s time. But now, he claims that it is not the case anymore and such things no longer happen! At no point in time did we ever have any legal Parliament wherein any law was ratified or passed based on the vote of a great majority. Hence, the Parliament set up during the time of Reza Shah was a rubber-stamp body whose members were determined by lists sent in by the British embassy or hand-picked by Reza Shah or imposed on the people at bayonet point. The people did not have any say in the affair.

ILLEGAL ADVENT OF PAHLAVI DYNASTY So, the Parliament he established was illegal, anti-nation and unconstitutional. It was set up against the Constitution, gave Reza Shah a mandate and then deposed the Qajar king. That is, they formed a Constituent Assembly, of course, with the force of the bayonets, installed Reza Shah and the Pahlavi dynasty, and dethroned the former monarchy. This was the manner in which the Pahlavi dynasty ascended to power, and the principle upon which it was founded.354 Therefore, it is his statement that he is king, which is illegal and not the people’s statement saying that he is not the king. What is unconstitutional was what that contemptible former minister (Sharif Imami) was saying that his forces massacred the people because they were shouting anti-nation and anti-Constitution slogans. What they meant by these anti-nation and antiConstitution slogans were the people’s cries of “Death to the Shah!” and not any other slogans. People were crying out loud “Death to the Shah! We do not want the Shah! We do not want the Pahlavi dynasty!” (For them) these slogans are anti-nation and non-nationalistic! That is, because the Iranian nation, which is supposed to be a king-loving nation, is now saying that it does not want the Shah; therefore this is an antination slogan! And if the whole nation is saying it, then, which “nation” is the slogan opposed to?

354 After a bloodless coup on February 21, 1921 carried out with British encouragement, Reza Khan, the main architect of the coup, quickly established himself as the dominant political personality in the country. On October 31, 1925, the Parliament deposed the reigning monarch Ahmad Shah, and it was decided that a Constituent Assembly should be elected to decide on a new ruler. Only those who had already agreed to Reza Khan ascending the throne were allowed to become members of this assembly and consequently the people, knowing what the results of the referendum would be, saw their voting on the matter to be a futile act. However, police and army personnel forced people to the voting booths and handed them a list of the names of the people for whom they were to vote. Eventually, a single article was prepared in the home of Reza Khan and ratified. This article read: “The National Consultative Assembly, for the well-being of the nation, announces the overthrow of the Qajar dynasty and hands over temporary rule within the confines of the Constitution and the country’s common laws to the person of Mr. Reza Khan.” This article gave the Constituent Assembly, which was formed to change articles 36, 37, 38 and 44 of the Constitution, the authority to determine who was to rule. After the ratification of this article deposing Ahmad Shah and prior to the formation of the Constituent Assembly, the plan was for the people to select a successor to the deposed ruler. But this plan was not followed through and monarchical rule was given to Reza Khan, the Sardar Sepah [Chief of Staff], for the duration of his life with the intention that after his death Parliament would choose his successor. However, after the Constituent Assembly completed its work and Reza Khan was crowned Reza Shah in April 1926, he opposed this ruling and decided that monarchical rule should become the hereditary right of his family. In this way, the Pahlavi dynasty came into being.

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“DEATH TO THE SHAH” A NATIONAL SLOGAN Indubitably, the majority of the nation, now and before, especially in the two months prior to this and after the month of Ramazan, on the day of the feast355, are shouting “Death to the Shah! We do not want the Shah!” This is a nationalistic slogan; the nation’s slogan has been nationalistic; it is pro-nation, and not anti-nation; it is not anti-Constitution but is pro-Constitution because this Constitution does not recognize him as the monarch. He is not the king according to the Constitution. The people meant to say absolutely the same thing as the Constitution. Therefore, the people’s slogans, implying that the Shah is not the king and that they do not want the Shah, have been concordant with the Constitution. So, all his vaunts of holding the monarchy, being the monarch and being this and that, all the actions he has done in the capacity of a king are against the Constitution. In addition to this principle, his reception of people as the king and his coronation as the monarch are all unconstitutional. This Constitution does not recognize him as king and when it is so, all his actions and everything ensuing from them are unconstitutional.

LEGAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SHAH’S REIGN In this government, which succeeded the previous one, talks would be brought up addressing those Iranians residing outside the country, such as Europe and other places, to return if they believed in the Constitution and those who disbelieved should not! What they meant was whoever acknowledged the Shah as the king should come and those against his being king should not!356 Their reasoning, as I have just mentioned, is wrong because it is the statements of those who oppose the Shah that conform with the Constitution, and not the statements of those who believe that the Shah should remain. This is one of the means they have resorted to which they have recurrently aired ever since- reviving the very same issue again and again; from the very start they have repeatedly stressed the idea that when the people say they do not want the Shah, such an act is tantamount to a constitutional infringement. Presuming that these claims conformed to the Constitution and all the other snags have been smoothed out and that it was the Constitution which set the Shah upon his royal throne, still there would be some knots to be untied viewed from various aspects. One aspect is the fact that the very same people who have voted you (the Shah) to the throne based on the Constitution in which an article stipulates that the monarchy is a “Divine gift” to be entrusted to the person of the king, are now saying “no” to your rule! If you dare refute the truth of this, then hold a referendum! Let there be a referendum but one without the bayonets, of course! Lift martial law and dissolve the military government and let the people vote freely. Then announce to the people that anyone who acknowledges this monarchy should assemble up north of the city and those who oppose it should gather south of the city. We will then see which part of the city will be more crowded, the north or the south? If what they say is true, then they should put it to test if they really want to abide by the Constitution; if they believe in its principles. Given that we believe that a constitutional article stipulates that the monarchy is “a divine gift granted to the king by the nation” and given that we are foregoing all the other fallacies I discussed some nights ago and that we agree with his (the Shah’s) reasoning that the nation 355 Iran witnessed the people’s greatest rally ever held in the whole history of the country on Eid al-Fitr (feast marking the end of the fasting month of Rama-an) in 1978 [1357 SH]. 356 In September 1978 [Mehr 1357 SH], Sharif Imami’s government announced that students who had been actively engaged in anti-regime activities outside the country up to that time would be granted amnesty and could return to Iran once they recognized the Constitution.

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must give this gift to the person of the king. But supposing it is now the nation which comes forth and declares that it does not want this king any more, the same nation which invested him with this” gift” is now saying “no”, this “no” is now constitutionally binding. That “yes” (their confirmation of his monarchy) has held true but only up to now, henceforth it is “no” to the monarchy. Therefore, based upon our assumption that the Pahlavi chain of rule was legitimate and their monarchical rule was in accordance with the Constitution, we agree to all the premises of this argument, but now the people are saying “no”, so, he is now divested of his monarchical powers. Therefore, his claim to the monarchy, his appointment of a prime minister for a country and, I do not know, everything that he is doing within the powers of a monarch do not hold anymore. He does not have any right to appoint a prime minister. Hence, the prime minister is also illegal and his appointment unconstitutional. There is yet another objection we can raise. Assuming that we, the people, installed a monarch to whom we had given our votes and brought to power. As a monarch he swore under oath that he would commit no treason, would safeguard the religion and serve the nation; that he would remain loyal to the religion and would not betray the nation- these were the oaths he took, but has he remained loyal to his oaths? If a king swore that he would not commit treason but later did, he would be divested of the monarchy. He would have violated (the law) and hence would be no longer fit to be the monarch. Has he not betrayed this country?! Has he not given America our oil gratuitously?! Has he not placed the armed forces under the control of American advisers?! Is he not in the service of America? Is he not in the service of the Soviets? If this is not the case then why are they supporting him? How come Carter is raising this hue and cry in his defense? Carter is not a cousin of his! Assuming that he is not serving the US’s interests, or he is not their servant, then there is no difference between him and another ruler. How come that these people who have interests in Iran and are devouring the country’s wealth, looting our oil and erecting bases for themselves as payment for the oil (they are getting), guzzling and stealing our oil and giving it to Israel which is the archenemy of Muslims and Islam, are now crawling out from every nook and cranny? If these people are not serving foreign interests and are not traitors to their country and they have not granted them (the foreigners) domination over the country, how come the foreigners have now grown so anxiously frantic? Why? Why is the British premier saying, “We have interests here? The Shah has done us service and so, in return, we must help him!” Why did he not deny this statement? How come Carter is saying: “We have given Iran arms worth eighteen billion dollars because there is danger (posed by the USSR) for us and our interests lie here.” You (US) have imposed on him 18- billion worth of arms which are useless to us, and he has served you! Isn’t this a betrayal of the country? Well, he has committed treason and with it he has lost all his credibility, even if we assume that the people have not said “no” (to his rule).

ILLEGAL CONTRACTS All contracts which have been entered into by Iran up to now during the reigns of these two monarchs, namely Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah, excluding those made in the early days of the constitutional period, are illegal, hence void, because the Parliament is not legal to approve any of them. The king is not a legitimate king to, say, propose them to the Parliament (for approval), or appoint a prime minister or inaugurate the Parliament. All these acts should be carried out according to the laws and regulations. But none of these had been based on any laws or regulations. All these contracts, these arms deals they have concluded, are null and void.

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They should give our money back to us and take their “scrap metal” (weapons) back. You (US) took our oil and must pay for it! Take this scrap metal back, it’s all yours!

SOME OF THE SHAH’S BETRAYALS With each contract they have entered into, they sold out Iran’s fertile green pastureland. As they have reported to me in writing, they have given our rich pastureland, which had been appraised as the best in the world in terms of animal husbandry, to some people, among them the Queen of England! The country of Iran was dispossessed (of a part of its land) and then frozen red meat had to be imported in. Is it not tantamount to a betrayal of one’s country? Is the ”land reform program, “Which had completely destroyed the agriculture, not one of the greatest treacheries ever committed against the country, leaving our miserable peasants no choice but to flock into cities?! Tehran is now crammed with these unfortunate peasants who came in from all around, dwelling miserably with their families in shanties, in tents and hovels even in freezing winter! Is this not a betrayal of a nation? He has committed treason! Consequently, he is no longer the king! A king who is a traitor is not fit to be a king!

SHAH’S REIGN AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION Thus, his taking possession of the throne and the crown today, his appointment of a prime minister, his decree for the inauguration of the Parliament and its suspension- all these are against the constitutional law. The nation’s cry saying they do not want the Shah conforms to the Constitution. It is not against the Constitution; rather, it is concordant with the Constitution. It is his statement, the Prime Minister’s statement referring to him as “His Imperial Majesty,” that is anti-Constitution. He is not “His Majesty.” He is not the monarch of this country. This is one of the issues they have raised and are following up. Another issue is their claim that once they are gone, regional stability too will be gone!357 We will see how things will develop later. If he is gone, what stability will go, and what stability do we have now? May God grant all of you (the audience) success. God willing, you will be successful. You too should serve this movement which concerns Iran, in whatever capacity- those inside the country should serve domestic

357 Upon arrival in Iran for a visit and negotiations with the Shah in March 1978 [Farvardin 1357 SH], the British Foreign Minister said: “Iran plays a vital role in regional stability.” After his meeting with the Shah (March 27, 1978/Farvardin 7, 1357 SH), he said: “Iran’s military power is the major factor in establishing regional stability. Rastakhiz, March 27, 1978/Farvardin 7, 1357 SH. A month after this meeting, David Owen, the British Foreign Minister, recalled Iran’s vital role in guaranteeing regional security and lauded the Iranian government’s efforts in establishing security in the region as worthy of appreciation! Rastakhiz, April 23, 1978/Urdibehesht 3, 1357 SH. On April 28, 1978/Urdibehesht 8, 1357 SH, Margaret Thatcher, the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party came to Tehran and after a meeting with the Shah on April 29, 1978/Urdibehesht 9, 1357 SH, she said: “Safeguarding Iran’s sovereignty is a matter of life and death to our future because Iran-UK deals are worth over one billion pounds!” (Rastakhiz, April 28). In a press conference held in September 1978 [midMehr 1357 SH], Carter, while announcing his support for the Shah, expressed hope that Iran would immediately take steps in establishing a progressive social order and a democratic government and said: “In any event, America will protect its long-time friend and its major business enterprises which are vitally instrumental in maintaining regional security.” Iti1a’at, October 11, 1978/Mehr 19, 1357 SH. Henry Kissinger, ex-US State Secretary, announced at gathering of the International Jewish Congress: “Iran is expedient in keeping stability and is necessary to its Western allies to keep peace in the Middle East.” (Press archives, November 4, 1978/Aban 13, 1357 SH ). On November 13, 1978/Aban 22, 1357 SH, Carter categorically branded the revolutionary people of Iran as criminals who had endangered regional stability! Carter said: “A powerful and independent Iran is a major factor in regional stability. We don’t want to see this stability become a plaything in the hands of criminals and the government be toppled, a situation that may be followed by unforeseen consequences.” (Press archives, November 13, 1978/Aban 22, 1357 SH).

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interests in whatever capacity and those outside the country should do whatever services are feasible such as propagation, press interviews, writing articles in the print media, because Iran and its people have been introduced in a bad light. You are duty bound; all of us are, to clarify the issues for people here, too.

73rd Speech Date: November 23, 1978/Azar 2, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 22, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The Shah’s perfidy in declaring repentance Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A COMPARISON OF THE SHAH WITH THE PHARAOH The talks were revolving around this first principle which the Iranian nation had demanded. The Iranian nation is making a few demands the first of which is for this man (the Shah) to bow out, for this dynasty to step down from power. They (the advocates of the regime) have resorted to many excuses which I have mentioned before. Among these excuses, one is similar to that resorted to by Pharaoh. After the chastisement descended upon him and he realized that he was drowning, Pharaoh said that he now believed in that which the Children of Israel had found faith in: “I believe in Him in whom the Children of Israel believe.” In response it was said to him: “What! Now? When you have been disobedient heretofore and were among the agents of corruption?!!”358 Now, he (the Shah) too, after twenty-odd years, twenty-seven years during which he committed so many betrayals and crimes, now that the punishment has come- a punishment which is manifested in the clenched fists and cries of the Iranian people, he is repenting. I’ve already mentioned that what had happened was a divine issue and not a human one. The Iranian people have stood against all the power that the regime and its supporters have and against all other powers. With bare hands, the people have clenched their fists and have been heedless of the military government and the support rendered to the regime by the US and the USSR. All the people everywhere around the country are crying out: “We do not want him. Death to this Shah! Death to this dynasty!” He stands before the nation and repents now that he sees himself drowning, now that waves of protest have risen in Iran, a wave of rejection for his rule, a wave negating the monarchy of Muhammad Reza Khan and his dynasty. Now, he is saying: “So far, what I’ve committed have been mistakes, but from now on these mistakes will not happen again.” He is now appealing to the grand and great Muslim scholars: “I’ve repented now! Come and save me!” The gist of his plea is: “Save me, save the country!” But his ulterior motive is to save himself alone. He has employed this trick before the nation (in the past), before people of different walks of life, the youth and others, always concluding his speech with: “Let’s think of what we can do for the country. It is good if we think of our country.”

358 Qur’an, 10: 90-91.

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This situation reminds one of the Pharaoh’s stories, though with one difference: After Pharaoh realized that he was drowning, he said: “I believe in the God in whom the Children of Israel believe.”359 But it was said to him: “No, everything’s over. You have committed sins and rebelled.” You have enslaved the Children of Israel and sowed seeds of oppression; you have transgressed. And now that you see the punishment has come and that you will be drowned, you are confessing your sins? Now that the (divine) chastisement is revealed before your eyes you are saying you have repented?” This repentance is like the repentance of one who dies and sees the punishment of hell and then repents. This cannot be called repentance. It is not the principle of repentance at all. The Shah, too, after seeing the revealed punishment and what God has decreed through the nation’s hand, and after seeing the nation’s rejection of him and its resistance to machine-guns with fists, now that he realizes he is drowning and sees the punishment revealed before his eyes, now he admits he has committed mistakes and swears that he will not make mistakes from now on.

DECEITFULNESS OF THE SHAH But the difference between his repentance and that of Pharaoh’s is that he (the Shah) declares his repentance, on the one hand, and installs a military government, on the other. He has resorted to both. At least, Pharaoh did not do the same thing again, he said he had repented and he did not wield a club in his hand while pronouncing his repentance. The wolf’s (the Shah’s) repentance is worse because when the wolf said he had repented, he sought the assistance of the great Islamic scholars and grand Ayatullahs and other classes of the nation, but at the same time he appointed someone to kill the people.

SHAH’S ORDER FOR KILLING All these massacres are perpetrated upon his orders. Do not ever believe in those who say that these atrocities are committed by agents, or the prime minister, or the security organization. They are all his lackeys. All of these crimes are committed to save the Shah who is, at times, aware (of such atrocities) and at other times unaware. No one moves a finger in murdering, countering the people and shooting them unless he has orders from him. He himself directly orders (these massacres). There are also people who say they have witnessed that one of those who opened fire on the people on Black Friday was the Shah himself who did it from a helicopter. I, myself, cannot confirm it, but some of his own men who had gone to England quoted the Shah as saying that he himself had been the actual performer, not the commander (of this massacre). But what is certain is the fact that none of these incidents happened without his approval. That is, if there have been massacres- and you have to attach the term “massacre” to them- in Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, whatever city you name, they all took place upon his command.

359 “We carried the Children of Israel across the sea, whereat Pharaoh and his troops pursued them, out of defiance and aggression.

When overtaken by drowning, he called out, ‘I believe that there is no god except Him in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of those who submit [to Him]!” Qur’an, 10: 90.

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SHAH GUARDED BY HOOLIGANS Throughout history one can never find something similar to what has happened and is happening in Iran and such savagery being perpetrated by a ruler like the Shah. Never has it happened throughout history that people are killed daily in various parts of an Islamic country through different means: at times by the armed forces, and at others by armed kolis, as they themselves say; and on other occasions by unleashing a killer bandit who was one of the tribal chieftains.360 It is said that the Shah has let him loose and laid great sums of money at his disposal to gather forces and attack the people. Never has it happened in history that one, who claims to be the king and who would shout out eulogies in his own praise just the day before yesterday employing all the newspapers, radio, everything and everyone to glorify him, would now resort to kolis to save himself, seeking shelter under their clubs to save him from the revolting people and hiring (these bandits) to deliver him from the rage of the nation. But they cannot save him and the nation does not take heed of such moves anymore.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHAH’S AND PHARAOH’S REPENTANCE The difference between him and Pharaoh is that when the latter said he had repented, he ceased drawing his sword on the people. But this man (the Shah) calls upon the ulama and people, announcing: “I’ve made mistakes. Now, I put them behind me and repent.” Yet, even as he says this, he still resorts to these ploys and imposes the military government in spite of all principles and laws. He has also unleashed the armed forces as well as some tribes upon the people. Of course, the tribes do not listen so much to these men. Some tribesmen have already called on the ulama announcing their agreement (with the Islamic cause). Have you (the Shah) come to repent while you are still inebriated! And with this kind of repentance!! After twenty-odd years of treason and betrayal of the nation of Islam, leaving your past treacheries un-atoned for and your crimes uncompensated, you have now come before the ulama saying you’ve repented! This is worse than Pharaoh’s repentance! You should pay for these crimes. If you could compensate for all the crimes you have committed over these twenty-odd years, if you could return to the national coffers the money you have poured into the US’s pocket, if you could tear down the bases you have established in our country for American interests, if you could bring back to life all those you have murdered, then you could say you have really repented. But with all the crimes you have committed, with all of them recorded in history- and we have all seen what you have done so far and what you are doing to the nation- your repentance is not accepted. It is said that that wretched man361 has said on the radio and TV that he would kill everybody! It has been relayed that he has said such words. Well, yes, these are the kinds of men the regime’s advocates are. But God willing, they will not succeed [Audience responds with “God willing”].

360 This person was Salar Jaf (1940–1979 AD), Kermanshah’s Paveh representative who held multiple citizenships from different countries. His last citizenship was Iraqi. After ‘Abd al-Karim Qasim’s coup d’état of 1958- 59, he, along with his family, took refuge in Iran and was able, with his brothers, to gain important positions in Iran. Salar Jaf hired 2,500 mercenaries to suppress the people of Paveh, attack the people with guns and machine-guns, and after he had killed a number of them, he returned to Tehran in a helicopter provided by the regime. He was executed in the early days of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. 361 General Ghulamreza Azhari.

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THE IRREPARABLE CRIMES OF SHAH Once, a certain person (the Shah) abused the ulama calling them impure beasts that people should avoid. He spoke of the ulama this way: “Keep away from them as you would avoid impure animals.”362 Also, one day, he said that they (the clergy) were like worms wriggling in filth;363 and on another day, he would come, stand and address them (by titles such as) grand Ayatullah, marja’364 so and so, or the great ulama while holding a baton in his other hand! Who will ever believe his words?! Well, if he wants to repent before the nation and its ulama, he should at least make a repentance that appears acceptable. Is he so ignorant as to believe the people will accept his repentance just like that? It will not be acceptable even to a child! Well, now that he wants to repent, he should say it and then step down. You (the Shah) can assume that you can save your body. “So, We will this day save you with your body”365 But you cannot save your own self. You can no longer save yourself. If you claim to have repented and you are truly repentant, then draw your sword no longer! While you are saying you are repentant, lift the martial law. Dissolve the military government, do not let it continue. Tell the people to appoint someone to form the government so that they would believe you have repented. But even then, it will still be unacceptable. The repentance of him who did all sorts of ignominy and then repents at the end of his life will not be accepted! What logic is there in this? Repentance depends on certain conditions. God does not accept just anybody’s repentance, especially that of someone who had oppressed the people for twenty years or so, after which he told the people that he had repented and had pardoned political prisoners- the political prisoner who had spent ten years of his life behind bars, who went into prison while he was still young and now comes out an ageing man; whose beard was then black and now it’s grey when he comes out; whose body was then healthy and fit when he entered and now he comes out of the dark dungeons an ailing man after spending his life behind bars for ten years, fifteen years, some more and others less. I know one of these young men, he is now here, and I have known him from the past. I had previously spent time with him. At the time (before his imprisonment), when he would hold my hand, it would be buried in his. He

362 On May 27, 1963/Khordad 6, 1342 SH, the Shah, in a speech delivered in Kerman, most unashamedly stated: “... But you must beware if certain persons approach you using such language with the intention of poisoning your minds in this way. Keep away from them and indeed do not allow them to get close to you, just as you would not allow an impure animal to do so...” In a speech particularly notable for its fearless words of reproach delivered at the Fayziyyah Madrasah in Qum on the afternoon of Ashura, June 3, 1963/Khordad 13, 1342 SH, Imam in reply to the Shah’s comments, said: “I hope to God that you did not have in mind the ulama when you said” the black reactionaries are like an impure animal which the nation should shun, “because if you did, it would be difficult for us to tolerate you much longer, and you would find yourself in a predicament. You won’t be able to go on living; the nation will not allow you to continue this way. Heed our advice and desist from such deeds!” 363 It refers to the shameless statements made by the Shah on March 14, 1963/Esfand 23, 1341 SH at Dezful air base in which he spoke of those clergymen opposed to his American-inspired plans in an impudent manner. On this day he said: “Our great national revolution is going ahead at full speed, but once again we see or hear that some people like frozen snakes have come alive once more and because they wallow in their own slime it is as if these poor things think that it is time to crawl around in the filth once more. If these vile creatures, along with their reactionary sympathizers, do not wake up from the sleep of ignorance then in whatever attire they may appear the fist of justice will strike them over their heads like a bolt of lightening and may bring their shameful and dirty life to an end!” Taken from a book of the Shah’s speeches, vol. 4. 364 Marja’ at-taqlid: a scholar of proven learning and piety whose authoritative rulings one follows in matters of religious practice. 365 Qur’an, 10: 92 “So We will this day save you with your body that you may be a sign to those after you, and most surely the majority of the people are heedless to Our communications.”

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was so strong; I could feel his strength whenever he would hold my hand in his. But now, when we shake hands, (I feel that) he has become an infirm man. You (the Shah) have imprisoned people for ten years, some for fifteen years; you have made the young old, you have sickened the healthy- shouldn’t these acts be compensated for? Now, you are saying you are pardoning them? The hell you are! What right did you have to take (their freedom) away in the first place that you are now pardoning them? Pardon is for someone who has committed a crime. What crime have they committed that you have imprisoned them? You have wasted fifteen years of their lives! Now, you claim that you are pardoning them? You have pardoned them? What the hell do you think you are doing! What sense is there to your pardoning them? Why did you imprison them in the first place? Now, you want to pardon them? You made a wrong move from the very beginning. Their arrest was not right that they should be pardoned now. They were not guilty to be pardoned by you. What was their crime? Their only crime has been to utter a word (against you) when they felt you had become dangerous (for the country). It has been relayed that some of these men who suffered several years of imprisonment were charged with the crime of having attended to the needs of the families of those imprisoned by you and not letting them fall into hardships. The crime of some of these prisoners- whom you call political criminals- has been their protest at your cruelty and your all-pervasive despotism, and their questioning you as to why you have enslaved the people like this. Regarding your betrayals, they ask you why you have given all that we have to America. Those who raise such questions say: “Give us freedom, we want independence, we want our country to belong to us. We do not want our country to be owned by foreigners. We want to be free. We want a free press; we want our radio and media to be free.” Is asking for such things a crime that you arrested them, imprisoned them and prevented them from leading a life of freedom? Now, that you have destroyed their youth, destroyed their health, you release them and call it “pardoning”?

WORTHLESSNESS OF SHAH’S REPENTANCE It is useless even if you repent. Repentance has certain criteria. Does God, the Almighty accept one’s repentance just like that? God will not accept repentance before the rights of the people (which you have taken away) are returned to them. Do you have the power to give the people back their rights?! Do you have the power to give that person back his ten years of youth which had been wasted in prison? Do you have that power so that you can repent now? What sense is there to your repentance? You cannot repent. Your repentance does not merit acceptance by God, the Blessed and Supreme. Yours is a repentance concerning the rights of the people. God does not forgive men for trampling upon the rights of the people. You cannot ever compensate for even one of the things you have done to those you have tortured, whose feet you have sawed off, burned, and dipped in boiling oil; those whom you have tortured with an electric current as they lay on metal sheets and whom you have broiled alive. If you can atone for even one of these, then you may say that you have been wrong and may ask the people’s forgiveness. But will you not commit the same mistakes? Are you now honest in your claim? Assuming that we forget the past, are you sincere? Are you telling the truth? Are you not going to commit the same mistakes? Or, is it merely words and empty talk? “What! Now? When you have been disobedient

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heretofore and were among the agents of corruption?!!”366 You are of the corrupters! You are corrupt; you are a vitiated creature; you are a vicious man; you have embroiled a whole country in a mess; you have destroyed a nation. These crimes are no jest. You have squandered all the potentials of this country. You have wasted its youth who are one of the country’s resources. You have laid all these to waste. And now, you come forth and say that you have made a mistake? The logic of some people sometimes amazes me and their statements sound a bit bizarre. A man whom I don’t know composed a seven- or eight-page letter; first he introduced himself saying that he was the son of so and so and at the end, he wrote: “We will not be able to find a Shah better than this one [Laughter from the audience]!” How can a human being write such statements? He asked us to: “Come and join this gentleman in one unified cry; where can we ever find anyone better than him (the Shah)!” How dim-witted can a person be to utter such words! To reign, not to rule! Anyway, this repentance is one of the gimmicks they have now resorted to, but is not accepted, either. The nation will no longer fall for such words. How can that old woman and old man, how can that mother and father who used to dine with their four or five children around a table spread, and who have now lost their youth- one night all six of them were dining together and the next time, they were but two sitting down for a meal- how can they accept your repentance and apology? Will mere apology suffice? You simply come forth, apologize and then, we, the clergy, the laity, the intellectuals as well as the non-intellectuals too come and declare: “Well, let him reign but not rule; let him stay and reign as the king! Will everything be all right then? Is that all? What answer can we give to that old woman (who has lost her son) ? What can we say to that father who was here a few days ago and whose sons have been killed? What can we tell them? They will accuse us of compromising with this man (the Shah) who has killed their youth and thrown away their lives. Why should he be allowed to reign, sit on top and give audience on this or that feast during which some will come and greet him and eulogize him for having made such and such great achievement, for having protected everything, for being a supporter of Islam and for being the “Shadow of God on earth,” and so on and so forth? What balderdash is this?! This is nothing but a betrayal of a nation, of a country and of Islam! (You are) a person who changed the Islamic calendar (to the imperial calendar) and showed no shame; the way you have vilified the prophet of Islam is not a petty and trivial matter! And then you immediately deny it and say: “I’ve been wrong; I have repented!” Will these words serve any purpose? Rising for the sake of God Praise be to God, the people have now made a determined stand. We hope that this steadfastness will not waver; and the important thing is to direct our attention toward God. All of you, all of us, all the nation should dedicate themselves to God, the Blessed and the Most High. Our uprising should be divine, with no deviation. “Say: I do admonish you to do one thing, to rise up for God; it may be in pairs, or it may be singly.”367 God willing this movement will be a godly one with no deviation, for, God forbid, deviation will bring defeat. If it is divine, then it will be victorious, God willing. All of you must take note of the fact that the goal is a divine goal. Rise up for the sake of God and the deliverance of a people who are the slaves of God and you can rest assured that you will succeed in that situation. 366 Qur’an, 10: 91 367 Qur’an, 34: 46

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RESPONDING TO THE MALICIOUS PROPAGANDA You who are residing abroad are duty bound, we are all duty bound, it is incumbent upon you to extend a helping hand to Iran in any capacity. Anyone who can, should propagate the cause so that the people here will understand what the Iranian nation wants and what they are crying out for and so that they will not heed the words of some journalists whose palms have been greased: shall I say, some of those propagandists who campaign against the revolution. The nation of Iran is shouting it wants freedom; it is shouting it wants independence. It is screaming for freedom and that wicked creature is saying he has granted freedom! And that it is because he has granted freedom that the people have now raised their voices in protest! One nation has risen up; all have risen up, not just one single person but everybody, even within the military, the same thing holds true. Rest assured that on the day this man goes away, the heart of the military will beat with the nation;368 it can’t be otherwise; they always send us messages. We implore God, the Blessed and the Exalted, to grant this nation victory, so we can serve this society. We are all duty bound to perform our duties before the Blessed and Exalted God and the Muslim nation and utilize the power we possess in the path of God, the Blessed and Exalted, to rescue the servants of God Almighty, the Gracious, and emancipate the oppressed. I implore God, the Blessed, the Exalted, to grant all of you success.

74th Speech Date: November 24, 1978/Azar 3, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 23, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: A general uprising for freedom, independence and stability of Iran Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

368 Despite the fact that the Shah was absolutely reliant upon the country’s armed forces and the horrifying shadow of SAVAK and the army’s Department Two, which dominated all aspects of the military during the years of persecution, the main body of the armed forces comprising of the deprived class of Iran have never really submitted themselves deep within their hearts to the supremacy of American military experts, top-ranking commanders and the treasonous policies of the regime. Regarding this matter, Imam Khomeini has always alluded to the soldiers and low-ranking personnel of the military on a plane different and separate from the sold-out military commanders in his messages during the course of the movement; and as we have witnessed ourselves, Imam’s messages conduced success. The soldiers’ desertion of their barracks and the glorious parade of Air Force officers before Imam Khomeini on February 16, 1979/Bahman 19, 1357 SH and the union of a great part of the military with the people on February 18 and 19, 1979/Bahman 21- 22, 1357 SH are some of the remarkable constructive results of Imam’s efforts. The massacres carried out by the Shah’s regime in 1977 [1356 SH] and 1978 [1357 SH] had aggravated the already critical situation during those days such that if it had not been for Imam Khomeini’s authoritative policies, the widespread bloody confrontations between the military forces and the people in the last days of the regime could have engendered chaos that could have been followed by unimaginable consequences given the military prowess of the regime and the fury and resentment of the oppressed people of Iran.

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ANSWERING CARTER’S INSULTS In connection with the Shah’s departure, which is one of the nation’s demands, one of the things which have been said is that the Shah should not leave because if he does, Iran’s and the region’s stability would be shaken and would crumble. As it has been reported, Carter, in his last statement, has said that a powerful and independent Iran would contribute to and create stability. He further said that they could not bear to see a bunch of riffraff overthrow the Shah who was such and such a person.369 Now, let us analyze these two issues that he (Carter) has brought up: firstly to see if Iran’s, or the region’s, stability will crumble with the Shah’s departure and then we will scrutinize his (Carter’s) statement saying that the people who do not want the Shah are a bunch of riffraff, a bunch of abject and ignoble people, and that he cannot bear to see this riffraff overthrow the Shah!

CARTER’S SYMPATHY! The real issue is not what he (Carter) thinks it is. He himself knows that it is not the case. But regarding Iran’s stability, what point is he driving at by saying that it has to be stable and that his heart bleeds for Iran, that Iran or the region, which includes the Persian Gulf and its states, should have stability, and that he sees the absence of stability in Iran as the absence of stability in the region and that it is something he can never tolerate or bear to see? How come he has suddenly shown compassion for humanity? Is it really his philanthropic sentiment or his concern for human rights which has compelled Mr. Carter into believing that if the Shah left, Iran’s and the region’s stability would crumble? Does this sense emanate from his desire to protect human rights and the sorrow he feels for the Iranians who, God forbid, would be inconvenienced if an upheaval were to take place?! With this upheaval, the people’s possessions may run to waste; the people’s lives may be destroyed, is this why he is concerned? Is it because he is such a humanitarian and has his undivided attention glued on human rights that he cannot watch (the Shah’s deposition) ?! Perhaps, he is now sleepless at nights because Iranians are afflicted with such adversities! Is it indeed this way?! Or, is the real issue something else? Well, if it were really his humanitarian feeling and love for human rights that drove him to make such statements, then how come he has kept mum during all the massacres which have taken place in Iran during this entire year, during all the killings since Khordad 15, 1341 SH (June 5, 1963), up until now which he, or any sane individual, knows, have been perpetrated on the command of the Shah who is the fountainhead of all other orders, and that no top official is empowered to order a massacre and that such a thing can never occur unless the Shah orders it? How can we make sense out of these two (contradictory statements) ? His love for humanity has caused him to be so apprehensive about regional stability being shaken, whereas this very same humanity, some thirty to thirty-five million of them, are now having their youth dragged into bloodshed, and their schools, universities and places of worship are now scenes of bloody confrontations! How can we make sense out of these two statements?! His heart bleeds for humanity, for the Iranians, lest Iran’s stability be disturbed which will lead to chaos and turmoil, and to the people’s property being destroyed and people’s lives being wasted. In spite of the fact that this person (the Shah) has wasted the 369 In an interview on November 13, 1978/Aban 22, 1357 SH, Carter described anti-Shah elements as a bunch of riffraff and said: “A powerful and independent Iran is a major factor in regional stability. We don’t want to see this stability become a plaything in the hands of criminals and the government be toppled, a situation that may be followed by unforeseen consequences.”

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people’s lives so wantonly and plundered the nation’s wealth and allowed it to be plundered, he (Carter) now defends him and cannot bear to see him go! How can we make sense out of these two utterances?! Unless the real issue is something else and he himself knows that it is not the real issue.

STABILITY OF IRAN OR STABILITY OF INTERESTS? He is roused to an absolute frenzy fearing the loss of stability in Iran and the region, because if stability crumbles, then the region will not give him (Carter) any more oil! They fear lest their shipping lines used for taking oil and other interests be severed! That is the issue!! Why don’t you (Carter) make yourself clear? Express yourself clearly like a decent human being. Say that you are afraid to lose your interests in Iran, just as the British Foreign Minister said. He stated that he (the Shah) is closely linked to them, that they (UK) had interests there and that he was the protector of the interests they had in Iran and so they were backing him up. You, too, should make yourself clear and state that you are scooping up benefits from Iran: one, you want to loot its oil; you want to have military bases in Iran which will serve as trenches in case a general war breaks out; you want to take the rest of Iran’s oil reserves and it is the Shah who can guarantee you these gains, so you are supporting him. Well, this is the truth of the matter and how very right indeed! That is, if he had told the truth, this is what he could have said. But, he digressed from the real issue. On the one hand, he contends that regional stability must be safeguarded and, on the other, he denies any intervention in the country’s internal affairs.370 And that everybody knows that he, America, never, ever intervenes in Iranian affairs!! He is like an alien creature dwelling on the other side of the mountain and does not have any business with Iran at all!! He makes these asseverations. The Soviets are also making such claims, but who will believe their rhetoric?

INDEPENDENT AND POWERFUL IRAN His assertions that a powerful and independent Iran means guarding its stability are correct. A powerful and independent Iran will engender stability, that is, if Iran were independent, were not controlled by outsiders and did not have its affairs interfered in by others, and if it were powerful enough with its system free from the clutches of another system, stability would be created. Iran is after such an order. The Iranians want Iran to be stable and not shaky, with no one meddling in its affairs every day, with its affairs not being carried out by their flunkies who should not interfere in the country’s laws. Iran wants, the Iranian people, the great nation of Iran wants its country to be independent and powerful. At present, Iran is neither powerful nor independent. It has no power of its own because it is being run by other powers. There are 45,000 or 60,000, or even 80,000 according to one report, Americans, mostly advisers, running our system. Therefore, the powerful of today have the power; these powers hold the authority in Iran and not the Shah. We want an Iran that is independent, an Iran that is powerful. Now, Iran is not powerful because its system, which is the fulcrum of power, is tied up to other governments and their systems. They do whatever they

370 Besides the US President, the heads of European governments rose in support of the Shah making similar supportive statements. On November 21, 1978/Aban 30, 1357 SH, Agence France Presse dispatched this report: “Today, French President, Giscard d’Estaing announced in a press interview that Ayatullah Khomeini had been granted residence in France as an alien subject and not as a political refugee. We reminded him that France is not a country from which he could incite people to violence,” he was quoted as saying. He further added: “France cannot interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. We approve of the Shah’s policy and hope that Iran will soon regain stability, peace and order.” Taqwim-e Tarikh-e Inqilab-e Islami-ye Iran (A Historical Calendar of the Islamic Revolution of Iran), p. 189.

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want and in this manner they despoil Iran. Iran is now a country held captive by these powers. They have bases here which are located in the mountains of Kurdistan and at the borders.371 They have huge underground bases. Iran is such a country where they (the foreign powers) are depredating its oil resources, on the one hand, and erecting bases for themselves, on the other! If Iran were powerful, it would not allow such despoilment to take place. So, Iran is not powerful. You cannot say that Iran has been, or is, powerful and that if the Shah leaves, this power will dissipate. We want the man who weakened Iran and laid it to waste to depart and be replaced by the nation which is powerful. The Iranians demand this. The Iranians want independence. They want to sever the tentacles of other powers. It is right to say that Iran possesses power and independence which can sustain regional stability. This is an undisputed fact. But now, Iran, or the region, is unstable. If Iran were stable, it would not let you (foreign powers) intervene in its affairs. Iran is shaky and is in chaos. This anarchy has plagued Iran for the last thirty-five years, or shall I say fifty years.

IRAN’S STABILITY DEPENDING ON ITS INDEPENDENCE AND POWER So, it is not Iran’s stability that you are after. What you really want is for Iran to lose its stability, so you can take advantage of it. If Iran becomes powerful and stable, if, for instance, the Iranian government enjoys power that it uses to serve the nation and for the betterment of Iran itself, if governments were borne out of the nation’s will, they would never let you despoil Iran this way and cause this chaos. Iran lacks stability that it is plunged into this mess. It is without stability because it is without power or independence. Iran says it has to have stability and a stability that emanates from power and independence; and we want power and independence, power that can deliver our military from the adversities that America has encumbered it with, so we can set up a military that is reliant upon the nation, not one that is dependent on American advisers. We will safeguard our independence and we will become an independent country, not a country whose every affair is in another country’s hands, so that by this means, our country will attain stability. When it has attained stability, then you (America) will not have any right to take its oil for free, or worse than this! By “worse,” I mean they take our oil and as a payment, they build their bases here! God knows what a tribulation it is for a country whose oil is being plundered and then its plunderers compel it to buy 18 billion worth of arms, bring them to Iran and then erect military bases for Mr. Carter or America on the pretext that we want to be a powerful country! Well, the Iranian nation does not want this to be! It wants no strings attached. It wants to be independent. An independent country will not tolerate such things.

COVERT US INTERFERENCE IN THE IRANIAN AFFAIRS If a country has a population of 50,000 and is independent, and if this nation of 50,000 runs its own country, no power can ever impose these things on them. But the problem is they (foreign powers) are sowing seeds of corruption right in the heart of the country. That man abroad (Carter) sits pretty and claims that he does 371 The February 22, 1979/Esfand 3, 1357 SH issue of Kayhan, published an article on an American espionage base in Kurdistan: “A wellequipped espionage base was discovered in Kermanshah. This base, whose construction started clandestinely about three years ago, is eighty percent complete and is located in the Mahdasht region. A group of observers believes that this network was built through the efforts of SAVAK and Israeli espionage experts working under the supervision of the CIA and is apparently designed for the transport and deployment of ground forces.”

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not meddle in the country’s affairs! They are not meddling in the sense that they have not directly deployed an army with guns and tanks to invade Iran. This is not the case; however, you have sent military experts acting as so-called public servants to train the army and do anything they want; on the other hand, they interfere in and dominate each and every affair in the country.

A LIBERATED IRAN We want a free Iran, an independent Iran. We want a powerful Iran. We want an Iran wherein the nation stands undeterred and runs the country. For the last fifty years, we have never had a Parliament, a government or even a king, nothing! We had nothing. Everything was run by others who were administering the country. Now, the country has risen up to get rid of this chaos which foreign governments wish to prevail (in the country). It does not want to let this anarchy prevail.

FALSE STABILITY Well, his (Carter’s) second statement which we will pose as a question to him is: “Does stability exist in Iran now?” Now, the Shah is there and has not gone yet. Now, that the Shah is still there, the whole country seethes with discord; the people are revolting and saying they do not want this wretched runt who is massacring and looting the people by unleashing his club-wielding hooligans and his henchmen armed with guns and tanks upon the people. Does stability exist now? A couple of days ago, as reported, his henchmen in tanks attacked the inside of a Muslim shrine in the holy city of Mashhad- the holy shrine of Imam Reza, upon whom be peace- riddling the walls and porch of the shrine with bullet holes. This is the umpteenth time that the Pahlavi dynasty has attacked places of worship, and the very same holy shrine of Imam Reza.372 Is this stability? Does our country have any stability?! Now, the Shah is there, is the country a stable one? Is it a country where nothing is shaky? Or, you (Carter) just want to talk nonsense for yourself! There is nobody there to stand up to him and say: “Mister, what is this (nonsense) you are blabbering about? The people are being killed; it is the people who are being victimized; the whole country looks as if an earthquake has struck; everything is topsy-turvy: when one group of people cries out that it does not want the Shah, a contemptible band (of hooligans) supporting him is unleashed upon these people, killing them and coercing the nation into wanting the Shah! The people have to love the Shah by hook or by crook!! Is this the stability that he (Carter) says Iran has, a stability he cannot bear to get shaky?

372 On November 23, 1978/Azar 2, 1357 SH, subsequent to the issuance of Imam Khomeini’s message on the advent of Muharram, the regime initiated moves to desecrate the holy shrine of Imam Reza (as) and killed a group (of worshippers) at the sacred precincts. In connection with this tragedy, Tehran’s clergy issued a communique condemning these acts as criminal. On November 24/Azar 3, SH, Imam Khomeini sent a message addressed to the Iranian people from Paris, according to which, he said: “The usurpatory military government razed everything to the ground on the Shah’s order; and one of this criminal’s greatest blows on Islam is the machine-gunning of the holy precincts of Ali ibn Musa al-Reza, the blessings of God be upon him. In this great mourning observed as a result of the effrontery done to the Imam’s station, I announce Sunday, November 26/Azar 3 SH/Dhul Hijjah 25, a day of public mourning.” Qum’s maraji’ also announced it a day of public mourning and harshly criticized the government for this abominable crime. In desecrating the shrine of the Prophet’s Household (as), the Shah took after his father! During his reign, Reza Khan had also once ordered his troops to open fire on the people at Imam Reza’s holy shrine.

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“ RIFFRAFF” IN CARTER’S WISDOM Well, the next statement which he made so amicably is that they (the US) could not bear to witness the toppling of the Shah, who is such a wondrous personality, at the hands of a bunch of riffraff, of abject and ignoble people! Are the Iranian people who are saying they want freedom and independence riffraff, or those who are plundering their wealth? The Iranian nation is shouting that it wants freedom. Are those who say they want freedom the abject and ignoble ones in the eyes of the world, or those who divest people of their freedom? Is he who says he wants independence, abject and ignoble, or he who suppresses a nation’s independence? Is a nation of thirty-five million people who have risen and spoken and are sacrificing their lives and their youth in order to rescue their country from your (US) clutches, wretched and contemptible and you the honorable one? Is he who speaks of human rights, on the one hand, and then tramples upon the rights of millions of human beings on the other- that we, here in Iran, are witness to, and others witness the same in other places- the honorable one? Is he who talks of human rights on the one hand, while on the other, suppresses humans, an honorable one? Is the Iranian nation which wants to be set free from their (US) yoke, the wretched and contemptible ones in your (Carter’s) view? Your judgment is utterly wrong. You should change your view. Later on, you will be living with this nation. They will not let you live. A nation which witnesses the way you reproach them will not let you stay alive; it will not let Americans remain in Iran. This man (Carter) should do a little rethinking, this man who is saying: “We cannot bear to see the Shah who is such a bigwig be toppled by a bunch of wretched and contemptible people. “Well, if you cannot bear to witness such, then close your eyes! The Iranian nation will carry it out, God willing, it will.” [Audience invokes God’s will (Insha’Allah)]. Of course, on the condition that God is there with them: “Say: ‘I admonish you to do one thing: to rise up for God; it may be in pairs or it may be singly.”373

LARGE-SCALE UPRISING If your uprising is for God then you will be victorious be you alone or in a multitude. Rise up for God. God willing, the Iranian nation has risen for God in order to sever the hands of the tyrants and rescue the Islamic country. We are duty bound to help this movement. Gentlemen, if, God forbid, this movement does not reap its desired end and its flames are extinguished, we will be encumbered with adversities up until the end, that is, your future generations will be afflicted with another kind of exploitation under a tyrannical hoodlum who will come and kowtow to their (the foreigners’) will. Do not let this movement die without reaching its goal. Come and join this movement for truth; co-operate with all your might until it reaches its desired goal and the hands (of the exploitative powers) are severed and this dynasty is toppled and plunged down the cliff of destruction. God willing, He will protect you. May you all be successful, God willing; may God keep you in good health, God willing.

373 Qur’an, 34:46

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75th Speech Date: November 25, 1978/Azar 4, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 24, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Confronting America’s propaganda and threat Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

GAINING IN SCOPE OF THE ENEMY’S PROPAGANDA The broader the scope of this struggle becomes, the broader the scope of the propaganda against it. At first, when the struggle was less intense and things were quieter, the volume of propaganda against it both at home and abroad was less. However, now that the struggle has gained momentum those who want the Shah to remain- whether they be his agents within the country or people abroad, whether those who covet the Shah’s purse or those who covet Iran’s resources- are all making every effort to broaden the scope of propaganda against it. Among these efforts are the remarks which have recently emanated from Carter and which I have mentioned before. One or two in particular I find most regrettable and have saddened me deeply. First of all he says that a powerful and independent Iran is necessary for the stability of the region- or words to this effect- and then he says that they cannot sit by and watch while “contemptible riffraff” Depose the Shah and destroy this regime! Such statements are both propagandist and menacing.

STABILITY OF IRAN DEPENDS ON THE DOWNFALL OF SHAH This idea that if the Shah goes Iran will lose its stability is one which the Shah himself has brought up in many of his comments and continues to do so. It is also one which his agents abroad, those who get their daily bread from him and those who want to secure their interests through him, have put about and still do! This is pure propaganda. Now that the Shah is in power, is Iran stable?! Don’t they realize that these comments that they make will be seized upon by the media? He (Carter) is a powerful figure, the leader of one of the superpowers, his words will be reported on by the press. In Iran and in other countries it will be reported that Carter says that with the Shah in power Iran is passing its days in stability and peace! The people are all at ease, all of them sleep peacefully in their beds at night! They are all calmly going about their daily affairs! All the universities are busy with their studies and the atmosphere is one of tranquility and happiness because the Shah is in Iran! Will it be reported by the world’s media that the revolution which is taking place in Iran at present is happening in the absence of the Shah or in his presence? Is it because the Shah is not in Iran that these disturbances have engulfed the country? Or are they taking place in his presence, in the blessed presence of “His Imperial Majesty”? Is it in his presence that all the people have stood up and are shouting death to this man and death to this dynasty? Practically every day now we receive calls from Iran telling us that in a certain place so many people have been killed, in another a strike has occurred, that such and such an office has gone on strike or such and such a factory has gone on strike. Are these killings which we hear about every day and which are taking place throughout the whole of Iran a sign of the peacefulness which the presence of the Shah has brought

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to the country? Is Iran an oasis of peace and stability because of him? Or is it the case that there is no peace because the Shah is in Iran? We say that if the Shah remains in Iran and wants to continue with his illegal reign and his hellish rule, then Iran will not be stable. Iran’s stability is already lost and it is now on the brink of collapse.

CARTER’S BRAGGING That person (Carter) says that if the Shah remains in power he will maintain an independent Iran, a rich and powerful Iran and he will preserve both the stability of the region and the stability of Iran! He speaks of the Shah as a powerful person who has created independence in Iran and his government as one which has made the country rich! He says it is the Shah who has preserved peace in the country and has safeguarded its independence, and were he to go, this independence and peace would go too! Independence would be lost, freedom would be lost. Everything of ours depends on this munificent individual! What kind of talk is this coming from someone who calls himself the President of a superpower and speaks in such an exaggerated and boastful manner? Why should a person say things which we in another corner of the world can point out the shortcomings of? Indeed, any right-minded person who hears this will pass criticism and ask: “What stability are you talking about sir?” Is there stability in Iran at present? Where is the independence in Iran about which you speak? Is the Iranian army independent? Is the educational system there independent? Is its industry independent? Is its economy independent? What is independent in Iran that one can say is so because of the presence of the Shah? How can one say that stability in the region follows independence in Iran and now that Iran is independent the region is stable, but if he goes that stability will be lost?! What kind of independence do we have? You know as well as we do what you are saying; you know as well as we do that you are lying! [the audience laughs]. Iran enjoys independence, does it?

IRAN HEADQUARTERS FOR US’S INTERESTS You know only too well that Iran has been turned into a base for America; you have set up bases for America there. An independent country would give you a punch in the mouth for wanting to set up bases on its territory! You know that in the mountains of Iran bases have been set up for you. An independent country, an independent government, would not allow bases to be set up on its territory. You know what you have done to Iran’s economy and how you have plundered Iran’s resources and reserves. If we had had an honorable government, an honorable king, would it have been possible for our resources to have been given over to your consumption in the manner they have been? Because a man of nearly sixty years of age wants to stay in power a few days longer and continue with his lowly, contemptible life, he gives away all the resources of a large country with no thought either to the future of the country or to its present state. Why then, when you know all these things, do you speak so? Do you have any reason other than to deceive? Who are you trying to deceive, the people of our country? They know that there is no peace in the country; they know that they don’t enjoy independence.

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“RIFFRAFF” IN CARTER’S WISDOM One day he says that the Shah has granted the people freedom quickly and decisively and they are now up in arms over this “quick” freedom!374 I don’t know how one can reply to such remarks. If he were an ordinary person one could say he is just speaking nonsense, ignore him. But the person making such remarks is no ordinary person, he is someone who is disseminating them as official views in order to influence public opinion and safeguard the Shah’s rule. So one day he says this and the next he makes a remark which, when heard coming from a sane individual, would upset any human being and that is: “We cannot sit by and watch while contemptible riffraff bring down this monarchy.” Thirty-odd million Muslims have stood up and are saying they want to be free, they want to be independent. Are freedom and independence the things the contemptible and the lowest of the low seek?! You tell the Iranian people that they have been made free and it is because they are free that they can say such things. Are the people of Iran free?! Is the press in Iran now free?! So, why are the newspapers all closed down? If they are free then why have the newspapers throughout Iran had to close down in order to avoid censorship?375 Why have the telecommunications offices closed down? Everything in Iran at present is shut down. Every office one goes to is closed. Why? Why are the newspapers in Iran now closed down? Well, we must ask Mr. Carter this question. Are they closed on account of the contemptible riffraff?! The printing houses will not print any newspapers as long as censorship, repression and inhuman acts continue. This is what the people have risen up against. The people of Iran want to live like true human beings; they don’t want to be under the control of some people who have no human qualities. So then in your logic do a people who have risen up, who are sacrificing their children and young people for the sake of freedom, for independence, for Islam, for a just government, constitute riffraff?! I have said on a previous occasion that words used today are devoid of their true meaning. This age of ours is one in which words are spoken that are void of any meanings. Carter says that Iran is free, very free! And at the same time he says he is happy that the Shah has given the people freedom! You are happy! Is this what you call freedom that has been given to us?! They use a word but it has no meaning this word! They use meaningless words. Either that or the word “freedom” is used to mean repression! That is Carter talks about freedom but he really means repression, or he talks about such things and he doesn’t know what on earth he is talking about! However, that cannot be. You are aware of what you are saying when you say Iran is free and that you are happy Iran is free. Yes, you are sorry that some people have been killed, but it was necessary! After you say you are sorry you say it was necessary! Do you know what you are really saying? You are saying that if these people aren’t killed your oil will not be saved! If these people aren’t killed your bases will possibly be destroyed. These killings are necessary if the foreigners are to continue to exploit and plunder us; in order for them to take our oil and build bases for themselves- instead of paying 374 In a press conference on October 14, 1978/Mehr 22, 1357 SH, Carter stated that he believed opposition to the Shah had arisen in Iran from “the conservatives and leftists” because the Shah had “moved aggressively to establish democratic principles in Iran and to have a progressive attitude toward social questions and social problems.” Ittila’at newspaper, October 15, 1978/Mehr 23, 1357 SH, according to reporters from Reuter, United Press and Associated Press. 375 With the installment of the military government on November 5, 1978/Aban 15, 1357 SH, press censorship, which had to an extent been lifted during Prime Minister Sharif Imami’s term in office, was re-imposed. In response, the press went on strike, and from November 5, 1978 to January 5, 1979/Aban 15, 1357- Dey 15, 1357 SH, none of the reputable newspapers and magazines were published throughout the whole of Iran.

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money for their oil they build bases for themselves in the country- these killings they say are necessary. Naturally, it is regrettable! Naturally, you only wish that the people had not spoken out until you had finished taking your oil! It is somewhat regrettable that they have spoken out now! Killing people is regrettable, but in this case it is necessary! This is coming from someone who talks about human rights; who advocates human rights and then says that a people who have stood up demanding the most fundamental of human rights are “contemptible riffraff” Whose killing is a necessity! These people who say we want to be free, we want to be independent, their killing is a necessity! It is unavoidable, but it is regrettable that they chose to say such things. It would be better if they didn’t say such things! The people should remain under the control of this spur! “His Imperial Majesty” should remain in power until they have finished taking the oil and the way for doing this should remain open to them! They have poured into Abadan and by force of the bayonet want to take the oil again. Hitherto, the workers at the oil company have not turned up for work; I don’t know what the present situation is.

CARTER’S DOUBLE STANDARD OF HUMAN RIGHTS This age and this environment that we find ourselves in today are such that we witness many surprising and strange things! On the one hand that wretch talks about freedom for man and safeguarding human rights, and on the other he says in the case of Iran the protection of human rights is not an issue! In one of his remarks Mr. Carter has said that in the case of Iran, where the Americans have interests to protect and the country is of strategic importance, there can be no talk of human rights! Human rights are an issue in other places, but in Iran and other countries like it (where American interests are involved) it is not necessary for them to protect human rights! Then he describes the demonstrators as a bunch of contemptible ruffians! Is that person who wants to deprive the people of their peace of mind a ruffian, or he who says I want to be free? Is he who wants to plunder the people’s wealth one of the riffraff or the people who say they want to protect their own wealth? Think about this, don’t speak without thinking. Think about just what it is these people want. Are their demands those of riffraff and contemptible people, or is he who rejects these demands the contemptible one?

PEOPLE’S ASPIRATION: INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM It is clear what the people of Iran are saying, all of them, from the primary school-children to the highschool students, from the university students to the old men, are crying out: “We want freedom; we want independence; we don’t want a government that has deprived us of independence.” Is this how one describes those who say they want to be free, they want to be independent; they don’t want to be under the yoke of foreigners, as riffraff and contemptible people? Is it because they are so ignoble that they say they don’t want this? If they are under your control they are noble people are they? If they scoop up handfuls of oil and give it to you, if they hand over the keys of their resources to you then they are a great and noble people are they?! But now that they tell you not to plunder them they are vile are they? They are riffraff are they? Is this your logic?! Isn’t this the logic of the riffraff? These words reflect the logic of the dregs of society not that of a (true) human being. A (true) human being would not talk like this. If you had not used such expressions I would not have used them. It shames me to speak to you. Be that as it may, the situation in Iran today has reached this stage and I hope that, by the will of the Exalted God, Iran will move forward [the audience says “God willing”] and will be victorious [“God willing” from

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the audience]. All of you who are here, from wherever you may have come, are duty bound to serve Iran and help this movement. You can help by propagating the Iranian people’s cause over here so that these people in the propaganda business who are receiving stipends from the Shah will shut their mouths. For, indeed, he has people in foreign countries that disseminate propaganda about his rule with the aim of preserving it.

COUNTER-PROPAGANDA So you too spread the word about the movement, acquaint the people over here with the demands of the Iranian people. It has been for fifteen years now or more that this nation has risen up, and for the past year the people have constantly been shedding their blood, constantly sacrificing their youth. What do they want? This freedom and independence that they seek is so important to them that they are willing to sacrifice their youth for it and still are not afraid. You must help them. You must at least tell the people over here that this is what Iran wants. Tell them not to listen to the propaganda that is spread from some quarters that these people are riffraff, are contemptible and are barbarians! On a day when the people were marching peacefully, an American wretch described them as barbaric, to which a certain reporter- a Europeanreplied: “But these are people who want freedom, how can you call them barbaric?! How can you describe as barbaric, people who have risen up in this manner, people who, a million-strong, march peacefully for a human demand?!”376 They recognize only those who safeguard their interests as not being barbaric! Whoever safeguards the American’s interests is not only a human being, but a noble human being at that! Such people are not riffraff! They are not rabble! They are not base! They are noble! Whoever wants to protect his own wealth so that the thief does not come and take it is a vile person, a despicable person! Please God may He grant you all success and victory and may you return home one day in glory and honor. Today your heads are held high for you have brought alive a nation. You people of Iran, you youth, have brought Iran alive, you have resurrected those who were dead. May God keep you all. May you be successful [the audience says “Amen”].

76th Speech Date: November 25, 1978/Azar 4, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 24, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The extent of the Shah’s crimes and the different dimensions of his treachery Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

376 Imam has referred to this event in previous speeches. He is quoting a European reporter who was present at the massive demonstration which took place in Tehran on Eid al-Fitr: On returning an American gave him a lift in his car. On the way the American pointed to the people saying: “See what barbarians they are!” The reporter turned to him and asked: “Where have you seen such a large crowd of people demonstrate in such a calm and peaceful manner demanding their rights? Is this how savages behave?”

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SIGNIFICANCE OF SUFFERING FOR A DIVINE GOAL The loftier the aim, the more patiently man must endure the hardship involved in achieving it, however great that may be, until it becomes easier. If the aim of you gentlemen is material, your suffering will all be in vain, but if your aim is for God, if it is the deliverance of God’s creatures, the deliverance of a weak, oppressed nation, then no matter how great the hardships you have to bear, they will not be borne in vain. Something which is done for God is not a futile action. Do not suppose that these energies which are expended and have been expended up till now for the sake of this oppressed nation; for the deliverance of God’s creatures; for the elimination of oppression; for severing the hands of foreigners from Muslim land are and have been in vain. They are all taken into account. You all, the nation of Iran and the nation of Islam are currently confronting a satanic power which for years has determined your destiny. Gradually, the Muslim lands have begun to think about freeing themselves from this power, and this includes Iran, which for some time now has been thinking about liberating itself from the hands of foreigners and from the grasp of this satanic power. Indeed, it has suffered much hardship in the course of pursuing this goal, for the aim is a very great one. The aim is the deliverance of a nation; it is to deliver these poor people, who have suffered pain and torment under the injustice and oppression of foreigners meted out to them through unjust governments and the despotic Pahlavi dynasty, and to free the country from the hands of unbelievers, from the hands of the foreigners. The aim is to create a country which is in your hands, a country whose resources are in your hands.

REASON BEHIND BUDGET DEFICIT When you hear them harping on about how low the budget is, how there is a deficit,377 it doesn’t mean that Iran’s earnings are low. Iran’s income is very high; however, hands are at work to make sure that its budget is not secure. There are many devourers! At present, the income from oil provides for a great chunk of the budget, and one of the crimes currently being perpetrated by the Shah against our nation is that he is intent on pouring all of this reserve, which should last for many years to come and be safeguarded for future generations to live on, down America’s throat within the space of the next twenty or thirty years and in return get nothing which is in the interests of the nation. One of the reasons why there is a budget deficit is that the money is being stolen. As you know, they have bought weapons with eighteen billion dollars of the oil money! They have bought eighteen billion dollars’ worth of weapons and still they buy more. If you give them half the chance they will buy even more in the future. And what kind of weapons have they bought? Do you think we need eighteen billion dollars’ worth of weapons to administer our affairs? No, this is not the heart of the matter. The arms are important because of the rivalry that exists between America and Russia. With the excuse of paying for the oil, they (the Americans) bring these weapons into Iran, weapons I might add that are of no use to Iran, and create bases for themselves. In other words, they take our oil and in return build bases for themselves! In the name of paying for the oil, they build bases for themselves. If they gave us hard currency for the oil, if they actually 377 Hard currency earnings from the export of oil and gas during a ten-year period, until the end of 1357 SH [March 1978- March 1979] were constantly on the rise such that the 1.3 billion earned in 1349 SH [1970-71] rose to 18.1 billion in 1357 SH [1978-79]. However, misappropriation of these funds by the royal family and their uncontrolled squandering did not leave much money left for the government. For this reason, the government constantly complained of a budget deficit.

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paid us money for it, it would be more than was needed for running the government and running the country. This money would be enough for our people; but so much of it is stolen. America takes some of the oil and gives us iron in return! But the iron is not for our use, rather their own. Of the money it does pay for the oil, most of this goes down the throats of Muhammad Reza Khan, his family- those who are related to him in some way- and those who want to serve him and who kill the people in order to preserve his rule. It is said that in all there are sixty thousand people who are related to the royal family! Related in the sense that they too should banquet at the Shah’s table! They too should take the money and do nothing apart from satiate themselves and act wantonly. It is not that there is not enough income; rather there are too many takers.

OUTCOME OF SHAH’S LAND REFORMS This oil revenue which should be spent on the country, on the poor people of the country, has not been used on tarmacking the roads or providing electricity even in Tehran. Even Tehran today does not enjoy some of the basic amenities such as electricity, tarmacked roads and piped water! Some areas of Tehran have none of these things; there is no piped water which means that people have to go to taps that have been erected in the streets for their water. In Tehran at present there are about twenty or thirty areas, the particulars of which have been sent to me but are not with me at the moment, where people live in hovels or tents. As I have been told in the letters I have received, it is quite surprising how some of these people live. These are the peasants whom the Shah claimed to have freed from the control of the landlords when he carried out his plans to transform the rural system and everyone was supposed to become simply villagers and whatever! These peasants are now the slum dwellers who live on the outskirts of Tehran or in the city itself. The most fortunate of them has been able to build a mud hut for himself and the rest of his family which may range from anywhere between five to fifteen people! The others build homes out of pieces of wood, reeds and such like! Some people have written to me with details about these slum areas and they name twenty or thirty areas where people live in hovels, in tents or some other makeshift shelter. They wrote that their living conditions are such that some of them have made their homes out of holes in the ground. In order to get water they have to climb fifty or a hundred steps- I can’t remember the exact number but it is a lot- in order to reach the street where a water tap has been installed. The poor women have to take their pitchers and climb up those steps to the water tap in the street then climb down them again so as to take a jug of water to their children. Imagine what that must be like in the middle of a biting winter, in the snow! Is this called living? Don’t think that the Iranians now have an easy life as they (the Shah and his regime) like to trumpet over their propaganda loudspeakers. Those who do enjoy a comfortable life are a privileged group of people who are either favored by him or related to him in some way; they are the ones having an easy life; the rest of the people aren’t. Tehran itself has these twenty to thirty areas where people live in abject poverty. These people were once in the villages busy tilling their fields, but then, in the name of ‘land reforms’, the whole system was turned upside down and because they saw they could no longer make a living in the village, these poor, unfortunate people migrated to the cities. Many of them went to Tehran and its surrounding areas hoping to eke out a

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living by working, selling things or carrying things around for people; anything just to keep their children alive. This was the result of the ‘land reforms’ which he carried out. This is what America wanted. This was a plan that America devised for the countries of this region, Iran being just one of them. It was a plan devised to create a market for America, because America had a surplus of wheat which at times it burned and at others it threw into the sea. A better alternative was to turn the life of the Iranians upside down, disrupt Iran’s cultivation system and completely destroy farming in the country, so that a country whose needs were once met by the produce of just one of it provinces, the surplus being exported, now had to import goods from abroad. If farming were carried out in the province of Azerbaijan like it used to be, then its produce alone would be sufficient to meet the needs of the whole of Iran.378 Indeed there would be a surplus which would have to be exported abroad. But now as you see, Iran has to import all of its needs! Animal husbandry has been destroyed, farming has been destroyed; everything has been destroyed. Our pasturelands, our lush, verdurous pasturelands- which some experts from abroad have described as the best in the world for raising cattle- have been given to one group of people which includes the Queen of England, as I have been told in the letters I have received, and to some other people who are spongers just like the Shah and his regime. They have “rented” the land as they put it! So our animal husbandry has been destroyed and now the nation of Iran has to make do with frozen meat brought in for it from other countries and which is unclean according to religious law. The people have to eat frozen carcasses, meat which is bad and rotten and which they are forbidden by their religion to eat, whereas when animal husbandry thrived in Iran, the produce of just one province was sufficient to meet the needs of the whole country, the surplus being exported.379

SHAH’S TREASON OF HAVING RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL Now, however, he (the Shah) imports everything from abroad. And whatever is brought into the country comes either from Israel

ISRAEL THE ENEMY OF ISLAM! God only knows what treason this man has committed against Islam. Israel is the enemy of Islam; it is currently at war with the Muslims. From the very beginning this regime gave it official recognition. Twenty-

378 Lady Mary Leonora Sheil, in her book Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia describing her visit to the province of Azerbaijan, comments on the variation of grain cultivated in the villages and the abundance of wheat and barley fields. She describes Azerbaijan as an important province which in many aspects, among them the fertility of the region’s soil, is better than the other provinces of Iran. She notes that although the region’s agricultural products are the result of dry farming methods, the grain harvest is so profuse that every year a portion of it is exported to Georgia. Be that as it may, by 1969 [1347 SH], the export of wheat from Iran had dropped to 254 thousand tons, and in 1971 [1349 SH] not only did Iran no longer export wheat, but it had to import supplies into the country. By 1978 [1356 SH], the amount of imported wheat had reached 1,400, 000 tons! 379 In the past, one of Iran’s main exports was live sheep. Jean Baptiste Tavernier, the French traveler and Orientalist who visited Iran in the 17th century, writes in his book: “Tabriz and Hamadan were once regions from which large flocks of sheep were sent to the bazaars of Istanbul and Adhanah. The supply of meat for Rumania and Anatolia usually came from Iran and in the months April-July, the roads were full of flocks of thousands of sheep. In addition to sheep, other animals were sold, among them camels which were sold to Anatolia and Armenia.” With the Shah’s ‘White Revolution’ and ‘land reforms’ however, Iran’s farming and animal husbandry completely lost luster until the time came when the country’s supply of meat was provided by Turkey, Adhanah and Bulgaria.

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five or thirty years ago when it was actually at war with the Muslims,380 these people officially recognized Israel!381 Then however, they did not make this known to the public. And today, as the end draws nigh, you can all see how one of Muhammad Reza Khan’s strongest advocates, one of the keenest proponents for the continuation of his rule, is Israel. For the Israelis argue that if he goes they will lose their supply of oil, because this regime is supplying Israel with its oil.382 In other words, they give the oil of a Muslim land to the enemy of Muslims to help it wage war against the Muslims! This is the kind of traitor this wretch is! He sends our oil to them in his tankers, he gets it to them by his own means, to the Israelis who with this oil wage war against the Muslims and who have usurped the Muslims’ land destroying everything they have. Look what they have done to Palestine, look how they have usurped Jerusalem. This is just one of the treacherous acts this man has committed against Islam and the Muslims. Within Iran itself he has betrayed the Muslims for the sake of the Israelis. As I have been told, the best land of Iran has been given to the Israelis.383 The best land of Iran has been handed over to these Israeli Jews for them to work on and reap the benefit of.

FRUSTRATION IN VILLAGES AND PLUNDERING BY SHAH’S FAMILY Our villagers are forced into Tehran to live the life we have been told about. Until one goes there and sees for oneself, one cannot perceive the reality of their life, one cannot fully understand just what this regime has done to these people. God only knows what state the provincial towns and villages are in when this is the state of Tehran, the capital! There is no water, there are no clinics. In their own newspapers they speak of areas where groups of twenty villages are without clinics, doctors and water.384 A few years ago, in the 380 Four wars were fought between the Arabs and the Israelis, in 1948 [1327 SH], 1956 [1335 SH], 1967 [1346 SH] and 1973 [1352 SH]. Imam is referring to the 1948 war in which armed Zionists attacked the Palestinians, who had been disarmed by the British, forcing hundreds of thousands of them out of their homeland. Following this aggression, the 21,500- strong army of five Arab countries entered Palestine, but this small army was unable to do anything against the Zionists’ 65, 000- strong army. 381 In 1960 [1339 SH], the Shah officially recognized the usurper Israeli government after having extended de facto recognition to the state since 1950. Following this, economic and military relations were set up between the two governments, although cooperation between Israel’s MOSSAD and SAVAK began in the 1950s. After a while, Israel’s power and influence in Iran were such that it was able to install its friends in the country, among them members of the misguided Bahai sect, in high positions in the governing body. In his speech of October 24, 1964/Aban 4, 1343 SH, Imam divulged these facts and disgraced the Iranian governing body to such an extent that the Shah, out of fear, issued the command for Imam’s exile. 382 The oil wells of Iran were the most important source of Israeli oil and in return Iran was one of the markets for Israeli goods! Common ground existed between the two governments because of their run-ins with the Arabs and their antagonism toward Islam. Consequently, Israel was greatly alarmed at the prospect of a change in the regime in Iran and the coming to power of an Islamic government, more so because it predicted that if this happened the new regime in Iran would cut the flow of oil to Israel and would support the Palestinian struggle. The Israeli government had very close relations with the Shah and always took his side. On the secret relations which existed between Iran and Israel a Western writer states: “It is generally not known that every Israeli prime minister from David Ben Gurion to Menachem Begin went to Tehran during this period, as did many other leading Israeli figures such as Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin who traveled to Tehran in complete secrecy to discuss their common interests with their Iranian counterparts. A very close co-operation existed between the two countries. Iran was for Israel the most reliable supplier of its oil, and for its part Israel responded by helping Tehran in the fields of military training and by sharing to some extent intelligence gathered by its intelligence services and even by providing technical assistance.” 383 The fertile, water-abundant lands of Qazvin were in the hands of the Israelis for creating modern farming corporations. All of the fertile lands of Khorasan province around the Bujnurd road to Mashhad were owned by Houjabre Yazdani who exploited those lands through his ‘Houjabre Yazdani Farming and Industry Company’. 384 In the 6/9/1978 [15/6/1357 SH] issue of Kayhan it was written: “Why has Sardarud province and its capital Damaq, which is also the most highly populated village of this region, remained in a situation reminiscent of fifty years ago. The population of Damaq twenty years

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Ittila’at or Kayhan newspaper, they wrote that in one part of the country there is such a shortage of water that when the people wake up in the morning, the mothers have to wash the trachoma-infected eyes of their children with urine so they can open their eyes! They have to rub urine onto their eyes so they can open them! This is the life our nation has to lead because of this man, while he, his family and his friends take the money and build villas for themselves abroad.385 I have spoken about this matter before on many occasions, but I wish to mention it again. I either read somewhere in a magazine or in a letter sent to me or it was read out to me from somewhere- I can’t remember which- that a villa was purchased for one of the Shah’s sisters at heaven knows what price. I can’t remember how much it said it cost, but I do recall it being stated that six million dollars, that is thirtyfive million tumans, was spent on the gardens alone!386 Who is paying for all of this? I was around when Reza Khan came to power and he was a man with nothing, he was a simple army colonel. One of the gentlemen sent me a cassette tape which I listened to. A contract for tarmacking roads was discussed and it was stated that every meter of tarmac cost a few hundred dollars! But the money was stolen and the work never completed.

CORRECT WAY OF ADMINISTERING THE COUNTRY Even if the Shah leaves now it will take us many years of effort before we can repair the damage he has done. If indeed we are able to do so at all. Such talk we hear: “If he goes the whole world will fall apart! If he goes the stability of the region will be lost!” What stability is there to be lost? To be sure if he leaves there will no longer be a policeman for the Persian Gulf! With the nation’s money he sends troops to this place and that in the Persian Gulf to protect American interests there. If he leaves, our country will be put right, it will be administered properly. Whoever comes to power after him will administer it better that he did.

ago reached seven thousand, now it has dropped to half that figure or even lower. In 1958 [1336 SH], that is twenty years ago, this village had a high school, but no longer. Its hospital, which was operational until 1952 [1330 SH], has been changed into a small clinic which has neither regular, round-the-clock doctors nor personnel who can truly answer the needs of the patients who come there from the surrounding villages. Throughout the whole of Sardar1d, with its fifty-six villages, the clinic in Damaq is the only one which is functioning. People from more than fifteen neighboring villages visit this clinic and most of them return empty-handed and without having benefited from their visit because of the great number of sick people and others who attend the clinic and the inability of the staff. In a province of this size, there is not one registered midwife. We are always witnessing unpleasant and distressing accidents.” In the Ittila’at newspaper issued on 6/10/1978 [15/7/1357 SH], we read: “The Shah’s minister of health recognizes that the villagers lack any kind of health services and said... from the Aras River to the banks of the Persian Gulf, from the borders in the east to those in the west, twenty million villagers lack the most basic health care.” 385 Authors have said that to determine precise statistics with regard to the land and property owned abroad by the Shah and his close relatives is by no means an easy task; and that moreover, a complete list of such possessions is not in fact available. A few examples of such possessions which were owned by the Shah are as follows: several hectares of land in Australia; several large islands in Italy owned by Farah (the Shah’s wife); vast areas of the banks of Geneva Lake; four glorious places in the highly sought-after areas of Paris and Switzerland; the village of Saint Moritz; an entire ski slope and a winter palace in Switzerland; several large palaces in California, Texas and Florida. Refer to Masud Ansari, Man va Khandan-e Pahlavi- Pas az Suqut; Husayn Fardoust, The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty; Kayhan newspaper, February 25, 1979; and William Shawcross, The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally, to name but a few. 386 The Shah’s elder sister Shams had a fabulous palace named ‘Pearl’ constructed on the moorland of south Karaj. This palace was built with the help of the most esteemed of British architects and the land on which it stood was bedecked with a multitude of beautiful plants and trees. To the west of this palace SAVAK built ‘Qezel Hesar’, one of the most modern prisons in the country.

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Some say if he goes a vacuum will come into being! What vacuum? When a thief leaves and a more reliable person takes his place does that mean a vacuum is formed?! And a more reliable person will take his place. Do they think we don’t have reliable people? Doesn’t Iran have anyone who can take the place of Mr. Muhammad Reza Khan?! What does he do that others don’t? Well for one thing, he steals, others don’t! What is this talk of a vacuum? What vacuum? This is just propaganda that they put about. They spread propaganda in whatever language they can in an attempt to keep him in power, because a group within the country wants to derive profit from him and another group, which comprises mainly foreigners, wants to plunder our country’s resources through him. There is nobody better than him to plunder us, for he is the best servant of them all. If they could find a servant better than him they would get rid of him immediately, but there is no one better than him. He has served them for some time, he is an old hand at it now. Of course it is a great task, a difficult task, but its importance is also great, for a nation seeks to confront some powers and this is no small undertaking, it is a difficult task but it is being done because that nation is a prisoner of others and it wants to break the shackles of imprisonment. It is an important task and when it is important even though it may take time, even though it may be difficult, it must be done. You may get caught in a shower, but no matter, something has to be done. You must demonstrate, you must attempt to explain matters, may God grant you success. You may get wet in the process of doing this, but no matter, for this is something you are doing for God, it is something you are doing to deliver the Iranian nation.

DISSEMINATION A COMMON DUTY All of you are duty bound to counter this propaganda which has been and continues to be put about abroad, and to enlighten the people to the facts. Some of these foreign newspapers get their daily bread from these people and write against the Iranian nation and in favor of Muhammad Reza Khan. Enlighten the people. Tell those you meet the facts about the situation in Iran. The Iranians have not raised their voices because they have been given too much freedom! Rather they are calling for freedom because they do not have it. Who enjoys freedom in Iran? Our newspapers are now shut down and have been for a while. Why have they done this? It’s because they are still subject to censorship, they have shut down in protest at the censorship. Nowadays, every place you go to in Iran is shut down. Every place you go is on strike because the people realize that this regime is destroying the country. The various governmental departments have always known what was going on, but they could never say anything. Now, however, they go on strike. Wherever you go there are strikes. The hospitals are on strike; the doctors are on strike; in the Ministry of Justice the lawyers and judges are on strike. Everywhere is on strike, the electricity company, everything. Why? Do they strike because they are so content, because they are happy in their jobs and they are so free? Have they been given too much freedom, as Carter says, and that’s why they are all on strike and are going to such great pains?! Or no, is it because they realize it is better to strike for a short while and paralyze this system, even if only temporarily, than it is not to strike at all and always be beset by these problems? They realize they have to strike so that these difficulties will be removed. We here are duty bound like anyone else. We should follow up these strikes by giving interviews to newspaper reporters, if we can, and by speaking about the problems which afflict Iran. If we are not able to give interviews then we must acquaint the friends we have here, in America, in Britain, wherever we may

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be, with the facts about Iran. When you see a group of people speaking together at your schools, join them and tell them what the problems facing Iran are, tell them what it is that ails the Iranians who have risen up. Tell them about the treason that this wretch has committed against the people. These newspapers and magazines that are sometimes printed abroad and speak against the Iranian people are not presenting the facts which are that this man has hitherto done nothing but squander Iran’s self-respect and its resources and continue to do so. All the people (in Iran) are shouting: “We want freedom; we want independence; we want a just government, an Islamic government.” An Islamic government is a just government; this stealing will not take place in an Islamic government. If a correct, just government is brought into being, everything will be put right. May God grant you His favor. May you be successful. May you be healthy and safe. Once again I ask your forgiveness for we do not have the room to offer you gentlemen, who have traveled here from a distance, proper hospitality. May God protect you all. God willing, you will be successful.

77th Speech Date: November 26, 1978/Azar 5, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 25, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Consequences of the domination of Pahlavi regime Addressees: A group of Iranian students and experts residing abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I apologize that our house is small387 and we cannot offer you proper hospitality because you are, praise be to God, many in number. I pray to God for your success, and I hope that one day you young people will return to Iran healthy and victorious and will take the control of your resources and government in your own hands. I hope that this dynasty will soon be discontinued and the criminal hands of foreigners will be severed from our resources and you gentlemen will take the destiny of your own country into your own hands with health and happiness.

ALIENS’ ROLE IN FOUNDING PAHLAVI DYNASTY As you now see, the fate of everything in our country lies in the hands of others. It was other countries who with their criminal hands brought this dynasty to power and installed it to rule over us, and throughout the

387 In Neauphle-le-Chateau (situated twenty-five kilometers from Paris) two small houses had been placed at the disposal of Imam Khomeini and his entourage. Imam along with his family resided in house number one which was very small; house number two, which stood opposite, was set aside for gatherings and the use of Iranian students and members of Imam’s office. It was in this house that Imam held prayer gatherings. Another building was rented and used as a hostel where students and others visiting Imam could rest. This hostel was administered by Mahdi Araqi (who was later martyred) and because of a shortage of space, sometimes twenty or thirty people had to sleep in one room. Those visiting Imam could stay here for a period of two days and nights. Imam was very particular about how religious funds were spent and he would not allow the rent for this building to be paid from monies given as sahm-e Imam [Share of the Imam (as)] for charitable disbursement, instead it was paid by those Iranians whose financial situation allowed them to do so.

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whole of its history, from fifty-odd years ago until the present, this dynasty has oppressed us and has betrayed our nation. They have given our resources to others; they have made our country a base of oppression, a base for America. I ask of God, the Blessed and Exalted, to keep you all, to grant you success and to grant the people of Iran success and victory. May God grant you all happiness and health, God willing.

78th Speech Date: November 26, 1978/Azar 5, 1357 SH/Dhul-Hijjah 25, 1398 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Shah’s downfall will not end in disintegration of country or dominance of Communism Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

ANSWERING THE THREAT OF THE SOVIET INVASION OF IRAN! One of the means that they have resorted to in an attempt to keep the Shah is to use the fact that Iran shares a border with Russia, a border of a few hundred kilometers, and claim that it is the Shah who protects Iran from Russian aggression. Were the Shah to go, they say, because of this common border, Iran would fall into the hands of Russia! The Shah himself in his statements has repeatedly said that if he were not around, Iran would become the province of Russia! Now we should assess this to see whether it is true that it is the Shah who has protected Iran from the malevolence of Russia and were he to go Iran would fall into the hands of Russia, or not. One assumption is that were the Shah to go, Russia would attack the country directly and capture Iran, or at least capture Azerbaijan. This is one assumption that we should assess the feasibility of. Another assumption is that if he goes, then due to Russian instigation, the communists inside Iran would hand the country over to the Russians. We should assess this scenario too to see if this would be the case or not.

A LESSON FROM THE PERIOD OF INVASION OF IRAN First of all though, let’s look at the assumption that the Russians have not attacked Iran so far because the power of the Shah has stopped them from doing so. Does this Shah rely upon the nation for his power, or does he have it without relying upon the nation? If he claims that he relies upon the nation and that it is the nation which gives him the power to stop someone from attacking Iran, well then we must study the actual situation in Iran at the present time to see if Iran is totally behind His Excellency and he enjoys a base of support in the country, or if his situation has become just like that of his father. Perhaps none of you can remember the Reza Shah era, but I can. When the world war began and the Allies wanted to seize Iran in order to create a bridge between themselves and the countries with whom they were engaged in hostilities, three armies attacked Iran from three different directions. The armies were those of Britain, America and Russia. At the time, Reza Shah used to make a lot of claims, similar to those made by this Shah nowadays, such as: “Our power has reached a degree that no one can attack us”, and so on! Well,

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it soon became clear that this was merely an empty claim, that it was just rhetoric. At that time, they called it the declaration which did not have a second!388 The Iranian army issued its first declaration which was its declaration of war, but this was not followed by a second. For the war apparently only lasted three hours, and when Reza Shah asked his army commanders why it had only taken them three hours (to be defeated), they replied that even those three hours were too long, because we had nothing while they (the Allies) had everything. There was no resistance! It lasted for three hours because it took the Iranian army that long to get to where the confrontation was to take place! [Laughter from the audience] Now, does this Shah have such power that were we to exclude the nation we could say that it is his power which has countered this superpower Russia, or is something else involved?

REZA SHAH WORSE THAN FOREIGN ENEMIES When power does not stem from the nation, then it will be just like that of Reza Shah. When those three countries, those three armies, poured into Iran occupying the country, everything was placed in danger, it was a dangerous period for Iran and even though this was a matter of moral concern for us, it was clear that the people were happy because the Allies had come and got rid of Reza Khan! For indeed this is what they did, they sent him away. He had created a situation such that the people were happy when a foreign enemy, when three powerful enemies, invaded Iran placing it in danger, they perhaps even congratulated one another on this event saying how fortunate it was that they had come and got rid of that wretch! He had treated the people in such a way that they preferred their country to be invaded by three enemies who opposed their religion and everything else rather than for him to remain. Today, the situation is the same for this man. He is so despised by the people that they would prefer to be invaded by another power (God forbid) if it meant that he left, for another power may be more prudent in its actions. Indeed, when the Allies invaded, they did not commit acts of aggression against the people without reason. Some injustices did take place, but they were not as bad as those carried out by Reza Khan. These countries were our enemies, yet neither Russia and Britain nor America committed atrocities against Iran like he did! They were not as repressive as he was, nor did they torment the people to the extent that he did! They invaded Iran, they seized the country and the situation was very bad, very ugly, but nevertheless it was better than having Reza Khan. Today, this Shah’s situation is the same. His being in

388 Those forces whose duty it was to silence the tribes, groups and clans, and to stop the occasional unrest in the military and among the leaders of various central government forces (all such operations being called for by the British), were later converted into a so-called national army which resembled the armies of Europe. The visible strength of this army was increased daily by the purchase of military equipment for the land, sea and air forces, and by sending members of the army to France and Italy for military training. But in reality this army was nothing but a big drum which was hollow within. On August 26, 1941/Shahrivar 4, 1320 SH, the day after the Allied forces had crossed over the Iranian border and had occupied the country, the supreme military headquarters issued what became its first and last declaration of war. In this declaration, it was claimed that the various military units of Iran were busy defending the country and that the people’s morale was very high and so on. But this declaration did not contain the least information as to how these military units actually fared. In fact the majority of Iranian brigades and regiments had actually broken up before confronting the enemy. Army generals and senior officers had abandoned their units before having received the Shah’s order to halt their defense. Hungry and thirsty soldiers wandered in desolate areas and along the highways without any supplies, and many of them fell to the ground as they neared their death. Thus, we see how an army which had been allocated one third of the nation’s budget over a twenty-year period, and which had been provided with the equipment needed to cope on such a day as this, in fact fell to pieces on the very first day of the foreigners’ attack on Iran!

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Iran is so unacceptable to the people that were one such power to penetrate the country again and he were to leave, the people may once again rejoice, just as they did at that time! Be that as it may, his power does not stem from the nation, indeed the nation is at odds with him.

BALANCE OF POWER, NOT SHAH’S POWER Let us assume that the whole of the army agrees with his rule, and remember this is only an assumption! The army itself is now hollow, its core is putrid, and it does not wholly agree with his rule. Granted, a group who has pocketed much and continue to do so approve of him, but it is not as if all of the army does. Let us suppose however that the whole of the army approves of him, it will not be able to do anything before a power like that of Russia. So it is not the case that it is the power of “His Imperial Majesty “Which is presently stopping Russia from attacking Iran. No, other powers confront it; there are other reasons why it will not attack. Neither Russia nor America can attack Iran, because as soon as America opens its mouth, Russia declares: “It is against our interests! We will not sit quietly by!” And if the other one tries to make a move, then this one announces: “It is against our interests!” This country is protected by these two great powers, not by him! The power he has is a power which does not stem from the people, and is thus a putrid power. He does not have the power to protect the country.

AZERBAIJAN EXPELLED THE RUSSIANS Now let us suppose that he goes and there is no longer any reason for America or Britain to stop Russia from attacking Iran, or vice versa. If Russia made a move to attack Iran, with the presence of this Iranian nation which is so united now, it would not be able to do so. Even if we suppose that its army managed to enter the country, it would not be able to survive, for every village and hamlet that it entered would make life hell for it! We have already seen how the people threw the Russians out of Azerbaijan. During the World War when the Russians decided to remain in Azerbaijan, the people of that region threw them out,389 and after they had done this, that man started boasting about how he had saved Azerbaijan! All the people know that he was not the one who saved Azerbaijan; it was the people of Azerbaijan who saved Azerbaijan. So too today, were the Russians to attack and he were no longer around, the nation would still be here (to defend the country), but were he to remain then the nation would not be here. For the nation does not support him, and were the Russians to attack, then those who have been made to suffer by this family may even assist the Russians! And the people may rejoice just like they did at that time. Iran may be better protected against the Russians with him not around. The real reason why Russia will not attack Iran, and neither will America or Britain, is that these powers are themselves stopping one another from doing so. If one of them were to try to launch an attack, the others would object and a world war would begin, and they are all too aware that (another) world war would be equivalent to the end of the human race. It would not be the case that they embark on a world war and one

389 With the arrival of the Allies in Iran, the communists within the country who considered Russia to be their patron began a rebellion in Azerbaijan with the aim of dividing Iran and placing the country at the mercy of Russia. The instigator of this revolt was a man by the name of Pishavari. Pishavari was the leader of the communist Firqah-ye Dimukrat party, who had made himself a candidate for the National Consultative Assembly but whose credentials had been rejected. Subsequently, he went to Azerbaijan where he proclaimed the Azerbaijan separatist movement and through intimidation, murder and terror tactics tried to set up a communist government under the Soviet banner. However, the vigilant people of Azerbaijan soon put paid to his plans.

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prevails over the other, one destroys the other and lives to see another day, for atomic weapons would be involved which would bring about the destruction of the human race. No rational person would accept this as an expedient course of action, for a world war today would be something quite different from the First and Second World Wars. During those wars, one did not have access to such weapons as are available today. Very little weaponry was involved in the First World War, and although in the second more weapons were used, they were not like those which are available nowadays. All the rational people of the world know, as the superpowers do, that the present situation is such that were a world war to break out, it would not be like the other wars; this war would take the human race to the brink of annihilation. Russia would be destroyed, America would be destroyed; other countries would also be destroyed. So to avert this, another world war will not occur, and if by any chance it does, then our fate will be the same as that of the other people of the world; our recompense, however, will be good, I cannot say the same for theirs [the audience laughs].

UNSOUND LOGIC This talk, this logic that if “His Imperial Majesty” is not here Russia will attack from one direction and Britain and America from another, is unsound! It is his “power “Which is confronting all the powers of the world indeed! It is claimed that it is his power which is countering (the threat from) these three superpowers Britain, America and Russia! Not just Russia alone, he stands in the way of all three powers! And now Carter shudders at the very thought that such a power exists in Iran! [the audience laughs]. Just imagine, when the Shah speaks, the Kremlin and Britain tremble with fear! He claims that Iran has not been divided because he is around! That if he goes Iran will be divided! This is what he says. Well, he has been in the habit of talking like this since childhood [the audience laughs], and today is no different.

COMMUNISM WILL NEVER FIND A WAY INTO IRAN So now let us take a look at the second assumption. The claim is no longer that Iran will be attacked if he is not around, but that his presence maintains stability and that these communists within the country, who cannot do anything as long as he is in power, will, as soon as he goes, create anarchy and will hand Azerbaijan over to Russia or even give Iran to the Russians! Yes, this is what is being said; sometimes they put it this way and at other times they say that the communists may not hand the country over to the Russians, but Iran will become a communist country! The Shah makes such claims too. If we consider this carefully, we will see that this too is nothing more than idle talk. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that these communists in Iran are afraid of his power, does this mean that if his power is removed then the people themselves will have nothing to say (about the communists) ?! Out of a population of thirty-odd million Iranians, only a few are communists, and even then they are not the kind of communists who want to bring Russia into Iran; I do not really believe that they are genuine communists, to use their terminology. Most of these communists, their leaders that is- perhaps the same cannot be said for their young followers- end up working for the court! Some of them are now servants of the court and are affiliated to it! These people are what I call American communists, not true communists.390

390 Concerning how SAVAK penetrated the Tudeh Party and in particular the extent of its influence in the Tehran branch of the Tudeh Party, refer to Siyasat va Sazman-e Hizb-e Tudeh, vol. 1; Ihsan Tabari, Kitab-e Kaj Raheh; and KGB in Iran.

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Now let us suppose that a number are communists; well, we all know what kind of slogans have been given throughout the course of the Iranian revolution, and indeed, at the present time too as Iran continues in the grip of revolution, we are still hearing such slogans. Are they communist or Islamic slogans? Everyone knows that if a short slogan is given somewhere and we presume that it has been given by some (true) communists, it is still only a drop compared to an ocean. In all regions of Iran the call for an Islamic government is being raised. Let’s suppose that there are a few who, in their words, are chanting communist slogans, this small number is nothing compared to this flood, this sea of people who are on the move now and who are all demanding an Islamic government. So this is just idle talk that he uses to try to mislead others, even though he himself knows that there is no truth in it and he cannot mislead anyone. What does division mean? What does becoming communist mean? One minute he says Iran will be divided, in other words Russia will seize one part of Iran, Britain another and America another, and the next he says Iran will become a communist country! Does he mean just one bit will become communist?! The rest won’t?! Will the communists take only Azerbaijan or will Russia come and seize it? This is what their talk centers around, that if the Shah is not around such and such will happen! It is all for the purpose of keeping him in power. If America says such things it is to preserve his rule; Russia too supports him and may say such things in order to make it known that he must be kept in power. Britain may also say such things in order to preserve his rule. Of course they are all agreed that he should stay because at present they do not have anyone better than him to safeguard their interests. If they could find a better servant than him, they would not proffer him so much support. But now this servant (the Shah) is an old hand who knows the ropes and understands how to operate. Even though at present he is inefficient, still they would like him to remain so that their interests may be maintained for a little while longer. The nation of Iran is now standing its ground in the face of these claims and is saying: “No! We want our resources to be for us; we want to be free; we want to be independent; we want a government of Islamic justice not an unjust government which gives everything we have away; we want a trustworthy government which is loyal to the people.” Indeed we have reliable people in Iran and abroad who can take the place of this man and his regime.

EMPHASIZING THE DUTY OF IRANIANS ABROAD I repeat again that those of us who are abroad, who are outside Iran, have a duty to help the Iranians, to help the Iranian nation which has risen up and is now sacrificing everything it has for all our sakes. It is our bounden duty to help them to the best of our ability. While we are here, we can give interviews to the press and if possible write articles for publication in newspapers and magazines. When you speak with the people, enlighten them to the facts, tell them that the people of Iran are not “despicable riffraff,” as Mr. Carter describes them, who want to throw an honorable gentleman out of the country. No, they are a people who want their rights, who want the basic right to which a human being is entitled: freedom and independence. They want to throw that person who has encroached upon this right out of Iran and sever the hands of those who have encroached upon their rights. Tell this to the people over here with whom you have relations, repeat it until a wave of support is found abroad (for the Iranian cause) and, God willing, you will achieve your aim that much quicker as indeed I would like you to do, God willing [the audience replies with “God willing”]. May God grant you all success.

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79th Speech Date: December 2, 1978/Azar 11, 1357 SH/Muharram 1, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Any uprising for God’s sake is victorious Occasion: The arrival of the month of Muharram Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

WHY WE OPPOSE THE SHAH’S REGIME We have been opposing the Shah’s government for many years and still some people pretend not to understand and cover their ears! We recognized him for what he was from the start: a creature who brings disaster upon the nation of Iran daily and who spills the blood of our youth. Opposition to him has existed since the beginning (of his rule) and it has increased gradually, as his crimes increased so too did the opposition, until finally we arrived at the stage where we saw that he had destroyed everything we had: he had given our national resources away lock, stock and barrel; he had prevented all our active forces from progressing; he had kept our educational system in a retarded condition; he had ruined everything. Now that the nation’s opposition has reached its peak, and everyone (in the country) has risen up against him, he has become insane and no one can imagine what his situation and that of his government is at the present time he has brought in a group of soldiers and has formed a government. A number of criminals have formed the government and they are all like him! He has put them to rule over our country and during the first twenty-four hours of the month of Muharram, the number of people killed is said by some to be very high. I do not have precise information as yet, but two sources have put the figure of those killed at twenty thousand! I do not know what will happen next. I cannot believe that this is really the number of people killed, but up until now information to this effect has reached here from two sources; of course lower figures have also been given.391 What crime had been committed? What had this nation done other than to

391 In demonstrations held on the eve of Muharram (December 2, 1978/Azar 11, 1357 SH) thousands of people were killed or injured throughout the country. The people of Tehran stayed awake during the first night of Muharram until morning shouting “God is the Greater” from the rooftops of their homes. On that same night, a large crowd of people who had gathered in the streets of Tehran and were shouting slogans against the Shah were suddenly attacked by soldiers who opened fire on them. The following day (the first day of Muharram), Tehran was in a state of complete closure. Even most of the private institutes had shut up shop. On this day too, the regime’s agents opened fire on people who were shouting slogans. A group who had donned shrouds stood in front of the gates of Tehran University and shouted slogans as armed soldiers looked on. On the same day in the Sar Cheshmeh district of Tehran, agents martyred a number of people, collected their bodies, loaded them onto a lorry and took them away. Similar incidents took place on the first day of Muharram in the cities of Shiraz, Hamadan, Isfahan, Mahabad, to name but a few. (According to dispatches sent to the newspapers which because of the shutdown were not published and are available from newspaper archives).

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utter valid words saying: “We want a just government; we want a government that will use our country’s resources for the country itself”?

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT MEANS CESSATION OF PLUNDERING AND STEALING We are saying repeatedly that we want an Islamic government and the gentlemen think that an Islamic government comes from the other side of the world! It is something that no one can even imagine! We say that a thief should be removed and a righteous person put in his stead. Is this so very important? Yes, it is. Islam has laid down conditions for government: it should be just; it should be trustworthy and reassuring. A just government should be brought to power, one that abides by Islamic laws. We are calling for an Islamic government so that such things as have been happening will not happen again, so that such a creature as he will not be able to take the whole of the nation’s possessions in his own hands. Over these past fifty years, they (the Shah and his father) have destroyed everything this country had. The Americans brought him (the Shah) to power and he is in their hands, so everything that Iran has, whether active human resources, subterranean wealth or the wealth which lies above the ground, should either be destroyed or should go into their (the Americans’) or his family’s pockets. Now that sums of money amounting to many billions have already been taken out of Iran- a list was brought to us and we have seen the names, you too have probably seen this list392 - they have recently decided that after all this stealing and destruction enough is enough and they should not take any more! Just what are they not to take out of the country?

THEY HAVE ALREADY TAKEN EVERYTHING!393 The Shah, his courtiers and the rest of his gang, these traitors have taken what they could. Such great sums they have taken, ranging from eight hundred million dollars each to two hundred, three hundred or five hundred million dollars. A very long list was brought here, and I too saw which people have taken what. They range from military people to courtiers and from ministers to members of the security organization, all of those who form his entourage and who have plundered this nation, placed the money in the bank and who now, upon seeing that there is the possibility that they will be stopped from doing this, are transferring the money abroad.

PEOPLE SHOULD STOP THE PLUNDERERS FROM ESCAPING The people of Iran should not let these people leave the country; they should grab them by their throats and take this money from them. This money is the property of the nation which has gone into their pockets. Even if the Shah were to step down, they should grab him by the throat and take back from him whatever he has stolen. They should make him pay the penalty for the crimes he has committed, they should retaliate. 392 In forthcoming footnotes, reference will be made to the Shah’s dollar wealth using official Central Bank reports. During the months of August-October 1978 [Shahrivar and Mehr 1357 SH] alone, a substantial amount of money was sent out of the country, seventeen entries having been politically-coded credit transfers which were deposited into the Shah’s private accounts in Swiss, French and American banks and which amounted to 30,750,000,000 rials (over 2,000,000,000 dollars). On November 28, 1978/Azar 7, 1357 SH, the Central Bank of Iran Employees’ Association published a list of those affiliated with the regime who had recently transferred huge amounts of foreign currency to their bank accounts abroad. 393 Muhammad Reza ‘Amili, the Minister of Information and Tourism, had announced that the flight of foreign currency would be investigated and the expenditure of hard currency in foreign countries would be looked into. Refer to the Ittila’at newspaper of November 1, 1978/Aban 10, 1357 SH.

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So many people have been killed, and now “His Imperial Majesty “Has repented! This is his “repentance”. A few days ago he came before the nation and in order to deceive the people, he apologized to the great ulama and said he had made mistakes which he would not repeat. Some people pretend to have been taken in by this, but it’s not as if they don’t understand, they are either being very magnanimous about it or they have interests to protect and so they say: “Well, he has repented; what more do you want?” This man who says he won’t err again and he won’t repeat his past actions is the same man whose actions against the nation we have witnessed over the past twenty-four hours and who continues to act against this nation. I don’t have precise details at the moment, but you can be sure that they are keeping themselves busy. Now, whenever a call comes in from Iran, or the gentlemen here ring, the news is that killings are occurring in different places: in the provinces, in the cities, in the streets of Tehran, killings are rife. Many of the Iranian cities are presently in a state of chaos. These commandos and kolis, and others like them, who are in point of fact agents of the security organization, have been brought into the cities to wreak havoc. Indeed, he has now realized that he must leave the country and so he is acting out his threat to turn Iran into a heap of rubble before he leaves!394

FOLLOWING THE DOYEN OF THE MARTYRS395 IN FIGHTING OPPRESSION Be that as it may, those of us who are here now should reform and make ourselves ready. If a nation wishes to stand up for a valid cause, it should learn from history. It should make use of Islamic history and learn from what has taken place in Islamic history for there is a lesson to be learnt in this for us all. With only a small number of followers, the Doyen of the Martyrs set off and confronted Yazid.396 For Yazid’s government was a tyrannical government. It was a powerful government which claimed to espouse Islam, and indeed Yazid was even of the same family as Imam Husayn.397 However, even though Yazid claimed to espouse Islam and he saw his government as an Islamic one and himself the successor to the Messenger of God, the point was that he was an oppressor who had taken control of the affairs of the country illegally. This is why Hazrat Aba ‘Abdillah (Imam Husayn (as)), upon whom be peace, rose up against him with only a small number of followers. For he knew it was his duty to reject his rule and to bring an end to something evil. If an oppressive ruler gains dominance over the people the ulama of that nation and the scientists of

394 Following the coup d’état of August 19, 1953/Mordad 28, 1332 SH, the Shah in most of his interviews and speeches made it clear that he saw the independence and security of Iran as being preserved by his rule and he constantly reiterated the dangers of ‘certain division,’ a ‘repeat of history,’ civil wars, and mass killings as an inevitable consequence of disruption in the pillars of his rule or his removal. As the movement reached its climax in the years 1977 and 1978 [1356 and 1357 SH], the Shah’s continual warnings that in the event of the overthrow of his rule Iran would be divided and destroyed became the subject of many of the analyses and articles of the Western media. Refer to the collection published under the title “The Interviews and Speeches of the Shah” and also the Shah’s speeches and interviews in the years 1977- 1978 as published in the country’s newspapers. 395 Doyen of the Martyrs: A title of Imam Husayn (as), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (s). 396 Son of Mu’awiyah; he was a licentious, wicked man. Mu’awiyah appointed him Caliph after him during his lifetime. 397 Some historians believe that Imam Husayn (as) and Yazid were fifth generation descendants of ‘Abd al-Manaf. The latter had three sons, one was ‘Abd ash-Shams from whom the Bani Umayyad line is descended: ‘Abd al-Manaf ‘Abdash-Shams Umayyah Abi Sufyan Mu’awiyah Yazid; and the other was Hashim whose descendants were the Bani Hashim and Imam Husayn: ‘Abd al-Manaf, Hashim, ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Abu Talib, Imam Ali, Imam Husayn. However, there are other historians who believe that Umayyah was not the son of ‘Abd ash-Shams rather he was his adopted son and the Bani Umayyad are of Roman descent. Refer to Ja’far Subhani, The Message, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/message-jafar-subhani; Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy, Restatement of History of Islam and Muslims, available at: https://www.al-islam.org/restatement-history-islam-and-muslims-sayyid-ali-asghar-razwy.

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that nation should voice their disapproval, they should prohibit evil. The Doyen of the Martyrs knew that it was logically impossible for his handful of supporters- who it is said had originally numbered four thousand but on the eve of the battle that number had dwindled to only a few, to seventy-two people- to defeat Yazid’s army. Yet even though he knew this, still he saw it as his duty to stand up to this power and be killed, so that the situation could be changed, and through his sacrifice and that of his followers this power could be disgraced and held up as an example to deter. He realized that it was his duty, his divine duty, to rise up and oppose the unjust government which had taken control of the destiny of the country, to express his disagreement and his disapproval whatever may happen. Consequently, although on the basis of any calculation it was obvious that such a small number could not confront all those people, nevertheless it was a duty that had to be carried out. This is a lesson for us all, that although few in number, we must still express our disapproval; for someone has come along and has grasped the reins of Islamic rule in Iran, and a position which should be occupied by the Commander of the Faithful, he occupies, a position which Imam Husayn should occupy, he occupies, and according to him, he is ruling legitimately and espouses Islam! Yazid did the same! So did Mu’awiyah. They prayed at the congregational prayer, they even led the prayers. We should express our disapproval of someone who has usurped the throne of Islam, who has usurped the government of Islam and who wants to have absolute control over the resources of the Muslims; if he were not a traitor he would still be a usurper, for he has usurped his position. This position belongs to someone who meets the conditions which Islam has set for the person who should be in charge of the affairs of Muslims. Even if he hadn’t given our oil away, ruined our pasturelands and our farming, even if he hadn’t destroyed the educational system in Iran and the Iranian army, even if he hadn’t disrupted the Iranian economy and the country in every respect, he would still be a usurper who needed to be censured and told that he should not rule. As it is, he has done all of these things, he has taken Iran to rack and ruin in every respect. The Doyen of the Martyrs, upon whom be peace, acted upon his divine duty, in victory or defeat he had performed his religious duty, and this was at the heart of the matter. The point is that it is the duty of all the people to voice their disapproval of someone who is destroying the reputation of Islam and the Muslims, who has taken control of the affairs of the Muslims, has handed over control of the Muslims’ lands to the unbelievers, has handed the Iranian army over to the charge of American advisers, who puts the wealth of Iran into the pockets of this and that country and who has ruined the educational system in Iran. Iran has become a case in point. Such a person who sits on the throne upon which someone like Imam Husayn, upon whom be peace, should sit, needs to be censured. It is incumbent upon all the people to do this and tell him to step down from this throne. Everyone is duty bound to do this.

NECESSITY TO MOVE ALONG WITH THE TORRENT OF THE NATION Now that the Iranian nation has risen and is standing up to him, it is incumbent upon us all, upon all the ulama, the maraji’398, the merchants and tradesmen, the intellectuals and the political parties to go with the flow of this flood until this rubbish has been swept away. If someone colludes with the regime in this affair, 398 Maraji’: the plural form of marja’.

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shows weakness and relaxes in his efforts, then whoever he may be, he will be a traitor who will have betrayed the Muslims and Islam. If someone utters so much as a word of co-operation with this man, he will be a traitor, he will have betrayed Islam for he (the Shah) is a person who is betraying Islam, who is destroying the dignity of Islam, who has given away our resources and has impoverished the nation.

DEVASTATING THE COUNTRY IN THE NAME OF “REFORM” AND “NATIONALIZATION” You must realize that if he remains in power for a few more years, he will still be giving your oil to America in the manner that he is doing at present. What does he get in return for this oil? Nothing! He does not get anything that is of use to our country, rather he gets something which is actually harmful to the country: bases, which he builds for America! He has destroyed this resource, and the rest he has given away one after the other to this country and that. He has given the pasturelands to one group; the forests have gone to another in the name of nationalization; in one place he has drained off the waters and has put the fish into somebody else’s hands; whatever we had he has handed over to others. Iran had an agrarian economy, but that too he destroyed. He destroyed it in the name of “land reforms.” We no longer have farming in Iran; proper farming now is only carried out in certain places in Iran by Israelis in whose hands he has placed all the good land. It is even said that it is the Israelis who have come to Iran and are perpetrating these killings.399 It is the Israelis who are doing this to repay him for the services that he has rendered them, in other words for giving them oil. He gives the Israelis oil to help them in their war against the Muslims and Iran! Now in return they send their commandos, who are well-experienced in the art of killing people, to Iran. These people dare not tell their own soldiers to kill the people, so they have asked the Israelis to send killers for them! Wherever you look, you see the crime and treason perpetrated by this man. It is the religious duty of us all, all Muslims, all the ulama, all the intellectuals, all the politicians, whoever, to oppose him. Whoever does not oppose him has gone against his religious duty and has acted dishonorably; we can no longer call him honorable; he is a vile, despicable person. Whoever helps the Shah, as Carter and his like are doing, is a traitor who is betraying a nation; for it is a nation which has stood up now and is calling for freedom, among other things, and this killing is what it gets in return. The nation is calling out that it doesn’t want this criminal, so they have to use machine-guns to say: “No, you have to

399 The Israeli press revealed that during the Revolution Israel provided the Iranian government with weapons and gas dispenser guns. The Haaretz newspaper in its October 23 edition, the Davard newspaper in its October 10 and 23 editions, a number of military magazines in their editions and the Ma’ariv newspaper in its December 17, 1978 edition described how, at the behest of the Shah, the Israeli army sent soldiers to Tehran to crush the revolutionaries; these were the same Jewish criminals who had slaughtered the Muslim people of Tehran in Zhaleh Square on Black Friday. According to the reports in the above-mentioned publications, Israel created an air bridge from Lud airport and Ramat David military airbase near Haifa in order to supply Iran with special weaponry. Among these were guns to dispense canisters of disabling gas. In addition, a team of commandos, and groups of saboteurs and agents to carry out operations in the city were sent to Tehran from Israel on an El Al flight. These groups were under the command of the intelligence office of the Israeli army. The leader of these groups was one Rahba’am Zibaki who in the 1960 s was the commander of the Israeli liaison section and then became adviser to the prime minister on terrorist matters and the use of special equipment and techniques in the fight against terrorism. There were many Iranian Jews in these groups who were proficient in the Persian language. All members of these groups wore the uniform of the Iranian army. The Iranian authorities introduced these groups of Jews as soldiers who had been transferred from Baluchistan! Israeli military experts and some people from the underground Jewish organizations in Iran, which had been formed on the pretext of defending, militarily, the Jewish minority, united with these Jewish groups in Tehran; Israel also recruited a group of Iranian Jews to carry out activities against the revolutionaries. During this period, a small military base near -b/d/n and Bandar Abbas, which was operated by Israel, was used as the training base for activities to counter urban rioting. Refer to Nihzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, vol. 8, pp. 49- 50.

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want him!” According to the law, the legal right to rule- and his rule is not legal- is granted by the nation, so now that the nation is saying “no” the bayonet has to be brought in to make the people say “yes”!

TAKING RELIGIOUS LEADERS AS ROLE MODEL IN CALAMITIES AND HARDSHIPS We must reform and ready ourselves, in other words we should look to what our elders, our leaders, did; what they did for Islam; what they did for the Muslims; and what they wanted to do. The Most Noble Messenger struggled for thirteen years in Mecca, he was imprisoned, persecuted, abused, bested by a thousand difficulties, yet he bore everything patiently, he persevered and invited the people (to Islam). Later, when he saw that he could no longer achieve anything by remaining there, he migrated to Medina where other people joined him and his followers. He was there for ten years, and in that time doing battle with those tyrants was his greatest concern. He confronted the powerful ones, the oppressors, those who wanted to plunder the people; those who wanted to steal the wealth of the people, until he had eliminated them to the extent that he could. He was patient and persevering. When one looks at the history of those battles which the Muslims took part in at that time, one is amazed at how valiant they were even though small in number. An officer in one of the battles said that he needed only twenty-nine men to accompany him in an attack on the enemy’s advance guard- that numbered sixty thousand- to show them what’s what! The whole Roman army itself numbered eight hundred thousand. Those with him insisted that it couldn’t be done with only thirty men, they discussed the matter among themselves until eventually the officer was prepared to allow sixty people to go. One person for every thousand went and the enemy was defeated! They took them by surprise and defeated them, because they had strength, there was a power within them, the power of faith in God. You must find this faith in God to become strong. If our protector is God then we need have no fear, but if our aim is worldly gain then we should be very afraid. Do I seek worldly gain? Why should I sacrifice everything I have for this world? Those who have sacrificed their youth have lost nothing if they did it for God, for they have gained God’s approval, and even more than that, they have found a superior kind of life. He who sacrifices his life, if he does it for God, if he relies on God, then he has lost nothing. If he does it for this world, however, then he has lost his life, it is over with, but not exactly, no, if he died for this world then he still has something to face in the afterlife.

THERE IS NO DEFEAT TO AN UPRISING FOR THE SAKE OF GOD Endeavor to act for God. Make your uprising one for God. “Say, I do admonish you to do one thing, to rise up for God; it may be in pairs or it may be singly.”400 There is one admonition. God tells the Prophet to inform the people that He admonishes them to do one thing: to rise up for Him. Your uprising must be for God, not for acquiring a title, a position, money or whatever. No, this must not be the case. If the uprising is for God, if you turn to God as your protector, then the spirit will find a confidence that cannot be broken and you will attain a spiritual state because you have united with an everlasting power. He who starts moving out of obedience to the Divine Being is like a drop of water backed by the sea, an endless sea... We by ourselves are nothing, a mere drop, even smaller than a drop, but if we join that sea, that endless sea,

400 Qur’an, 34: 46

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then we will become just like that sea: “When you threw the spear, it was not your act, but God’s.”401 God told the Prophet that when he threw the spear, it was not he who had thrown it, but God himself, meaning the Prophet’s hand was the hand of God. So when he threw the spear it was in actual fact God who had thrown it, because the Prophet had united with Him, he himself was no longer anything, everything was God. When everything is Him, then You threw, but it was not your act. The Prophet threw the spear and yet he did not. Apparently he threw it, but it was God’s act, not his. And God told the Prophet: “Those who swear fealty to you do no less than swear their fealty to God,”402 because they have united with an everlasting power; they have united with God; and now it is with His hand that they swear their allegiance. God, the Blessed and Exalted, says those who swear allegiance to the Prophet have sworn allegiance to God. One can swear allegiance to God with this very hand of the Prophet because this is no longer the Prophet’s hand; it is the hand of God. Of course the position that the Prophet attained is one that is not within easy reach for you and I, but to work for God is feasible for us. Sometimes one sees nothing, only God; one does not make a move other than it being for God; one is not willing to do anything unless it is for God; one does not follow a course unless it is that of God’s; the path is God’s, not one’s own; one is nothing, is insignificant; everything is God; one annihilates oneself and is replaced with an endless power. This is the case sometimes. This is the stage at which “when you threw the spear, it was not your act, but God’s.” Sometimes a stage higher than this may also be achieved and sometimes this is not the case, but still the action is for God. You have risen up for God, your movement is for God; it is in order to establish God’s laws. Your aim is not affluence, you are not opportunists after riches, this is not the case, rather you have seen that the religion of God is in danger, the servants of God upon whom God has bestowed His favor are in danger. God’s servants are suffering under an oppressor and you have risen to save them, not to save your uncle or your cousin, but to save the servants of God.

ASSISTING THE MOVEMENT FOR THE SAKE OF GOD The servants of God are now suffering, they are in danger; you can help them by propagating their cause here. You are able to do this. Give interviews, whichever one of you is able should give press interviews and tell the people over here about the situation in Iran. But your aim should be God; you should turn to God for support. Rise up for God. Even if you are only one person, if your uprising is for God, then it has value, it has divine value. Be it individually or in pairs “... rise up for God; it may be in pairs or it may be singly.” Unite yourself with that endless sea and make your actions divine actions. Pay attention to the laws of God the Blessed and Exalted. These uprisings are to bring into effect the laws of God. All these uprisings that are taking place, that have been taking place for years now, have been in order to bring God’s laws into force in the world and to remove Satan’s laws from this world. Satan’s laws prevail in Iran and the people want the laws of God to prevail. Strive to bring the laws of God into effect within yourselves. Be devout, carry out the actions that God the Blessed and Exalted has told you to perform. Make yourself divine. A servant does not ask for the whys and wherefores, God says do it and I do it. The whys and wherefores are no concern of mine. Why is asked of some ordinary person when one does not know if he is correct or not and thus questions him. When you visit the doctor and he tells you to do something, you don’t ask him why. 401 Qur’an, 8: 17 402 Qur’an, 48: 10

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When he prescribes medicine for you, you don’t ask him why, even though he is only a doctor and a human being.

SELF-TRAINING PRELUDE TO UPRISING You must train yourselves so that you are able to rise up (for God). Train yourselves to obey God’s laws; to obey His every command, when He says no, then let it be no; when He says yes, then let it be yes. When you can do this, then you will have reached a stage that man should reach. If when He says no, it is no, and when He says yes, it is yes, and one becomes the servant of the will of the Exalted Truth, obeying His every command, then one will have reached this ‘stage’ of humanity. Many other stages also exist, but if one reaches this stage of humanity whereby one’s actions are for God, then one will not suffer defeat, when the action is for God, defeat is not involved. If, please God, the Iranians have risen for God, then they will not suffer defeat. In other words, even if this man were to continue with his oppression until the end and we were not successful in disarming him of this unjust weapon, this would still not be a source of anxiety for us, because we were obeying God, obedience was out of obedience to God, so even if we suffer defeat it will have been brought about through obedience to God. The Prophet suffered defeat in some of his battles, Hazrat Amir was defeated in his battle with Mu’awiyah, the Doyen of the Martyrs was killed, but it was out of obedience to God, it was for God, all of it was for Him and for this reason defeat did not come into it, they obeyed Him and that was that. Mu’awiyah and the others were eventually defeated and their rule destroyed, yet the path of the Prophet and the Imams has continued until the present day. God willing, all of you will be successful and you will all help this movement for God the Exalted [the audience says” God willing”].

80th Speech Date: December 9, 1978/Azar 18, 1357 SH/Muharram 8, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Campaign against a tyrant king is a divine duty Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A REVIEW OF REASONS FOR THE UPRISING OF THE DOYEN OF THE MARTYRS (AS) It has been related that the Doyen of the Martyrs delivered a sermon in which he mentioned the reason for his uprising against the government of the time. In this sermon, he addressed the people saying that the Most Noble Messenger had declared that when someone sees a tyrannical ruler making lawful that which God has prescribed to be unlawful, allowing that which God has made unlawful to be freely practiced, acting contrary to the traditions (sunnah) of the Prophet and breaking his promise to God, that person should not remain silent. If he does however, and does not try to change the situation through his words or deeds, if he does not try to stop the digression of this tyrannical ruler, then according to that which God the Blessed

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and Exalted has decreed, the abode in the afterlife of this person who remains silent in the face of such a ruler will be the same as that of the tyrannical ruler himself.403 So if a person sees that a tyrannical ruler possesses such attributes- namely he alters the traditions of the Most Noble Messenger, he breaks his promise to God, and that which God has made unlawful he makes lawful and freely allows, who is in other words a mustahill404 - and yet remains silent, then even if this person carries out everything that he is not only obliged to do but also simply recommended to do; if he is the kind of person who recites his namaz every day; who goes to the mosque; who propagates all the laws of God; who acts in accordance with the will of God; whose deeds are always good deeds; who shuns all evil deeds; still on the basis of this sermon which was delivered by the Doyen of the Martyrs, upon whom be peace, if he remains silent before a tyrannical ruler, his abode in the Hereafter will be the same as that of the tyrannical ruler. Indeed, in his sermon the Doyen of the Martyrs gave his reason for rising up against the government of the time, and this was that he wanted to act upon the traditions of the Messenger of God so that he would not infringe these, and his abode in the afterlife would not be the same as that of the tyrannical ruler. So in other words, wherever this tyrannical ruler finds his abode in the levels of hell, this too will be the abode of he who remains silent in the face of this ruler’s actions.

RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN REIGNS OF SHAH AND YAZID Now we should consider this present government of ours, or rather this present ruler of ours, to see if he has the above-mentioned attributes. If he does possess these attributes and we remain silent, then the same can be said to apply to us. The Doyen of the Martyrs spoke of this matter at a time when he had risen up against the tyrannical ruler Yazid. With only a small number of followers behind him, he confronted Yazid’s huge army, he confronted this superpower- for in those days all the positions of power were in Yazid’s hands- and so deprived us of the excuse of saying that because we are few in number and our power is limited we cannot carry out such an action. He spoke of this matter at the time when he declared his intent to rise up against the tyrannical ruler of his day. He delivered a sermon to the people and explained that he would rise up against this person because he (Yazid) had broken his promise to God, he had infringed the traditions of the Prophet and had violated that which God the Exalted had made inviolable, and because the Prophet had said that whoever remains silent (before such a person) and does not change the situation his abode will be the same as that of Yazid in hell. So the place that Yazid occupies, he who remains silent will also occupy. Now let us see what it was that Yazid had done to make the Doyen of the Martyrs, upon whom be peace, rise up against him and to speak of such a matter and set such an example. The matter about which the Doyen of the Martyrs spoke concerns everyone. It is a matter of general concern: man ra’a405, whoever

403 Imam Husayn (as) in his letter to a group of the faithful in Kufah wrote: “You know that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants, said: ‘Whoever sees a ruler who makes lawful that which God has decreed to be unlawful, who breaks his promise to God, opposes the traditions of the Messenger of God and oppresses the people, and yet remains silent in the face of this, God will put this person along with that ruler in one place in hell’.” Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 44, p. 382. 404 Mustahill: one who makes lawful that which has been divinely decreed to be unlawful. 405 Man ra’a (whoever sees...) refers to the tradition of the Most Noble Messenger (s) as related by Imam Husayn (as) in his letter to a group of the faithful in Kufah.

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sees that a tyrannical ruler possesses such attributes and yet remains silent before him, does not speak or act against him, then the abode of this person will be the same as that of the tyrannical ruler (in the Hereafter). Yazid was someone who on the surface seemed to adhere to Islam and who considered himself to be the Prophet’s successor. He performed his namaz and did all the things that we do. But what else did he do? He was also a rebellious sinner. He acted contrary to the traditions of the Messenger of God; traditions which made clear how one should act toward the people, he acted in a manner contrary to these. He should have protected the lives of the Muslims, but instead he spilt their blood; the wealth of the Muslims should not be squandered, but he squandered it. He acted just like his father Mu’awiyah had done and against whom Amir al-Mu’minin had risen up, the only difference being that whereas Amir al-Mu’minin had had an army; the Doyen of the Martyrs faced a superpower with only a small number of followers. So we should see if the same can be said to apply to our present ruler, and we should ask ourselves if he too does such deeds. Does this matter about which the Messenger of God spoke, also apply to him? Is he a ruler? Is he tyrannical? It is obvious that he has sovereign power. To be a ‘ruler’ means to have sovereign power. He holds the reins of power and he is tyrannical as well. He himself may even accept the fact that he is a tyrant. Everyone else knows that he is. Has he not acted against the traditions of the Messenger of God? Has he done everything the Messenger of God has said he must do? Or has he (and his regime) not even considered the words of the Messenger of God? These people have never even taken account of his traditions. Granted, during his lifetime, and in order to deceive you and me, he once went to the shrine of Hazrat Reza where he recited a very short prayer. I don’t know what his sentiments were when he did this! He recited the prayer and said a few words, but this was only to deceive you and me. Does he act upon the traditions of the Messenger of God? Is he an observer of these traditions? According to the traditions of the Messenger of God the lives of the Muslims should be protected; has he protected the lives of the Muslims? During these past few days,406 we have received information to the effect that over the past two or three days fifty people have been killed in Isfahan, I don’t know how many in another place and yet some more somewhere else. Are these carried out without his knowledge? No, he knows about them alright. Are they carried out without the knowledge of the government? No, it is aware of what is going on. Could they be carried out without the Shah’s knowledge?! They can’t do anything without the Shah’s knowledge.407 It has been announced that tomorrow and the day after, the people will be free to hold mourning ceremonies and shout out religious slogans.408 But I am worried about what will happen on these days because we have

406 On May 28, 1978/Khordad 7, 1357 SH the Shah in Mashhad said: “If, God forbid, the independence of the country is shaken, then I am afraid that our religion will also suffer a blow. We can protect our religion and those things that we hold sacred by preserving the independence of the county”! 407 Imam Khomeini’s repeated insistence that the Shah was fully aware of the crimes being committed by agents of the military government was the reply he gave to those who, either wittingly or unwittingly, adopted the view that the responsibility for the killings lay with the government and the various organs of the regime, not the person of the Shah. On December 6, 1979/Azar 15, 1357 SH, Mr. ‘Ali Asghar Haj Sayyid Jawadi in a letter addressed to Azhari (the military prime minister) wrote: “I declare to you and I inform all the freedom-loving people of the world that the person responsible for all the killings, the machinations and the suffering which is brought upon the afflicted people of this country every hour of every day, is you!” Do Sal-e -khar [The Last Two Years], p. 234. 408 The military government in one of its proclamations had announced that the gathering of more than two people was forbidden. However, upon realizing that the people were determined to hold marches on Tasua and Ashura (December 10, 11, 1978/Azar 19, 20, 1357 SH) and because it did not see itself as being in a strong position enough to stop them from doing so, it announced that marches could be held freely on these two days providing that they were confined to mourning processions. On Tasua, at the invitation of Ayatullah Taleqani

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also heard, and God willing it is a lie- in fact I think that it is probably just a propaganda move but it could possibly happen- that they are planning something, they are planning to send a number of criminals into the arena to mix with the people pretending to be at one with them. The regime is going to send a number of their own criminals to accompany the people in these marches which the ulama and other sections of society intend to hold tomorrow in all cities and towns of Iran, and to create trouble so that they can say that this is not a peaceful demonstration and thus open fire on the people with machine-guns. Well, I think it is very possible that this is a rumor that the regime itself has started to try to persuade the people not to embark on the action they intend to take tomorrow. In other words, they (the Shah and his regime) hope to achieve their aim of stopping the people from taking part in this march so they can say they allowed it but the people themselves did not take part. It is possible that a devilish plot is involved here, and it is of course a cause of concern for me as to what may happen tomorrow.

SHAH IS A TYRANT AND ONE AGAINST GOD’S DECREES However, to get back to the main point which is that a tyrannical ruler now holds sway over the people. He has an army and the support of superpowers; he is a despot who possesses all the attributes about which the Prophet spoke. God, the Blessed and Exalted, has forbidden anyone to seize the lives of the Muslims, to kill them; this is something that God has prohibited. Yet he (the Shah) gives permission, he even orders for them to be killed. The wealth of the Muslims should be preserved; the wealth of the Iranian nation should be preserved for the Iranian nation itself. The oil of Iran belongs to Iran; the pasturelands of Iran belong to Iran, they should be used for the benefit of Iran; the fisheries of Iran should benefit Iran, after all they belong to Iran. These forests belong to Iran, whatever subterranean reserves exist belong to Iran, the Iranians themselves should extract them and use them for their own benefit, for the benefit of the nation. But the Shah has destroyed all of these. It is forbidden to destroy the wealth of the Muslims, the wealth that belongs to a nation, or to sell it to the enemies of Islam such as Israel, which is presently at war with the Muslims. Yet it is said that most of Israel’s oil is provided by Iran, and I have been told that many of our dead were killed by Israeli soldiers in lieu of payment for this oil. The Shah is someone who permits that which God has decreed to be prohibited. He destroys both the lives of the Muslims and their wealth. He has given our pasturelands away to others; our forests he has given to foreign companies; it is said that thousands of people were killed before he could take the fisheries off the poor people and turn them over to foreigners!409 And everyone knows what he is doing with our oil, such that in a few years’ time Iran will have nothing left. Everything Iran had has been plundered and taken (out of the country).

and other clergymen of Tehran, four million inhabitants of Tehran from all parts of the city marched toward Azadi Square. At the same time, marches and demonstrations were held by huge numbers of people in all the towns and cities throughout Iran. Do Sal-e Akhar [The Last Two Years], pp. 235- 236. 409 In order to have exclusive fishing rights in the waters of Iran and to safeguard the interests of foreign companies in the production of caviar, the regime created a special guard called the Fisheries Coastguard which had its own intelligence unit and had the right to kill anyone caught poaching. Occasionally, clashes would take place between these guards and local fishermen who had no choice but to turn to poaching in order to eke out a living. One night, when a great number of northern fishermen along with their wives and children went out to sea and cast their nets into the water, these coast guards opened fire on them killing thousands. On the orders of SAVAK the relatives of those killed were not allowed to hold mourning ceremonies for them. Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar, p. 561.

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PLUNDERING CURRENCY AND JEWELRY BY THE SHAH AND HIS MEN You have seen the list- I think they have made it available over here too- which shows how much of the wealth of Iran these plunderers have sent abroad. After they had done this and had taken all this wealth abroad, then the regime decided to announce that nobody should take anything out of the country! Just who else shouldn’t take anything? They have taken this wealth and it is finished. He himself had just recently taken three thousand million (dollars), even more, three thousand and a few hundred million (dollars) abroad. God knows how much was taken previously. They (the Pahlavis) were stealing from us from the beginning (of their rule). Just before his expulsion from Iran by the Allies, Reza Shah filled his suitcases with the country’s crown jewels. I was told this by someone who had heard it from an officer who had accompanied him on his journey into exile, and according to him, halfway through their journey, the ship carrying them stopped somewhere out at sea and a small ship, which, according to this person, was used for transporting cattle, drew up alongside them, and Reza Shah was told to board this ship. There and then his suitcases were taken off him, the British took them and that was an end to that! This is what he did during his time, in addition to the other things he stole and took out of the country. Once after returning from a journey, which had contained an element of danger, the late Mudarris, may God have mercy upon him, who in those days opposed Reza Shah and indeed gave his life for his opposition, told him: “I prayed for your safe return.” Reza Shah was extremely pleased to hear this and asked him: “Did you really pray for me?” Mudarris replied that indeed he had as there was good reason for doing so which was that all the country’s wealth would have been lost had Reza Shah died on this journey: “I wanted you to remain alive so that we could retrieve our wealth!” This is what Reza Shah did in his time. Today, from when he (Muhammad Reza) first assumed the throneand he had already gained much experience for he had learnt from the experiences of his father- he laid the groundwork for the transfer of the (country’s) wealth into foreign banks. He has stored the wealth of this nation in the banks of America and other places, so that if anything happens, he can go there and get it.

NATION’S DUTY TO PREVENT SHAH FROM ESCAPING The nation should not let him flee the country. He is planning something now. It is said that he has gone to the island of Kish. At first I was afraid that his leaving Iran or Tehran rather, at such a time meant that he had planned for heinous acts to be perpetrated, that he had ordered his army to kill the people while he was away. I thought, God forbid that he should have made such plans for tomorrow and the following day, but this is probably not the case, God willing. Some people say he has gone there to carry out his final act. He is certainly planning to flee the country and the nation of Iran must prevent him from doing so. To the extent that one is able... Granted this man cannot be punished for all the deeds that he has done. Someone who has held sway over this nation for thirty-odd years, who has destroyed everything it had and who has plunged the mothers of this country into mourning for their children, cannot be punished for everything he has done. Only today someone told me about a woman who had lost all three of her children. How can one exact retribution for the mother and father who now are only two people instead of five when they sit down to eat? Is it possible for us to punish him in this world for this? When a person kills another we can only punish him to the extent that we take his life for the life he has taken, we can do nothing more than this. His blood is only that of

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one human being- if, of course, he can be said to be a human being- so is it possible for mankind to give him his due after he has ruled over this nation for thirty-odd years and has perpetrated such killings as he has, such killings and thieving, thieving and treachery, treachery and other crimes as he has committed? He has only one life which can be taken from him in punishment for his taking the life of one person.

LOGIC OF THOSE WHO COMPROMISE The understanding of some people surprises me at times. Those people who say: “Well, he has come forward and has apologized, so we should accept this. He has come forward and has admitted that he made a mistake, so let’s accept this.”! What should we accept? Do you really think that God will accept this apology from him? God will not overlook what is man’s right. If anyone it is man himself who should overlook it. The people themselves should overlook their right for God to overlook it. Do you think that God will overlook the people’s right? Come; let’s make our peace with him! Come, let’s forgive him! One old gentleman with a white beard wrote me a long letter- he himself is a scholar, however, as far as his mental powers are concerned, he is somewhat deficient in intelligence!- in which he recalled that the Most Noble Messenger in such and such a place forgave so-and-so; somewhere else he forgave a certain infidel; and in such and such a place he forgave such and such a person. He wrote the history for me! As if I have the right to forgive him (the Shah) ! What does it have to do with me? The children of that old lady were killed, am I the one who should forgive him for this? How can I forgive him for taking the lives of the youth of this nation? In all probability tonight a number of people will be killed. Only today we received information to the effect that people have been killed, so now should we just sit back and agree to him remaining “His Imperial Majesty”?! To him no longer ruling but remaining “His Imperial Majesty”?! What kind of logic is this? How could any right-minded person suggest such a thing? Come; let us abide by the constitutional law! Abiding by the constitutional law, which we have at present, means that he remains ‘king’ but not ‘ruler’! Is this possible now? Could a right-minded person accept such a thing? Not even an animal would think of forgiving him! Who can forgive him? Who has the right to forgive him? Has he done something to me personally that I enjoy the right to forgive him for it? He has deprived the nation of its right; this man has spilt the blood of a nation. He is a violator of his promise to God.410 God has taken a promise from all people that they will obey Him, and the Shah has broken this promise. He himself swore an oath in Parliament when he first usurped the throne. He went to the Parliament and swore that he would be loyal to the Shi’i faith; that he would promote this faith and he would not betray the nation. He has broken these promises too. He laid his hand on the Qur’an and swore an oath, calling on God as a witness. He made a solemn promise that he would not betray the nation, that he would propagate the Shi’i faith. You can all see how he has propagated it and how he has kept his promise! He opposes the traditions of the Messenger of God in every way imaginable.

SILENCE NOT CONSENTED If someone remains quiet after seeing that Muhammad Reza Khan has these attributes, then his place in hell is the same as that of Muhammad Reza Khan. He may pray during the night, he may be an ‘alim or have 410 It refers to part of the Most Noble Messenger’s speech in which he spoke about tyrannical rulers.

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spent the whole of his life in obedience to God, but if he remains silent in the face of such a person, then according to this tradition of the Messenger of God which the Doyen of the Martyrs related, his place in hell will be the same as that of Muhammad Reza Khan. How can a nation remain silent? No one has an excuse; there are no excuses. Even if there were only four of us, we would still have had to rise up, for this is the rule. Today, however, no one can say that he is alone, for the whole nation has risen. Today, the entire nation of Iran has stood up to this tyrannical king, this tyrannical ruler. The entire nation of Islam, the entire nation of Iran, has risen up. Even in the villages they have risen. The day before yesterday someone came to me who had been to visit some remote villages, and he said that even there demonstrations were held on a daily basis. He said that in these villages in the morning and afternoon the learned ones would lead the peasants and other people in demonstrations. At such a time when all the people have risen, no one is able to say that he cannot. No, you can rise up. Just as you have seen what you can do, you have seen that neither martial law nor a military government can do anything to stop you. The heads of this very same military government who made such a hullabaloo now see that when the people want to march, when people from all corners want to come together for a march, they cannot do anything about it, so they have given in and have announced that they are allowed to do so! They assume that if they don’t give the people permission to march, they won’t do so! What do they mean by saying they are “allowed” to march? Are they crazy or what?! The people are allowed to march! They have the permission to march! It was also said that “His Imperial Majesty “Had given his permission. This is just ridiculous. [One from the audience: They have even given their permission for congregational prayers to be held.] [Imam:] Yes. It is just ridiculous for him to say that he allows it, or for the government to say that it allows this march to take place! Who are you to do the allowing?! You have pointed your bayonets at the people, yet they have come forward and have turned their chests into a shield against your bayonets! Children have come forward, women have come forward; women with babes in arms have joined the ranks of the people. This is a divine act, God has done this. God has lit this fire and this is its brightness, which, like the sun, will remain until the conclusion of this affair, God willing. [the audience replies with God willing]. No one can make the excuse now that he is unable to act or that he is ignorant of the situation. Is there anyone in the whole of Iran who can say that he doesn’t know that this man is a tyrannical ruler? Is there anyone who can say he doesn’t know that this man has acted against the traditions of the Messenger of God? Is there anyone who doesn’t know that this man has broken his promise to God, that he is a rebellious sinner who is oppressing the people and who has squandered their wealth?! No one can say that he didn’t know this. I ask you, can any of us say now that we cannot do anything about it? All the power is on our side, so how is it not possible to do something? Everyone should voice their disapproval; they should mention the Shah by name and reveal his true character. How come some of the ulama in some of the cities are able to write about the Shah and say what kind of a man he really is, naming him explicitly, and no one does anything to them for this? Everyone should speak out and reveal the true nature of the Shah, the government and the regime. It is a mistake not to do this. Names should be mentioned, it should be said that it is the Shah who is doing these things. Disapproval should be voiced. You cannot make the excuse that you are unable to do anything. No, you can do something. If someone utters a word which encourages acceptance of this oppressor, which aids this oppressor, or which helps to retain this oppressor, then this is

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committing treason against Islam and the Muslims. This should not happen. There should be no talk of ‘constitutional law’... even if it is said that the article which Reza Khan included by force of the bayonet will be removed, the other articles are wrong too, so they are not worth committing such an outrage for.

OUR DUTY TO CONTINUE DISSEMINATION AND STRUGGLE There is no excuse for us today; none of us has an excuse, we who are over here, you gentlemen who are in these countries, are not without a duty to perform. Those who stand in the ranks of the people stand in the line of battle. Perhaps even at this moment the sound of gunfire, the sound of machine-gun fire, is ringing out in Tehran, Qum, Ahwaz and other places. For the people will not remain quiet, they have stood up to them (the regime). Those who stand against the people are waging war against them. However, the people are discharging their duty; they are acting upon the sayings of the Messenger of God; they are following the example of the Doyen of the Martyrs, upon whom be peace, and are performing their duty. You who are over here must reveal the crimes that this man has committed in whatever way you can; you may be able to give interviews to the press or hold gatherings in which these matters are discussed. Wherever possible you must stand up and speak out on these matters to these friends and acquaintances that you have here abroad and who are of a different denomination or nationality than you, so that the people here will realize that the Iranians who have risen up against him are not just a gang of trouble-makers, but they are people who are speaking the truth and are seeking their rights. Freedom is the right of the people; it is the right of the inhabitants of a country to seek independence. It is a noble people who have risen up and who have spilt their blood in order to stop their wealth, the wealth of their country, from being dissipated, in order to stop the laws of Islam from being swept away or trampled underfoot. You must make the people over here understand this. In whatever language and through whatever means possible tell them that the people of Iran who have risen up against this man and this regime have done so because for the past fifty years this man and his father have betrayed them; for fifty years he and his father have committed outrages against them, have massacred them. His father perpetrated a massacre in the Goharshad mosque411, and as for this Shah, well; wherever you look he has carried out massacres! He is a true son of his father! Tell the people over here that this is the state of affairs, and those who have risen up are not merely a group of ruffians or hooligans, or are not just a few in number- recently that wretch412 has been saying that only a “few” people have been making the rest unhappy and that now all the people want the Shah!! I don’t know what is going on in his mind or for whom he is making such comments.

411 In late 1935 [1314 SH], Reza Khan gave orders for strict enforcement of his newly promulgated decree requiring men to wear Western headgear and the Islamic veils of women to be removed. This move angered the people and prompted opposition from the clergy. Ayatullah Haj Aqa Husayn Qummi, a religious leader of Mashhad, traveled to Tehran in protest. He set up residence in the vicinity of the shrine of ‘Abd al-’Azim and when the people heard of his arrival, they rushed from all areas of Tehran to the shrine to see him. The gathering of people there worried Reza Khan, and he gave orders that the residence of Ayatullah Qummi and the shrine be surrounded and no one be allowed to enter. When news of this occurrence reached Mashhad, the people held a large gathering in the new courtyard of the shrine of Imam Reza (as) and immediately orders were given to shoot those gathered there. After this event, Buhlul, a famous preacher of Khorasan province, called the mourners of those murdered in the incident to come together at the mosque of Goharshad, part of the shrine complex in that city. Upon hearing of this second large gathering, Reza Khan ordered that machine-gun fire be used to disperse the crowd and that mercy be shown to no one. Police in Mashhad, along with the infantry, entered the mosque and massacred several hundred people. The bodies of the martyrs and even the wounded were then mercilessly loaded onto trucks and taken out of the city where they were buried in a mass grave. The site of this grave is known as the ‘seat of carnage.’ 412 It refers to the Shah. Carter repeated the same claim.

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Tell the people over here that the Iranians who have risen up have done so for something that is obvious, for something that all of mankind agrees with and that is that they must be free, they must not be thrown into his jails or prevented from speaking out! They are seized by their throats and prevented from speaking out! Their pens are broken to stop them from writing! During these past fifty years, they (the Pahlavis) broke the people’s pens, they shackled them. Over these past fifty years, the prisons have been full of those who sought freedom. Now the people have arisen and are seeking their national rights, rights which are clearly theirs to have, rights which constitute human rights and are considered to be the most basic of human rights that is freedom, independence and a just government. It is said that he spends one hundred million dollars every year on propaganda for himself; he pays them (the media) to glorify him and enhance his stature, and to accuse his opponents of whatever they want. You should thwart these actions. Tell the people whom you meet over here about the (true) state of affairs. This man (the Shah) takes the wealth of the nation and uses it against the nation, uses it against the interests of the nation. May God assist you all. May you be successful, please God [the audience recites a salawat].

81st Speech Date: December 11, 1978/Azar 20, 1357 SH/Muharram 10, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Great referendum of Tasua and Ashura; necessity for the return of the army to the nation’s embrace Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

TASUA AND ASHURA REFERENDUM: PROOF FOR SHAH’S DOWNFALL The demonstrations which have taken place yesterday and today in Iran have deprived every person and every government of excuses.413 No longer can governments claim that the Shah is legitimate and is staying in the country legally or because the people want him to. The referendum that took place yesterday and today and the declaration that was issued proved to the world that the Shah is illegal.414 I said that his rule 413 Referring to the marches which took place on Tasua and Ashura, December 10-11, 1978/Azar 19- 20, 1357 SH. From the crack of dawn the people of Tehran began to march from different areas of the city toward Inqilab-e Islami Street (the former Reza Shah Street) and Azadi Street (formerly Eisenhower Street) which would take them to Azadi (Shahyad) Square where the processions were to culminate. The slogans shouted during the marches on these two days were: ‘This is the national slogan, God, the Qur’an and Khomeini’; ‘Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic’; ‘The only party is the Party of Allah, the only leader Ruhullah’; ‘The Pahlavi dynasty must be destroyed, an Islamic government must be established’. Jeffrey Robertson, a correspondent for the BBC, described the scene as a swelling, roaring sea of people, and “a great gathering that with one voice calls out: ‘The Shah must go!’ 414 In the demonstrations of Tasua and Ashura, December 10-11, 1978/Azar 19-20, 1357 SH, a seventeen-point declaration was issued by the people in support of the leadership of Imam Khomeini. The other main points of this declaration called for the overthrow of the Shah; the renunciation of foreign imperialism and the attainment of independence and self-sufficiency; the establishment of a government of Islamic justice; the protection of the political and civil rights of all citizens, including those of the minority religions; the granting of true freedom, dignity, respect and nobility to women; the implementation of social justice; the repudiation of discrimination and

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was null and void from day one; my claim has been that from the beginning Reza Shah and this Shah gained sovereignty in Iran through illegal and usurpatory means. Now, even if Carter and others like him deny that this is the case, events of yesterday and today have proved that the Shah enjoys no legality, because according to the text of our constitutional law, the Shah is a Shah only by the vote of the nation. This is only natural. Now all the people in Tehran, Mashhad, Qum and Tabriz, everywhere in Iran- and there can be no excuses made that another group of people were involved who came from the other side of the border!- have calmly announced that they don’t want the Shah.415 Therefore, I have a message for the world governments, for those within Iran, for the Iranian army. My message for the governments of the world is this: we declare from today that our referendum is well and truly over and it is perfectly clear for you all that the Shah enjoys no legitimacy, consequently, we will annul all agreements which have been made between Iran and governments which continue to support the Iranian regime, and we will not give them a drop of oil, at least not while these governments remain in power.

AMERICAN PARLIAMENT SHOULD IMPEACH CARTER The American parliament should reprimand Carter and ask him to explain why he is backing a government which does not enjoy the support of the nation and which no one in Iran approves of. Carter himself, along with his administration, should be formally questioned as to why they are acting against the interests of America by supporting the Shah who took over the reins of power in Iran illegally and whose reign was made null and void by the referendum in Iran yesterday and today- if it were not considered as being so from the beginning. This is against the interests of America, for if you (addressing Carter) continue to support him, then there will be no oil for America for the duration that you and your administration are in power. This applies to other countries too, be they America, Britain, Russia or other countries that wish to buy oil from Iran. We will not give our oil to those countries which support the Shah today, even through an equitable sale. In other words, so long as the governments of these countries are in power, we will not give them oil. It is true that we do not bear any animosity toward the people of these countries, and if the parliaments of these countries force these governments to sever their support for the Shah and announce that they do not back him, then we will give them oil. However, if these governments do not do this, then so long as they are in power, there will be no oil for their nations. So now it is up to the parliaments of these countries and the governments, they must decide what to do. This is simply a message for the foreigners and the heads of state calling on them to open their eyes and exploitation in all forms; the revival of the country’s agriculture; industrial advancement; the continuation of the strikes until the fall of the regime; refraining from hoarding goods and selling goods at inflated prices; cautioning the army and inviting the soldiers to unite with the people; repudiating the accusation of the influence of international communism in the Islamic Revolution; the release of political prisoners; the continuation of the struggle until victory; and honoring the martyrs and continuing their path. 415 Concerning the slogans shouted by the people on Tasua and Ashura, the late Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini writes in his memoirs: “Slogans against the Shah were not shouted out through the loudspeakers during the march on Tasua due to the efforts by political figures within the country who used ‘prevention of killings’ as the excuse to justify their stance, and much to the displeasure of the revolutionary clergy and people. The matter was referred to Paris where Imam Khomeini stressed, as he had done on previous occasions, that the main slogans to be given during the march on Ashura, as indeed on any other day, must, without fail, voice opposition to the Shah and his rule and must call for the establishment of an Islamic government. Consequently, in the march on Ashura, the slogans ‘Death to the Shah’ and ‘the American hireling Shah must be banished, an Islamic government must be established’ were the most common and universal.”

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follow the right path. They should support a people who have stood up and who are calling for their rights, who are saying they want freedom, they want the right to determine their own destiny and they do not want the Shah. If these heads of state do not do so and they support the Shah instead, then there will be no oil for their countries for the duration that they are in power.

A WARNING AND ALARM TO THE ARMY I would like also to say something to the army, the Iranian army, and I hope that my words reach them. I would like to address the young officers in the army, for I feel that the older officers, who have been in the army for a long time, are excluded here, especially those who served Reza Shah and who may still be serving this Shah, for they most surely support him because he has given them their fill of riches, and these killings which have occurred either at the time of martial law or the military government have done so at their hands! I hold out no hope for these old men. We have asked that a record be made of their names and, God willing, they will be given their just deserts under the Islamic government [the audience replies with God willing]. I would, however, like to awaken the young officers, those who have not got their ranks, or more to the point have not been given them so as to keep them in a subordinate position to these older officers who are the official servants of America or Russia and who serve them first of all and the Shah second, and who have been filled to overflowing with our oil money. I hold out no hope for them because the Shah has given them their fill of the riches of this nation and they now view the Shah and America as their providers. I would, however, like to arouse the younger generation in the army who form an important group, and give them a word of advice which is that you are young, you still have a life ahead of you, your working days are not over yet, there is still time to serve the nation, so return to the nation and serve the people, abandon this regime that you now know to be illegal and un-Islamic. Forsake this regime and join the people, then the Islamic government will welcome you with open arms. This system will be better for you than that of the Shah, because in an Islamic system there will be no giving of money in order to strengthen a ruler, this will not happen. In this system the government will be just, it will be a national government, a government based on the divine laws and on the consensus of the nation; a ruler will not be able to bully his way to power and then protect his rule by the same means. No, he will come to power through the nation’s vote, and it will be the nation who will protect him. And if at any time he acts against the wishes of the nation or against the law, the codified law, then his rule will, as a matter of course, becomes null and void and the government of Iran and the Iranian nation will sweep him aside.

NEED FOR AN ARMY IN FUTURE You young army officers have not lost yourselves to the dollar like the older officers have! Return to the nation’s embrace and the people will welcome you, the Islamic government too will take care of you. Do not think that if an Islamic government were to come to power it would not need officers; this is just what they (the regime and its supporters) are putting about. An Islamic government requires all the apparatuses that other governments have, minus the stealing [the audience laughs]. We want to stop the stealing and capture the thieves. Those who serve their country are held in high esteem by all of us, and they are dear to God too. Everything will be prepared for them. But of course those who are thieves, who have stolen the wealth of this nation and have taken it abroad, will be punished. Do not suppose that if they have left Iran

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then that is an end to the affair! If they come here, these young people are here to deal with them [the audience laughs]. If they go to America or Britain it will be the same there too. They should not think that they can stay in Iran until the last moment, steal as much as they can and then fly off to America! Wherever they go, there will be zealous Iranian youth to deal with them [the audience says God willing]. Be that as it may, I ask these young men in the army... and I know that they have not lost their Islamic character or their human nature and that at heart they side with the nation, but at present they see themselves as being under the command of these elder, higher-ranking officers, these generals and so on, who have frightened them by putting the idea into their heads that were an Islamic government to come to power, the army officers would no longer have a role to play. On the contrary, at the time of Hazrat Amir, officers existed, but in another form. Malik Ashtar was one of Hazrat Amir’s leading officers, as was Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. A country always needs an army, it always needs officers and it always needs the different sections of an administration. What it doesn’t need are people who are a burden to the country, people who want to steal the nation’s wealth and who are of no benefit to the nation. Those who are doing this now have to realize what they are doing, the less they steal the better it will be for them, the less they take out of the country the better it will be for them, because they will be found wherever they go.

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT DEFENDER OF THE DEPRIVED’S RIGHTS In any case, this is false propaganda that is put about whether among the soldiers or the farmers. They tell the farmers that if an Islamic government were to come to power they would once again fall on hard times. As if the farmers don’t know it was those ‘land reforms’ implemented by this man that blackened their days in the first place. These helpless people are now living a very inferior kind of life and these co-operative banks and corporations that they have created have deprived them completely of their existence.416 There would be no talk of such things taking place were an Islamic government to come to power. Do not think that an Islamic government will come and demand that you give back to those property magnates the holdings which had been taken off them. No, it will sit each one of them down in turn and ask them to settle their accounts. Yes, they will have to pay tax to the Islamic government. For the past seventy or one hundred years neither they nor their fathers or forefathers have paid anything. If we work it out, the amount will be more than these lands of theirs and we shall have to take their jewels off them and their money from the bank because they are in debt to the government. Once the land is nationalized, that is when it is taken over by the Islamic government, then of course farmers will be needed, cultivators will be needed. An Islamic

416 The Agricultural Bank of Credit with two hundred branches throughout the country, and other corporations and organizations such as: rural cooperative corporations and unions; the Agricultural Joint Stock Company; the Rural Production Cooperative Company; and the Rural Cultural House, were established ostensibly to help farmers. The Agricultural Bank was in theory supposed to make available to the rural cooperatives and unions, and consequently to the farmers themselves, credit equivalent to ten times its subscribed capital, however, in practice, and because of government failure to provide sufficient capital resources to meet the demand for cooperative credit, it rarely extended to any society credit which exceeded more than four times the value of all its paid-up shares. As a result, the amount of money cooperatives could borrow to re-lend to members was inadequate relative to the credit needs of most peasants. In addition to restricting the total amount of credit, the Agricultural Bank also adopted policies which tended to inhibit the flow of available credit. For more information on this, refer to Land and Revolution in Iran 1960- 1980 by Eric J. Hooglund, in particular chapters 3 and 4. For all the regime’s propaganda that these organizations were set up to help in the equal distribution of farmland; to improve water and land exploitation methods; to assist the peasants in obtaining credit for agricultural machinery, tools, fertilizers, pesticides and other items; and to arrange facilities for the storage, transport and marketing of their members’ crops, the farmers were no better off after their establishment than they were before. For further information refer also to Fred Halliday’s Iran, Dictatorship and Development, Chapter 5.

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government does not want the agrarian economy to be in the state it is in today whereby the country has to beg Israel and America to give it eggs, chickens, wheat, barley and goodness knows what else.417 It wants the country to be self-sufficient. Our country has everything, it is not the case that it doesn’t have anything; on the contrary it has everything it needs. The agricultural produce of one of our country’s provinces was once enough to meet the needs of the whole country, but these people destroyed our agriculture. They have brought our animal husbandry to ruin in order to give our pasturelands to others. They have destroyed everything we had. We want a country that belongs to us. They think that if they spread this propaganda around... Islam did not come to oppress the weak; Islam came to take care of them and tend to their needs. Islam sprang up among the ranks of the weak, not the wealthy. It appeared among the beggars of Medina and Mecca, among those poor, weak people. None of the prophets was an aristocrat to side with their cause. They were all from the weak class, from the masses, and it was the masses with whom they sympathized. They did not allow acts of oppression to be carried out against them, or indeed against anyone, including those in positions of authority, for acts of oppression should not be carried out against anyone.

ISLAM DEFENDER OF CIVILIZATION AND GUARDIAN OF MEN AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS This regime has disseminated propaganda to the effect that were Islam to come to power, women, for example, would have to remain at home with the doors locked to prevent them from getting out! [the audience laughs]. Such falsehoods they spread about Islam. In the earliest age of Islam, women formed part of the army and entered the field of battle together with the men. Islam does not oppose universities, it is opposed to the corruption of the universities, it is opposed to universities being kept in a retarded state, it is opposed to imperialist universities, not the universities themselves. Islam does not oppose any of the manifestations of civilization and is not against any one particular group of you. When it first appeared, Islam took women by the hand and made them equal with men. Even though women were regarded as nothing at the time the Prophet of Islam began his teachings. Islam gave women strength. Islam put women on a par with men and made them equal with men. Of course, there are certain rules which apply only to men and others which apply only to women, but this does not mean that Islam discriminates against women. Both women and men are free to attend university, both are free to vote and stand as parliamentary representatives, that which Islam objects to is the way that these people (the Shah and his regime) want women to be: a plaything in the hands of men. To quote the Shah “a woman should be flirtatious.”418 We want to get rid of this mistaken idea. We want a woman to be a person like other people, a human being like any other human being, to be free as others are free. Do not listen to this propaganda the Shah puts

417 During the Shah’s ‘land reform’ program, the country’s agriculture and animal husbandry were gradually ruined, and what remained of the oil revenues was spent on the purchase of wheat from America, oranges from South Africa, chickens from Holland, eggs from Israel and other needs from various other countries. The cost of importing eggs from Israel in the years 1976-78 amounted to 212,254 and 1,022 million rials respectively, figures which were continually on the rise. Refer to Iran, Taswir-e Amari-ye Bazargani-ye Khariji, p. 264 and Inqilab-e Jumhuri-ye Islami-ye Iran, p. 152. 418 Oriana Fallaci (1929-2006 AD); Oriana Fallaci was an Italian journalist and author. A partisan during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career. Fallaci became famous worldwide for her coverage of war and revolution, and her “long, aggressive and revealing interviews” with many world leaders during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Her interview with Imam Khomeni appears in her book, Interview with History.

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about- on which it is said he spends one hundred million dollars annually. Nobody really pays attention to it any more anyway. He should pack up his things and leave now [Laughter from the audience]. I hope that you will be successful and an Islamic government will succeed in taking the place of the oppressive government, God willing. [the audience replies with “God willing”]. May God assist those in Iran who are aiding Islam and grant them success [“Amen” from the audience]. And may He grant you young people abroad, those of you who are outside of Iran, success, so that together we may sever the hands of foreigners from our land. [“Amen” from the audience]. May God keep you all [“Amen” from the audience].

82nd Speech Date: December 11, 1978/Azar 20, 1357 SH/Muharram 10, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Need for observation of the law by Iranians and Muslims abroad Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

COMPREHENSIVENESS OF ISLAM May God make everyone successful. I have a request to put to the gentlemen, and that is that wherever they may be they take certain points into consideration: one is that Islam, as you well know, does not solely comprise rules for the outwardly apparent acts of worship individuals must perform, just as it does not consist wholly of uprising and movement and the like. Islam has many aspects and someone who wants to understand Islam must recognize all the aspects which exist in Islam. That which concerns the development of the individual; that which concerns the development of society; that which concerns the policies of an Islamic government toward other countries; that which concerns the economy, education and culture, these are all to be found in Islam. Unfortunately, I have been told that some individuals- some of these young people who are living in Europe or America- take into account only one aspect of Islam that is the aspect concerned with struggle, demonstrations and the like. Clearly, struggling against the enemy, struggling against corruption and struggling against corrupt governments form part of a government’s, that is an Islamic government’s, program and are included in the rules of Islam. However, Islam is not confined solely to such things. Just as the gentlemen take action and are active in this regard, so too they must go to great pains to carry out those duties which are for developing their personality, duties which God the Blessed and Exalted has asked the people to perform, for indeed all of these are to man’s advantage, and through this means they must develop themselves.

IRANIANS ABROAD MUST PRESERVE IRAN’S REPUTATION One matter which grieves me deeply and which is spoken of frequently over here, many questions being raised about it, is that occasionally some of our youth living abroad violate the law in shops, government offices, banks or on trains and buses, arguing that because these countries have stolen our wealth, then we

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may as well steal theirs. This is not right. The position of those of you who are presently living abroad is such that if you are seen to commit a crime, the nation of Iran will be judged by your action. The Iranians will be called a nation of thieves or it will be said that the Muslims in general are thieves! For this reason, you must be very careful about such things. Even if you believe such actions to be permissible- and indeed I say to you that they are not- but even if you believe it is permissible to take money from these organizations, you must not do so. Guard yourselves against doing such things because it is necessary to preserve your own reputation and that of Islam and the nation. If, for example, when our young people in one of these countries want to travel on a bus or take a plane or train journey they cheat or carry out a fraud when buying the ticket, this constitutes playing with the human dignity of a nation. You should advise your friends against doing such things, tell them that this excuse that because they have stolen our wealth we can steal theirs, is not a justifiable one, it is not right. You should safeguard the dignity of your nation and preserve the high standing of Islam, for suppose that you are arrested by a policeman at the scene of your crime, the onlookers will not say that this man is whatever, they will say that the nation of Iran is like this or Islam is like this. Thus, this is a very important responsibility that you must shoulder. All Muslims, whether from Iran or other Muslim countries, who are living in Europe or America should preserve their dignity and safeguard their religion and their reputation in these countries; they should never commit crimes which bring dishonor to a nation. Even if you believe this to be permissible, even if someone exploits you, you must not do anything which is classed as a fraud and which the police class as a fraud. Advise your friends against doing such things. I am repeatedly asked about this matter by people who come here and I have said over and over that they should not do such things, now you too pass this message on. Such actions are damaging to our reputation. Now as for the problems facing Iran, wherever you may be tell your friends, your American and European friends, about these. Tell them how the Shah has treated the people and that all the people are saying that they don’t want him. Make these things known to those over here, so that these foreigners will have no doubts in their minds and they will not think that the people of Iran are barbarians who are acting against a government! No, this is not the case; rather, they want to get rid of a barbaric government. You must speak out about these matters. May you always be successful, victorious and healthy, God willing.

83rd Speech Date: December 16, 1978/Azar 25, 1357 SH/Muharram 15, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Carter’s perception of human rights; cover-up for Shah’s crimes; need for the strike of the oil company personnel Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

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CARTER’S LOGIC THE SAME AS MU’AWIYAH’S When Ammar Yasir, who rode with the Commander of the Faithful, was killed fighting in the battle of Siffin against Mu’awiyah, word spread among Mu’awiyah’s troops that the Prophet had once told ‘Ammar he would be martyred by a rebellious, traitorous group, and now, because he had been martyred by Mu’awiyah’s army, it meant that the rebellious, refractory group must be Mu’awiyah and his army419. Mu’awiyah disagreed saying it was the Commander of the Faithful who had actually killed him because he was the one who had sent him into battle, thus the traitorous group comprised the Commander of the Faithful and his followers. Carter’s reasoning is the same as Mu’awiyah’s, for he has said that it is the ulama of Islam who are killing the people420. Now we must put his reasoning to the test using the criteria that Mu’awiyah used to see whether his logic is the same as Mu’awiyah’s, or even maybe a bit worse, or whether it is a correct logic. From the beginning of Muharram in Iran, the people began to express their revulsion for the Shah’s government while at the same time holding their mourning ceremonies. On Tasua and Ashura421, the people marched in a perfectly peaceful manner and negated the rule of Muhammad Reza Shah. He (Carter) says that the people had no authority to do this, and so the following day the Shah had no option but to give the command to kill the people! Are these peaceful demonstrations which the people held and in which they determined their destiny not conformable to Mr. Carter’s logic? Does he see something wrong in this? Does he believe that the people of a country, all the people of a country, have no rights where their destiny is concerned?! Does the “Declaration of human rights” in Carter’s logic mean that man does not have the right to determine his own destiny? Is this what he understands by man’s right to be free as stipulated in the declaration of human rights to which he is a signatory? The most basic right of man is that he should enjoy freedom of expression, freedom in determining his own destiny. Does he (Carter) understand from the Declaration of Human Rights that no one is free in these matters? Or is it only with regard to Iran that he has this opinion, and as far as other people are concerned, they can be free, it is only the Iranians who cannot?! Indeed, they say that in some of his statements he has said that there should be no talk of freedom and human rights in those countries where they have interests. They (the Americans) should not speak about human rights in such countries. Iran is seen by them as being a strategically-import country, consequently, they should not speak about human freedom and human rights there! Does the world view this as being a sound logic? Are the right-minded people of the world of the opinion that because a country is beneficial to America, because America profits from a country, then the people of that country should not be free? They should just sit by with their arms folded until all their interests, all their resources, are taken by America and it’s like?!

419 The Prophet (s) told Ammar Yasir: “A mutinous group will kill you.” ‘Ammar was martyred in the battle of Siffin by Mu’awiyah’s army. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 22, pp. 326, 354. 420 On December 20, 1978/Azar 30, 1357 SH, Carter, who had sent hundreds of CIA agents to Iran to help the Shah’s security forces suppress the people, unashamedly stated: “It is these clergymen who are killing the people.” 421 December 9 and 10, 1978/Azar 19 and 20, 1357 SH.

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CARTER, A DEFENDER OF MASSACRE AND PLUNDERING He says that it is the ulama of Islam who are getting the people killed; but were the peaceful demonstrations held by the people on these two days, demonstrations which passed off without incident and through which the people proved to the world that Iran can take control of its own affairs and can determine its destiny in a rational, correct manner, were they the reason behind the killings that were started the following night, on the evening of the eleventh?422 What caused the slaughter of the people on this occasion? Well, at Siffin at least this matter was brought up during a battle when one side was fighting the other and both were killing one another. Under such circumstances, Mu’awiyah can use such a sophism saying that he who sent Ammar Yasir to battle is the one who killed him. This is Mu’awiyah’s logic! This is the sophism that Mu’awiyah employed. But under the circumstances today, the argument being used is much worse, for today the people have not gone to war! The people merely marched in the streets of Tehran and other cities shouting that they didn’t want the Shah; does this constitute war? If someone says: “My country’s destiny lies in my hands, we want human rights to apply to us too,” then wouldn’t everyone in the world accept this? Don’t they accept that every human being is free to determine his own destiny, to vote freely, to determine if his country should be ruled by a king, a president or by whatever system he chooses? And on the basis of human rights, shouldn’t his choice be carried into effect and all governments sanction it? Well, this is precisely what happened in Iran, nothing more than this. On the ninth and tenth, on Tasua and Ashura, nothing other than this took place, as all the press correspondents witnessed; those who went to Iran and watched the events taking place there all saw a country whose inhabitants throughout the land set off walking peacefully in their millions. Men and women, old and young alike took to the streets saying: “We don’t want this Shah.” Even if we suppose that the Shah is truly a righteous man and a faultless person who serves the people well, when the people do not want his services he should step down. Let us suppose that he has the interests of the country at heart, that he wants to grant freedom, he wants to make the country independent, he wants to take the country to a new civilization; let’s suppose that all these things are true of him, still don’t the people of the country have the right to say they don’t want him to rule over them, that they want the destiny of the country to be in their own hands, that they do not want him to serve them, and if he steps down, they will put someone else in his place to serve them, if they so wish? Let’s suppose that all these things are true of him and that like other human beings he possesses some human decency, still the people of the country have the right to say that they don’t want this servant, this very righteous and good person who wants to make their country a heaven here on earth! They don’t want him to make their country a heaven on earth! Don’t they have the right to say so? Don’t human rights mean that every person, every human being, has the right to determine his own destiny? The Iranian people want to determine their own destiny and they do not want this Mr. Servant.

422 The nightly shooting of people by military government agents during the month of Muharram, which led to the martyrdom of a large number of people, was reflected in the Ittila’at newspaper of January 5, 1979/Dey 16, 1357 SH thus: “The figures for the number of those killed as given by the people, families, clergy and national leaders differ considerably from those given by the authorities. Our reporters have been able to obtain the names of those killed which from the beginning of the holy month of Muharram until the collapse of Azhari’s military government had been recorded in the offices of the coroner, Beheshte Zahra and the Public Prosecutor.” This report also carried the names of many of those martyred during the nights of Muharram. According to an Associated Press report, on December 15, 1978/ Azar 24, 1357 SH alone forty people were killed in Shiraz. Taqwim-e Tarikh-e Inqilab-e Islami-ye Iran, p. 202.

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The argument so far has been based on him being a servant of the country; however, this is not the case, and he is in fact the servant of foreigners! For the sake of foreigners, he has destroyed this country of his, he has taken it to rack and ruin. He is someone who has given away whatever we had, who has destroyed everything we had. Everything which was of benefit to the country, and which the people, the nation, could profit from, he has either given to others to steal or he has stolen himself and put the money in bank accounts abroad.423 Just like his father before him, who took the crown jewels of Iran only to have them taken off him by the British during his journey into exile. He has taken the money of Iran himself and has given some of it to these sixty thousand people- whom it is said are connected to him in some way, who are either his friends or relatives- to steal, and to his masters, to Carter and others like him, and to America and other countries. He has devastated everything of value in Iran. If he leaves now, it will take ten to fifteen years before this country, through the efforts of righteous people, can be returned to its former state, that is to how it was before he and his father came along. It will take this period of toil and effort. Do not suppose that as soon as he goes this country that he has laid to waste will become a heaven on earth. He has destroyed everything; he has devastated this country and has given it the appearance of a wasteland. Today, our country can boast no agriculture, its pasturelands and forests do not lie in the hands of the people, the waters of this land have been misused, these dams that they have built have all been to the advantage of others.424 There will have to be a period of toil and effort before the country can be returned to the state it was prior to this man’s arrival. The people will have to endure hardship for a time, our youth will have to take pains, our experts will have to take pains before this country can be retrieved from this shambles which he has created and before reconstruction can begin.

CARTER’S EXCUSE FOR KILLING THE PEOPLE So is Carter saying that these peaceful demonstrations, upon which the people embarked and during which they stated that they didn’t want the Shah, are the reason behind the people being killed?! Is he saying that the people have to say they want the Shah so they won’t be killed?! He claims that the people’s words are unreasonable and accuses them of lacking control. Well, we will repeat our words, and his too, at public gatherings around the world, and we will see whose words are deemed to lack balance.

423 Precise figures concerning the Shah’s wealth in foreign banks are not known because of the secretive nature of these kinds of accounts. However, after the Shah fled Iran, the New York Times on December 28, 1978 [Dey 7, 1357 SH) wrote: “The wealth of the Shah can only be compared with that of Rockefeller, Fahd (the king of Arabia) and the As-Sabah family (the Emir of Kuwait).” In another place the Shah’s monetary wealth in American banks was estimated at one billion dollars. American bankers stated that the larger part of the two-four thousand million dollars which was transferred to America during the last two years of the Revolution belonged to the Shah and the royal family! The value of the Shah’s real estate abroad (in Australia, Italy, Switzerland, France, and America) exceeds more than 20 billion dollars! For more information, refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, the memoirs of the former general Husayn Fardoust, vol. 1, p. 216 and the Ittila’at newspaper of January 18, 1980/Dey 28, 1358 SH. 424 Foreign companies invested in both the industrial and agricultural sectors in Iran. Fertile lands around dams were handed over to foreign investment companies or joint companies having foreign and Iranian investment so that with the establishment of cultivation and industrial companies they could carry out agricultural and industrial projects. For example, as soon as the Dez dam was completed, all the land beneath it was given to a large American agricultural company in California, and the irrigation system, exploitation and cultivation of the land was placed at the disposal of the Americans. These dams were built by foreigners with funds from the Iranian government. Dawlat wa Huk’mat dar Iran, pp. 175- 177.

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This is what we are saying: this man and his father, this dynasty in fact, has betrayed us, has perpetrated crimes against us and is presently doing so every day. At this very moment as we sit here, the Shah and his regime are busy perpetrating crimes. Just yesterday they set Qum alight. Two days ago in Khorasan, Tabriz, Yazd, indeed in any city that you may care to name, they brought in a gang of people and wreaked havoc there. These were the deeds of the same person who came forward and repented, this is the meaning of his repentance! These actions that you are all witnessing are being carried out by someone who came before the people telling them to stop what they were doing for he had realized that he had made mistakes which he would make up for and not repeat. Does Mr. Carter not know about these actions, or does he know only too well but he pretends not to? Well, he (the Shah) is indeed carrying out such acts. We here, who are citizens of that country, along with the other people of the country, are saying that we don’t want him. He has betrayed us, he has perpetrated crimes against us, he has given our resources to you (Carter) and others like you, and now we want to be free, we want to be independent, we want to administer our country ourselves. Is there any ambiguity about the fact that we want to administer our country ourselves, we don’t want it to be run by you all or by your servants?! There is nothing obscure in this. Do the people of a country not have the right to state peacefully that they do not want him?! As witnessed by the world on Tasua and Ashura, nearly everybody, all the bazaars in Iran, the whole of Iran, the provincial cities and the villages of Iran stated in a peaceful manner that they did not want the Shah. If, following this action taken by the people, this referendum that they held, he had said: “Alright, if you don’t want me I’ll go and you can bring someone else in my place,” Would there have been such conflict and contention as there has been? Did this warrant such trouble? He has acted against international law: after the people had stated in a peaceful manner that they didn’t want him, he brought in his club-wielders, his army and his security forces to hit the people, and disguised as club-wielding thugs his men entered the cities shouting: “Long Live the Shah”!425 So this is what happened, the people said “no” in a very peaceful manner, and in return he lashed out at them, he killed them, attacked their homes with automatic weapons and set the mosques aflame. He carried out all these acts of savagery, yet even after all these appalling atrocities you (Carter) say that you still support him and maintain that those who ask why such deeds were perpetrated, those who held peaceful demonstrations are the ones who are speaking irrationally! That their words lack reason! This is what we are saying and that is what you are saying, now tell us whose words lack reason? Whose words would a right-minded person judge to be irrational? The criteria are taken from the principles of human rights which state that all the people of a nation are free to express their opinions and to determine their own destiny. Well, this is what the people of Iran are saying, but you are saying something to the contrary. Whose statements are balanced? Which one of us is speaking irrationally? You say that it is us who have killed the people! Mu’awiyah used a similar argument, but his was more plausible than yours. Mu’awiyah said that because Hazrat Amir had sent Ammar Yasir to do battle, even though it was his forces who had killed him, in reality it was Hazrat Amir’s doing, because he had sent him there in the first place. This is the same as

425 Examples of the vicious acts carried out by this group appeared in the newspapers at that time: “The night before last, a number of clubwielding thugs entered the city of Kermanshah from the outskirts and attacked cars bearing a picture of Imam Khomeini” (Ittila’at 1/20/1979 (10/30/1357 SH)). “Club-wielders attacked the bazaar during the curfew” (Same source).” Club-wielders set fire to a flock of sheep (500 head) belonging to local people” (Ittila’at 2/6/1979 (11/17/1357 SH)).” Ahwaz and Dezful attacked by tanks and clubwielders” (Kayhan 1/18/1979 (10/28/1357 SH)).” Club-wielders attack travelers on the roads” (Kayhan 1/21/1979 (1/11/1357 SH)).

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saying that were an oppressed person to come along and cry out at the injustice he suffers at the hands of another and is killed by that oppressor as a result, then he has in fact killed himself, for why did he cry out? Why do the people of Iran cry out?! They can be hit over the head as much as possible, but they should not cry out! This is what Mr. Carter is saying, he is telling you to keep quiet no matter how much they hit you over your head, no matter what they do to you, because if you don’t, you will be killed! So in other words, you are getting yourselves killed! Is it right that a nation of thirty million, of thirty-odd million, should suffer blows, witness treachery and crimes against them, be deprived of freedom and suffer suppression, then be killed for crying out: “Why do you beat us around the head so?!” Is it then their own fault for asking why?! This is Mr. Carter’s logic!

LOGIC AND BALANCE IS OURS NOT CARTER’S! If we tell the oil workers to go on strike and not let this oil leave the country because the profits from the oil that they are sending out of the country do not reach the people- in actual fact they were the ones who went on strike and we supported them and continue to do so now- if we support the oil company and the oil workers in their action, telling them not to let this oil be given away for nothing without good cause for it is a reserve for future generations and is a source of this country’s wealth for the present and future, are we speaking illogically? For how many years do you want to continue to devour Iran’s oil and give nothing in return? Haven’t you had enough yet? If we tell the people to go on strike, the oil company and the oil workers to go on strike, to continue with their strike so that this God-given wealth of the nation is not taken off the nation for nothing in return, is this unreasonable?! Because it is going to you does this mean that human rights do not apply in this case? If we say that these strikes are right, are holy, are obligatory, are we speaking illogically simply because it is you who are getting the oil and are giving nothing in return, indeed are building bases for yourself in our country to use against Russia? Or are you the one who is speaking illogically, you who tell us not to say such things? You who tell us not to utter such words lest the oil ceases to flow into your pockets?! Are our statements balanced, or yours? What we say is valid and it is something which any right-minded person would accept; you are taking our wealth free of charge, you don’t give us money in return, you give us weapons, weapons which you use to create your own bases in our country! You have installed your servant there to accomplish this task for you. Is this talk then unreasonable?!

CALLING THE OIL WORKERS TO GO ON STRIKE Apparently, some of the ulama from Qum went to bb/d/n to study the situation there; and it was said that these 600,000 barrels of oil which are being exported are being sent to Israel. Some of the workers did not go on strike, and now 600,000 barrels are being sent abroad out of a total of some ten million barrels that were exported previously. The regime deceived these workers by telling them that this oil was to be used for the running of the country! They said it was for us! And so the poor workers carried on working. However, now it is clear from what is being said that this oil is going to Israel. It is illegal, it is sinful (haram), for this group of people who have disregarded the strike by others and have been deceived by the government into believing the oil is for domestic consumption, if they know that this oil is destined for Israel, the enemy of the Qur’an and Islam, and yet they do not join in the strike. They will have to answer to God and the nation. All of them (the oil workers) should go on strike, so that not even one drop of oil

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leaves the country. The nation of Iran is ready to suffer from the cold if it means that Israel, which is harming Islam so, which is killing the Muslims so, or America, which is the instigator of all crimes being carried out against us, or other countries, does not take its oil. I now address the workers of the oil company and tell them that it is their religious duty; it is their divine obligation to make their strikes universal and stop the export of oil. And I tell them not to let “His Imperial Majesty” frighten them as he did yesterday when he said that they should be arraigned. You wretch, who do you think you are, saying that they should be put on trial! You are no longer the Shah, you are a usurper. Who can put them on trial! You are not the Shah to give such a command, and even if you were the Shah, this would not mean that you could give such an order for you would be a constitutional Shah and thus you would not be able to give the command for their trial and punishment! Do not be afraid of him, of a man who turns to a book on the interpretation of dreams for help. [the audience laughs]. Do not be afraid of him, he is on his way out. Do not be afraid of him nor of the ballyhoo that his agents create. Pay no heed to their entreaties nor let their words unnerve you. Have no fear at all. Continue your strikes. It is necessary that the Iranian nation help these people in the oil company who have gone on strike and are in straitened circumstances. The nation should pay them something just as the government did. Indeed it is incumbent on them to do so. I have given permission for monies from the sahm-e Imam to be used for this purpose. As a sayyid,426 I also give permission for monies from the sahm-e Sadat to be used also. Both the descendants of the Prophet and those who are not will consent to this. The poor people too will be happy to see this money go to these workers, who are performing a service to Islam and their country, so they can fill their stomachs. Give the sahm-e Imam monies to these people. And the people themselves are charged with the duty to help them. Do not let these words intimidate you, do not be afraid of the threats he makes saying that he will do such and such to you. Tomorrow he will be gone and you will be dealing with a just government which will assist you in every way. For now we will help you. Do not listen to their words. Are we speaking irrationally when we tell the workers to strike, when we tell them that it is their religious duty to strike, that it is for the good of the country and the good of the nation? And are you (Carter) in the right by telling them not to strike? What else can we do if we don’t strike? Should we just give the oil away? What Carter is really saying by telling the workers not to strike is: “Extract all the oil from the reserves you have and give it to us! The hell with the next generation and the hell with how poor you become!”

WARNING ISRAEL AND REASSURING THE JEWS AND OTHER MINORITIES Whose statements are balanced, yours or ours? Are we speaking irrationally when we say that if Israel... they have frightened the workers by saying that they will bring in experts from Israel, and sometimes they say they will bring them from the Hijaz. The Emir of Hijaz has said he will send experts to Iran.427 How can he say such things? Is he not a Muslim? He says he is, but is it a Muslim who wants to plunder the

426 Sayyid: a descendant of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s) through Hazrat Ali (as) and Hazrat Fatima (sa). 427 Saudi Arabia opposed the Revolution from the very beginning. Newspapers on August 26, 1979/Shahrivar 4, 1357 SH wrote: “Sultan Abdul-’Aziz, the Saudi defense minister, has requested all Arab countries to assist the Shah of Iran in his battle with the rioters.” And on November 4 [Aban 13] they wrote: “In the event of the workers’ strikes in Iran continuing, Saudi Arabia will produce an extra four million barrels of oil a day.” After this it was announced that Saudi Arabia was ready to send its specialists to Iran to get the oil industry back into operation.

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wealth of the people and give it to foreigners? He will not do such a thing. He is seriously mistaken if he thinks we will let him do so. On occasion, the Shah and his regime say they will bring in experts from Israel; we know what to do with these experts if they do bring them in. Not one Israeli... I’m not talking about the Jews here, no one has the right to lay a finger on the Jews in Iran, they are under the aegis of Islam and the Muslims; no one has the right to attack the Jews or the Christians who adhere to a religion revealed by one of God’s prophets. Recently the government attacked the Bahais, this was spurred by devilish motives and the Muslims should pay no heed to this devilry of theirs. Their aim is to make other groups rise up against the Muslims. Pay no attention to these things; oppose anything that the governmental organizations become in any way involved with, because they harbor ill intent toward you. If the Israelis come to Iran in order to export the oil, it will be the duty of all Muslims to throw them out or kill them all. They are at war with Islam, they are at war with the Muslims, they are in a state of war and if we are able, we will cut them all down. If they set foot in Iran, if even one Israeli sets foot in Iran, it will be the duty of the people to destroy them. The Israelis will come! The hell they will! They are trying to frighten you with this talk. Continue with your strikes, and you people assist them, it is incumbent upon you to do so. I have given permission for monies from the sahm-e Imam to be used to help the strikers and administer to their needs in a manner better than the time when the government administered to them. Let the government not pay them their wages, to hell with the government!

FORBIDDING PILLAGE AND ANARCHY Have we said something wrong by telling the workers to continue with their strike and not to give the oil of a nation away to foreigners in such a prodigal manner?! Yet you who say that the people should take the beatings, should give their resources away and not utter a word... you who are saying that they should not say anything about all these killings that are taking place, you are speaking rationally, are you?! Strikes are taking place in many places in Iran. And in Mashhad, where the Shah’s forces entered a hospital and carried out iniquitous acts, the ulama entrenched themselves in the hospital, and, as it is said, about one hundred thousand people joined them, establishing themselves around the hospital in protest at the wickedness that had been perpetrated there.428 Are the people speaking irrationally if they cry out asking: “Why do you hit us? Why do you kill our children? Why do you attack our homes? Why do you plunder the bazaars?”- Do the “Disciplinary” forces plunder the bazaar? Do the “security” forces kill the people? Well, these are your forces that you have named “disciplinary” and “security”! These “security” and “disciplinary” forces are killing the people, are destroying everything they have, are plundering the bazaars Are these gentlemen in Mashhad and other places who go on strike or hold a sit-in saying that they will not leave until the wickedness is brought to an end, speaking irrationally? You tell the people to go back to where they came from and just sit silently by watching while the club-wielders beat up people and kill

428 On December 14, 1978/Azar 23, 1357 SH agents of the military command in Mashhad, along with a number of club-wielding thugs, burst into the Imam Reza (formerly Shah Reza) hospital and murdered a few doctors and nurses. As a result of this attack, a few patients at the hospital suffered fatal heart attacks. Following this incident, the ulama of Mashhad entrenched themselves in the hospital in protest and demanded that the government prosecute those responsible for the crime. Doctors in Shiraz and Ahwaz protested against this crime in demonstrations held on December 19, 1978/Azar 28, 1357 SH.

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them! All those who went on strike should these club-wielders deserve to be killed. They should all be killed. Whoever encounters one of these club-wielders, who are the depraved of the earth and who create corruption on the earth, should kill him. We say we want to defend our country, defend ourselves, yet our words are not rational, while you who tell us to say nothing while the club-wielders do whatever they like are speaking rationally are you?

SYNCHRONY BETWEEN CARTER’S SUPPORT AND SHAH’S MASSACRE Some of the gentlemen have looked into this matter and have discovered that each time Carter announces his support, the following day beatings occur or killings take place! They have written to me about this citing a date when support was announced and subsequent killings took place somewhere. On a certain date following Ashura, support was announced and, subsequently, Muhammad Reza’s massacre took place! You who through your support bring about mass killings, who give encouragement to a congenital murderer, who support a killer, your behavior is not unreasonable, but we who ask why, are acting contrary to reason are we?! Come to your senses. In any case, our problems are not limited to one or two. At present, our country is plagued by this man and by the support he gets from these governments, but you can be sure, please God, that we will be hearing the last of such comments [“God willing” from the audience]. I hope that God, the Blessed and Exalted, will grant you all success [“Amen” from those present]. And may He grant the nation of Iran health and success [“Amen” from the audience]. May He assist Islam and the Muslims [“Amen” from the audience].

84th Speech Date: December 22, 1978/Dey 1, 1357 SH/Muharram 21, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Helping those on strike and giving shelter to deserter soldiers an incumbency upon the nation; colonial culture of Pahlavi dynasty Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

RECOMMENDATION FOR THE PEOPLE CONCERNING THE DESERTING SOLDIERS I was asked to make an exception tonight and say a few words, but in future I will be at your service on Sundays.429 We proclaimed that the government of Iran is unofficial, it contradicts the law, it is contrary to both the Shari’ah and the constitutional law, consequently the people should shun everything concerned

429 After Imam took up residence in Paris and as the Islamic movement in Iran reached its zenith, Imam’s schedule became tighter. On average his daily activities comprised delivering two-three speeches, issuing messages, giving interviews, holding numerous meetings, studying newspaper reports and radio news broadcasts, answering letters and giving legal opinions etc. By the middle of January 1979 and because of his tight schedule, Sunday, being a national holiday in Europe, was set aside as the day for meeting the public and delivering speeches.

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with the government and should avoid doing anything which assists the government. We told the soldiers, we ordered them in fact, to desert the army,430 for service to this regime means service to oppression. Many of them did indeed run away, but some of them have found themselves in difficulties. Many of these soldiers are poor and have no place to stay, for if they go to their own homes, they face attack and capture by the government. For this reason, they cannot go to their own homes. Thus the people, wherever they are, are duty bound to give these soldiers shelter, to see to their expenses and find simple accommodation for them, somewhere where they won’t be found. The people are duty bound to do this for them. We agree to allow religious funds to be used to help them. This is a very important matter, one which necessitates action by the people. These poor men have fled from their barracks and now have nowhere to stay; this action must be taken for them.

NEED FOR POPULAR SUPPORT FOR OIL INDUSTRY WORKERS’ STRIKE Another matter concerns the oil company workers. They too have stopped work, many of them have resigned, and they are now in need of assistance. Housing is just one of the problems they are facing. The government, the usurping government, has either taken their houses from them or has threatened to do so simply because they have not extracted the oil to give to the overlords. The government has threatened to take their homes off them if they do not return to work. Consequently, they too are in need of help, both with accommodation and with acquiring their daily needs. Once again it is the people and the well-to-do of the country who must see to these things for them. They must give them shelter, offer them their hospitality and see to their expenses. In this case too, we agree to allow religious funds to be used to help them. The people are not permitted to do anything which would help the government, for this government is usurping and tyrannical. Paying taxes constitutes helping the government; therefore the people are not permitted to pay the state taxes. To the extent that they are able, they should refrain from paying taxes. The people should refrain from doing anything that assists this government.

DENYING PROPAGANDA AGAINST RELIGIOUS MINORITIES There has been much propaganda circulated about the different sects, and I have given my response to this in my speeches. Yet still their propaganda remains the same, and in the newspapers, whether in some of them over here, in other places or those in Iran, in the government-run newspapers, they still propagate such ideas as: were an Islamic government to come to power, it would do I don’t know what, it would massacre the religious minorities, the Jews, Christians and the Zoroastrians! Such talk is utterly incorrect. If, God willing, an Islamic government does come to power, then those groups of Jews who left Iran because of some fanciful notions they had, who were deceived into going to Israel and were taken there by Jews and Israelis from America or other countries and who it is said are facing severe difficulties there, will be invited to return.431 If, God willing, a just government is established, we will invite those Jews whose mother

430 In an earlier statement dated December 2, 1978. 431 According to the Ma’arev newspaper in Tel Aviv, from the beginning of the Iranian revolution over a period of time 8,000 Jews left Iran for Israel. About a quarter of them intended to remain there while the rest sought only temporary residence there. (A report in Kayhan, January 31, 1979/ Bahman 16, 1357 SH)

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country is Iran to return to their homeland, and the conduct of the Islamic government toward them will be of the best kind. Islam did not come to cause man distress. Islam comprises a set of laws which respect all classes of people. There are exceptions of course, no one should show trouble-makers and reprobates any tolerance. But as far as the Jews, who are people of the book, are concerned, and indeed all those who are believers in a revealed religion: the Christians and the Zoroastrians, they can all live in an Islamic country and enjoy comfort and respect there. And when it is said that such and such will happen if an Islamic government is established, this is all propaganda that is put about in order to preserve the Shah’s rule and disrupt this movement. This propaganda is wrong.

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IS NOT AGAINST MODERNITY There has also been much said to the effect that were an Islamic government to be established, then all these institutions that have a whiff of modernity about them would be swept aside. Even at the beginning of this affair, the Shah on one occasion said: “These clergymen say they will never fly on an airplane nor ride in a car for they prefer to ride around on donkeys! They want to ride around on donkeys as they did in the old days!”432 And now today more or less the same thing is being said with such comments as: the clergy want to take the country back to the age of whatever.433 No, this is a mistaken notion. The clergy want to turn the country into a free, independent and civilized country, but they do not want the kind of civilization that the Shah talks about, nor the kind of freedom that one finds mentioned in his book or about which he speaks, for that involves crowds of people being killed for speaking out even though the name the Shah puts on it is freedom! All the manifestations of modernity and civilization are permitted in Islam, apart from those that corrupt man’s morals and his virtues. Islam has rejected those things which go against the good of a nation, and those which conform to the good of a nation it has recognized. These manifestations of civilization which in other places, in advanced countries, are put to proper use, are used to corrupt when they arrive in our country or countries like ours. Take the cinema for example, no one has prohibited the showing of edifying, instructive films in cinemas, but the cinema which serves to morally corrupt our youth, the cinema as we know it in this day and age, in this era of the Shah, which corrupts our youth after only a few visits, is of no use And indeed this is what they (the imperialists and the regime) want. All of their cultural and arts programs, all of their programs in fact, are imperialistic, and through these they want to train our youth so that they become only of use to them, not to their own country. Or they want to corrupt them, to turn them

432 On June 8, 1963/Khordad 18, 1342 SH, while presenting title deeds to farmers in the province of Hamadan, the Shah made an address in which he said: “Just what did the Black Reaction do on Wednesday, Khordad 15, 1963 SH? It set fire to the library in Shahr Park because it has no use for anything based on knowledge and learning which answers today’s needs. It set fire to the sports arena, to vehicles, and to bus ticket booths; and it did this in all likelihood because it believes that in this century, when the world is conquering space, we ought to be riding on donkeys or mules”! 433 In a meeting with the heads of the parliamentary executive committee on October 15, 1977/Mehr 23, 1356 SH, the Shah referred to the recent events at Tehran University and said: “The perpetrators of the recent incidents want to drive the country back. Black Reaction wants to take the nation back 2,000 years.” And on May 6, 1978/Urdibehesht 16, 1357 SH in Bushehr the Shah said: “We should be watchful and ready for anything, the enemies of Iran want to keep us in the age of antiquity.”

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into a group of corrupt people. If at some time these young people in these centers of corruption that they have created and have placed at the disposal of the youth

CONSPIRACY AIMING TO WASTE YOUTH POTENTIAL There are so many centers of corruption in Tehran now, more than there are libraries, more than the centers for learning and education, and their aim is, through various means, to make these young people good-fornothing and profligate, to make them incapable of doing anything in the face of these foreign exploiters, in other words, to make them indifferent toward them. These young people who have been turned into opium and heroin addicts, into alcoholics and gamblers, who frequent the centers of corruption and vice, live only for their pleasure and are indifferent to whatever befalls the world. And they (the imperialists, the Shah and his regime) want this young generation, who could be of great value to the country and the advancement of the country, to regress; in other words, to become useless, a useless asset to this country. This is just one of the things that they are doing.

SHAH’S COLONIAL EDUCATION Take for example these centers for learning and education that they have set up, they are all imperialistic, from the universities down. They do not train our children properly; first of all they have a set level above which they do not let the students’ progress, secondly, they create numerous obstacles in order to keep them in a state of backwardness; for if these universities were the proper independent ones that we want, they would produce great men, men who would stand up to those who wish to raid our country and take all of our resources. This, however, is not what they (the imperialists and the Shah’s regime) want, thus the universities train our youth in a way that suits them, and if they can, they Westernize them, that is they present the West in such a light, they place them under the influence of the West to such a degree that they lose themselves completely and become totally bound to the Western countries. To put it another way, they become agents for the West. Just suppose that this is the method of teaching- as indeed this has been the case until now- then after a while even if the universities did produce great men who wanted to do something for the country, these men would end up doing it for the benefit of the West, not for their own people, because these universities have become so immersed in the foreigners’ way of education and training and have created such an overestimated impression of foreigners in the minds of our youth, that they forget all the illustrious deeds carried out by their own people and whatever else concerns their own people. They forget all of these things; pay no attention to themselves and concentrate only on the West and the things related to the West.

ISLAM, AGAINST FOREIGN INFLUENCE Islam does not want one person in this Islamic country to be bound to foreigners, to be under the authority of foreigners. If an Islamic government is set up, it will not wish to see the symbols of civilization destroyed. Islamic government does not oppose universities, it does not oppose science. The Qur’an is replete with commentaries on science and so many of our hadiths speak highly of science and scientists. This being the case, how can we oppose such things? No, we do not oppose these things; we oppose this scientific method that you have adopted, this method of education and instruction through which you seek to educate us. These are what we oppose. We oppose

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those manifestations of civilization which corrupt our children, which keep them in a state of backwardness; we do not oppose the principle of civilization nor wish to take the people back to the age of whatever. It is them who do not want to allow the people to progress. Their plan is to execute such methods so that our children do not progress. Proof of this lies in the fact that after seventy years of having schools and more than thirty years of having universities, when someone falls ill he is taken to Europe or America for treatment! If we had even one independent university, then after thirty years our universities should be producing good doctors and we should be able to treat our own sick people. This is proof enough that we do not have proper, independent universities. During his (the Shah’s) rule we have lost everything. If they want to tarmac a road, they go and bring a foreign company in to do it. If they want to build a dam, they bring in a foreign company to do it. If our educational system were independent we would have no need to do this, but now we have to simply because they cannot even tarmac a road or build a dam themselves. They have no proper program for an irrigation system, no proper electricity system, no proper water system, they have nothing. If the Shah were to go now, he would leave us a country which would need thirty years of effort before it could be returned to what it used to be, until its agrarian economy is rectified. He has destroyed our agriculture, he has destroyed everything we had, and we will have to start again from square one. They have created corruption in all of our offices and we will have to rectify this, but not in the sense that the employees will have to go, no, the employees are not the problem. It is the Shah and his regime who do not let them work properly, who prevent our offices from working properly. The people who work there are of this country, apart from a group of opportunists who are connected to the government or to foreign powers, the rest are people of our nation and they should be treated with the utmost kindness and in the pleasantest of manners. They will all retain their posts (in the event of an Islamic government coming to power) and will be treated better than they are at the present time when they have lost everything. The aim of this malicious propaganda which appears in the newspapers over here and in other countries, or that which is put about in Iran by various means, is to keep the Shah. For the view of all the foreigners is that he must stay to continue to take all the country’s resources. They realize that they could never find anyone who would serve them better than he does, and thus, for this reason, they want him to be kept in power. The Iranians should strive to uproot this system and replace it with a sound, correct one and administer their own country themselves. Please God, may He assist you, may you be successful [the audience says “Amen”].

85th Speech Date: December 24, 1978/Dey 3, 1357 SH/ Muharram 23, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Need to preserve unity and to avoid disunity Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

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EXPRESSING REGRET ABOUT ISLAMIC GOVERNMENTS’ SUPPORT FOR THE SHAH Two things cause me sorrow: one is that even with all this bloodshed which is taking place in Iran, such as that which took place in Mashhad and many other places where people have been killed and a great number injured- indeed only today there were clashes in some cities- even with all this, once again these governments, these exploitative governments, declare their support (for the Shah), and hitherto other governments, such as the Islamic governments, have not announced their support for the Iranian nation. Their people have done so, but up until the present time, none of these governments has expressed support for the people of Iran. It is truly a cause for regret that these governments introduce themselves as Islamic governments, yet throughout the one year or more that Iran has been dragged into bloodshed by the Shah’s agents, they have not announced support for the nation, rather some of them have declared support for the government while others have announced support for the Shah! This is a source of great sorrow for us.

GIVING AN ALARM ON DIFFERENCES AND FACTIONALISM Something else which is regrettable, more so than that mentioned above, is that as the Shah and his supporters give many excuses and are willing to resort to anything in order to save themselves, unfortunately we see that some differences are created within the opposition, that is between the secular and the Islamic factions. I must point out that the origin of these parties which have appeared in Iran since the beginning of the constitutional revolution, as one understands it, is that they were, without knowing it themselves, founded by foreigners, and some of them have served the foreigners. I think it probable that in their own countries- and Britain was at that time the dominant power- they created parties in order to trap the backward countries and those countries which they wanted to exploit. The parties there were not two parties that truly opposed one another’s views, one of them speaking for the government or the state while the other expressed a different view. But the parties were apparently created so that other countries would follow their example and adopt a similar system.

PURPOSES BEHIND FOUNDING THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE EAST In our countries, and especially in Iran, from the time that parties came into being, it was the foreigners who turned any grouping of people into a party and made it the enemy of other parties. They created a battlefield between the parties. This they did because they wanted to capitalize on the nation’s differences, on the differences which existed among the masses, and one of the ways to manifest these differences and stop the people from uniting together on a matter was to create parties. So they created parties, parties such as the ‘Democratic Party,’ the ‘Masses (Tudeh) Party,’ the ‘Justice (‘Idalat) Party’ and goodness knows what else.434 Originally, they were known by different names, but gradually they were given European names! The foreigners have created a similar show of party rivalry in their own countries, but this is literally just a show, it has no basis in reality; however, in this way they ensnare other countries, so that when they create parties, they truly are parties which are hostile to one another. This party against that party, each the 434 During the Shah’s ‘land reform’ program, the country’s agriculture and animal husbandry were gradually ruined, and what remained of the oil revenues was spent on the purchase of wheat from America, oranges from South Africa, chickens from Holland, eggs from Israel and other needs from various other countries. The cost of importing eggs from Israel in the years 1976- 78 amounted to 212, 254 and 1, 022 million rials respectively, figures which were continually on the rise. Refer to Iran, Taswir-e Amari-ye Bazargani-ye Khariji, p. 264; Inqilab-e Jumhuri-ye Islami-ye Iran, p. 152.

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enemy of the other, their whole lives being wasted in animosity toward one another. When the foreigners see that there are people who are useful (for the country), people who, it is hoped, will be able to reform the country, they use all their energies to set them against each other; consequently, these people quarrel with one another, each one’s writings oppose the other’s, and they reject one another’s ideas. Some of them have done such things knowingly and were the primary agents of the foreigners, while others were not aware of what was happening, were not aware that they were being dragged down a road which went against the interests of their own country. Essentially, this party affair, from when it first came about, and this fighting and quarrelling with one another, appears to have been started by foreigners who wanted to stop the people from coming together. They are afraid of the masses coming together, and so in order to stop them from uniting and making common cause, they brought about this affair. In their own countries too, the foreigners put on a show of party rivalry so that, upon seeing that in the British parliament there is, for example, the Labor Party and whatever else, people in our countries would come to think it a good idea if they too had such things! However, these people think differently, these people who imitate the foreigners think differently, when they establish two parties, they in fact establish two opposing fronts, two enemy fronts! This one is the enemy of that one, that one of the other, while in the meantime, the foreigners capitalize on the situation! They deceive these countries of ours with the idea that a civilized country should necessarily have parties, so that we think we too should have parties. However, the parties that we create do nothing but spend their whole lives lambasting one another. In my opinion, this is why parties were brought into being in the first place in Iran. Nowadays, these parties have adopted different forms, yet one sees that they are still hostile toward and oppose one another. I think it probable that a foreign hand is involved in this business. Only last night, a few people, who had come from somewhere to see me, complained that where there are groupings, all oppose one another; this one speaking badly of that one and vice versa. It is regrettable that you who are a community abroad, who are one of our country’s sources of wealth abroad which Islam and your country should be able to use to their advantage, are here today quarrelling with one another when tomorrow, on your return to your country, you should be of use to it and make it flourish. Moreover, according to one of these people who came to see me, every person who comes from Iran is met by a group at the airport as soon as he lands, so that they can take him with them and indoctrinate him with their own ideas while turning him against those of other groups.

EVADING DISUNITY Do you know what you are doing? Do you know what harm this kind of thing is doing to yourselves and your country? Don’t you see how today in Iran when unity of purpose has come about it has shaken every throne, crown and superpower, how they are all at a loss as to what they should do? Do you see this? Do you not see how, now that the different groups in Iran have come closer together, now that the universities have come closer to the clerical establishment, the clerical establishment to the universities, and the bazaars have become at one with the universities and the clerical establishment- even though differences in some things still exist, which I will speak about later- now that unity of purpose has come about in Iran, it has shaken America and Russia and has made these ruffians within Iran itself flounce. These killings that this

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man perpetrates and the recourses that he resorts to all stem from the fact that he sees that the people have come together, and he is at a loss as to how to put an end to this union!

CONSEQUENCES OF DISUNITY AND DISARRAY You must realize that these things you are doing you have got from the foreigners, you are being subservient to the foreigners and they are making you do such things so that this unity which has been found in Iran and which is possible between these groups abroad will be put to an end. For these groups abroad boast influential people and unity between them would be to the detriment of the foreigners. So they fell to making the groups based in Iran, and likewise those abroad, oppose one another in some way, and to creating some sort of opposition between those groups within Iran and those abroad. Don’t you know that you are working to the advantage of others? Don’t you realize this? Do you not know what kind of blow this opposition of yours today delivers to the Islamic movement in Iran, coming as it does when the country is in such a sensitive, life-or-death situation? If you merge these different fronts that you have, where ten of you, a hundred of you have joined together and have given yourself a name, if you put aside these names and come together under one name, being unanimous in your aims, then just as you see that Iran has shaken these superpowers, so too this power of yours will add to that in Iran and you will ruffle them even more. They want to take advantage of you now, and that means setting you against one another. Who is he? He is from the National Front! Who’s he? He’s from the Freedom Movement! Who’s he? He’s from such and such a youth association! Who’s he? He’s from such and such group! Different groups; numerous groups! Whoever you go to will refute the others. Each group is the enemy of the other. What is the meaning of such things among a people who together share a great, common aim which is to extirpate the roots of this oppression and foreshorten the hands of the superpowers from our land? This present opposition of yours is getting stronger every day. In these past three months that I have been here, I have not been able to solve this problem, and I have become truly disappointed in you all. Do you not realize what a blow you are dealing Islam, what a blow you are dealing your country and the service you are doing to America, Russia or Britain? You do not have to carry their flags around on your shoulders to serve them; you are serving them by belittling yourselves so, by keeping yourselves from your activities so. All your energy is spent on disagreeing with one another, you are arguing with one another from morning till night. You should unite together against others, there will be plenty of time later on for you to go after your personal goals, if indeed, God forbid, you should have any. Why do you bring your personal goals into this affair? Why, in this an Islamic movement, do you have so many selfish desires which stop you from coming together? Put aside these carnal desires a little. This is something that I find very regrettable about you young people abroad, about all of you, not anyone in particular.

AN EVIL WHISPER: “ISLAM MINUS THE CLERGY” Something else that I find regrettable concerns affairs within the country. For many years now, we have gone to great pains to bring the universities closer to the mullahs, to the schools of the old sciences, and to the students of the old sciences, and to bring the bazaars closer to both of these. Indeed, the bazaars were already close to the clerical establishment in some aspects, but we brought them closer to the universities. We brought these different fronts closer together and always advised them to have unity of purpose so that they could achieve something. For were they each to become factions, one taking one side and the other

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another, this would first and foremost be of advantage to the foreigners. They see now that a union has come about in Iran and unity of all factions is probable, but the day that all factions become one will be the day the death knell is sounded for Russia, America and any country that hopes to interfere in your affairs, and it will also bring an end to this oppression and tyranny. Once they saw that this was happening, they again set to putting a wedge between these factions and between these fronts. Once again activities were started by the regime, the foreigners and their agents against the akhunds so that some of these groups began to say: “No, we only accept that person, he is the exception! The other ulama we don’t accept.”435 This is the tune that they sometimes play. I have said from the beginning that if you exclude the akhund from your groups, you will not achieve anything, for the masses are with the akhunds, they are the objects in which Islam manifests itself, they are the expositors of the Qur’an; they are the objects in which the Most Noble Prophet manifests himself. This is how the people see them. The people are attached to their religion, they are attached to Islam, and the affection they have for Islam they also have for the ulama of Islam. If you want to separate yourselves from the clerics and exclude them from your groups, then you will not achieve anything. The first tidal wave will knock you down and sweep you away. Just as we have seen, the time when the clerics were not involved in such matters, you (different groups) were isolated from the people, you could not do anything. But when they entered the arena, the people followed them. The merchants in the bazaars are with them, the farmers, the artisans, the workers, all are with them. These people are all Muslims, and as such they love God, they love the Prophet of God, they love the Commander of the Faithful, and they see them as being personified in the clergy, for the clergy are the ones who propagate their words. The clergy spend their whole lives getting the commands of God, as well as the words and precepts of the Prophet of Islam and the Imams, across to the people. The people are going to follow someone who has spent seventy years of his life in this pursuit and whom they recognize for this reason. “We accept Mr. X but not the others” are words which they have put into your mouths. Foreign agents want to alienate you from your ulama, and if they succeed, you will be one separate brigade and they another, and both will be destroyed. You oppose them, but you are only one group, and you must realize that without the akhunds you will get nowhere. Every city that you go to in the country you see that the person who has it in his hands, the one who can close it down or open it up is a mullah. You can put it to the test by looking at the period of these shutdowns. Could any of these groups close down the bazaar? It was the mullahs who closed it down, this happened on their command, it is on their command that bazaars closed up shop. And the mullah’s success lies in the fact that they speak for God, they work for Islam and the people are attached to Islam. Drop this idea that you can exclude the akhunds, you cannot do without them. You want to reform your country, but you will not be able to do this without the help of the akhunds. By the same token, if you akhunds think that you can reform the country without the help of the universities and the political fronts, then you are mistaken, for reform requires experts and you are Islamic experts, you know the rules of Islam but even you are not able to solve some of the political problems. So you need the other fronts too. You yourselves don’t intend to govern, you have another occupation. You need a government, you need office workers, you need offices, a government, an army; all of these will be acquired

435 During the course of the Revolution, a number of young people were saying that from among all the clergymen they only accepted Imam, that he was the exception.

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through these fronts. It is through these universities, through these students at home and abroad that our country should be governed. If you are truly attached to Islam, if those other fronts are truly attached to Islam, then you are not showing it by fighting with one another today! To fight with one another today is the same as committing suicide. At the present time, it is suicidal to disagree. Perhaps you do not agree with what so-and-so is saying, but you should not create differences over it now. We are all Muslims and we all wish to fight under the banner of Islam, we all want to take part in this struggle. God knows that if this union is created and all of you, along with all the fronts, come together under this banner and stop creating disunity, then after only a few days this affair will be over and done with. The regime and its supporters are presently taking advantage of such talk. On the day that, for example, a demonstration is held and two of their agents, or even two numskulls, come out shouting a different slogan, one which opposes that which twenty-odd million people are saying, this is wrong, this is a deviation, an aberration, it stems from ignorance and constitutes serving the foreigners, serving Carter. Can’t you see this? They want nothing more than for dissent to come between you and a tug-of-war to develop over membership in the different parties, one tugging people one way while the other tugs them the other. Stop this kind of talk. All of you enter the arena under one banner: the banner of Islam. We are nothing without Islam. The words of Islam have brought us together. Gather under the banner of monotheism. When everyone has gathered under the banner of monotheism, everything will be rectified.

NEED FOR UNITY AMONG ALL STRATA IN FIGHTING THE SHAH It is regrettable that after the long years that we have struggled, that we have spoken out, preached and written on this matter, still a few uninformed people can be found, a few uninformed youth can be found who create misgivings by saying: “We accept that certain akhund, that certain sayyid, but we reject the others!” This is wrong. I accept them all; I am devoted to them; all of us must accept them. Or someone may say we don’t accept the universities! Again this is wrong. We accept the universities; we accept the doctors; we accept the physicians; we accept the political factions. We should all come together today beneath one banner, the banner of “La ‘ilaha illal lah.” The message that I would like to give you, one which, please God, will reach Iran and the other countries where our young people are, is this: gentlemen, stop this self-worship and this selfishness. “Say I do admonish you to do one thing, to rise up for God.”436 Your uprising should be for God. If it is not, He will not assist you. Your uprising must be for God, not for satisfying your selfish desires by tugging people onto your side. All of you should come together. Come together for God and stop creating differences and distancing yourselves from one another with this idea that I belong to this party, he belongs to that one, or I am with this or that front. If you cannot stop doing this permanently, then for God’s sake do it temporarily, for the sake of the nation, for the sake of the country, for the sake of anything that you hold sacred, so that this regime will be uprooted, so that this bullying, murderous regime which tramples all our rights underfoot will be removed, so that this criminal who is massacring the people will be removed.437 There will be plenty 436 Qur’an, 34: 46 437 Due to an absence of governmental pressure, political differences outside the country were far greater than those within. Disagreements existed between the various groups such as the National Front- to which Bani Sadr paid allegiance- the European branch of the Freedom Movement Abroad, the American branch of the Freedom Movement Abroad, and other religious and non-religious groups. The most

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of opportunities later to sit down and argue among yourselves, but for today desist from doing this. Not that I am saying it is alright for you to fight among yourselves later, of course you should not do this at any time. But now the situation is very sensitive, it is one of life or death for the nation. You are responsible before God the Blessed and Exalted; you are responsible before the nation of Islam. I ask God the Blessed and Exalted to grant everyone awareness. [the audience says Amen]. May Lord guide all of us [Amen]; may Lord guide us onto the straight, divine path [“Amen”]. May God keep you from harm [“Amen”].

86th Speech Date: December 31, 1978/Dey 10, 1357 SH/Safar 1, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Unrighteous Pahlavi government; righteous nation needs a righteous ruler Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

WELL-BEING OF NATIONS DEPENDENT ON SUITABILITY OF THE GOVERNING BODY The wretchedness or well-being of nations depends on certain factors, one of the most important of which is the suitability of the governing body. If the governing body, if those people in whose hands the destiny of a country lies, are corrupt, they will drag the country into corruption and turn it, in all its dimensions, toward putridity and destruction. You will note that throughout these fifty years- and I myself have actually lived through this period and am witness to what went on at this time- when the person who headed the country, albeit illegally, was a corrupt person, it followed that most of those who formed the parliaments in Iran were unrighteous, unsuitable people. At the beginning, a number were righteous and suitable (for their role), but they were in the minority. After the parliaments came the governments whose role it was to take the destiny of a country in their hands, but in this case the governments were unsuitable (for such a role). Following them came those who headed the departments and offices, who held control of the destiny of a department in their hands, most of them were unbefitting for such a position. A sound, healthy country cannot be created by people who are unrighteous and unworthy of their position.

ORCHESTRATED ARRESTS! There have been people who have held sensitive posts, such as those of prime minister or head of the security organization, throughout the whole of these past fifteen years of the movement. After doing serious disagreements, however, existed in Europe between Messrs Dr. Qutbzadeh, Bani Sadr and Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi. It is to these disagreements that Imam refers here.

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whatever they wanted for fifteen years, they have now been arrested. The head of the security organization has also been arrested for offences committed during these fifteen years!438 He (the Shah) has also had the man who was the prime minister for these fifteen years arrested for thievery and committing other offences!439 After all this time, even the Shah himself has now come forward and confessed that he broke the law! The people of this regime are now confessing. Even the Shah himself has come forward and said he made mistakes. They themselves have had the head of the security organization, who has committed acts of aggression against the people of this country for the past fifteen years, arrested for embezzling money and breaking the law. They themselves have had the prime minister, who for nearly fifteen years governed this country, arrested on one charge or another. If they are given a reprieve, then in another fifteen years’ time they will be having those presently occupying posts arrested.

AN INCOMPETENT GOVERNING BODY Rectitude in a governing body and in the people who hold sensitive posts will create righteousness in the society. If the governing body, and, likewise, those in whose hands the destiny of the country lies- such as those who are in charge of the army, those who are the heads of the army- were virtuous people worthy of their positions, then we would not be in the mess we are in today and I wouldn’t be sitting here speaking for you and you wouldn’t be spending your time here. The reason why I stopped doing what I normally do, which is carrying out religious studies, and came here, is that we did not have a righteous government, a righteous force was not in control, and they (the Shah and his regime) dragged the country to the brink of non-existence, destroying everything that was found to hold hope (for the country). They did away with Islamic laws; they destroyed our agrarian economy; most of the country’s banks were guilty of malfeasance; the ministries were in the hands of unrighteous people; the parliaments were all false; rubber-stamp parliaments whose MPs were not the representatives of the people. We came here- of course in the beginning it was not my intention to come here (to France), however, because of the perverseness of those in the government, who later realized that this had not been a wise move on their part and regretted it, this was the way things turned out- to spread our message abroad, to make those here understand what has been troubling us (the people of Iran) and what kind of people form these governments who are presently supporting the Shah. We want to make them see what kind of perverse-minded people they are, just what kind of people they are when they don’t give a thought to how a population of thirty-odd million are being destroyed at the hands of this Shah and his regime. Now that everything has fallen apart and nothing is left for the Shah, now that everyone has left him alone in his state of fear, these superpowers are still supporting him. Some of these superpowers still continue to support him, but it is as if they are supporting a dead man! He is beyond support.

LACK OF LEGITIMATE LAWS AND PARLIAMENTS IN PAHLAVI PERIOD Not one of the laws which have been passed during these past fifty years, nor one of the parliaments which have been formed during this period, has conformed to constitutional laws. Up until the present time, we have not had one parliament that was formed according to the law. Only in the beginning of Reza Khan’s 438 It refers to General Ni’matullah Nasiri, the head of the National Information and Security Organization (SAVAK) from 1965- 1978. 439 It refers to Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the Shah’s Prime Minister.

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reign, when his power was not so great, and only in Tehran, which was the capital, were the people given freedom, a limited freedom, to choose their parliamentary representatives. Consequently, it was the representatives from Tehran, such as the late Mudarris and a number of others who were his followers, who put up opposition. In the other cities, the regime itself selected the representatives, prepared the votes for the people and put them in the ballot boxes! Everything was in the hands of the regime, in the hands of the governors of these areas, the army men or police there, all of whom were agents of the regime. At night, they created votes for the people of their choice and filled the ballot boxes with them. From the very beginning, we have never had a parliament all members of which were the nation’s choice and wanted to do something about the destiny of our country or could tell the difference between the interests of the state and corruption. My memory stretches back to the early days of Pahlavi rule, whereas you only have recollections of what has gone on in this more recent period. Indeed, you only need to know what went on during this period to know what went on in the former, it’s the same story! You will find the same things are being said about the Senate, the Consultative Assembly and the government today, all of the people in them are usurpers; all of them should be put on trial. Deputies appointed by embassies! The first objection which must be raised against the parliamentary deputies is we must ask them why, when they knew that the nation played no role in the elections, did they enter parliament? Why, when they knew that those appointed were the choice of America or Russia or other powers like them, did they enter parliament? The Shah himself admits that a list of candidates used to be sent (from some foreign embassies), but now he has the fanciful notion that this is no longer the case! [the audience laughs]. He now admits that in his father’s time, and in the early days of his own rule, embassies would send a list determining who were to be our representatives! He now confirms this, he confesses that this took place, but he now tries to give himself some prestige by claiming that this is not the case nowadays!440 Very well, let us suppose that this is so, nevertheless a little earlier on in his rule this was the case! What he is saying then, in actual fact, is that at one time, that is before he carried out what he calls his “White Revolution” and became a power to beat all powers (!!), a list was sent from the foreign embassies and he gave in to their wishes! So he is confessing that he was in actual fact a traitor to this country from the beginning! He was someone who wanted to keep his position while at the same time acting treacherously. For does it not constitute betraying the nation when he accepts a list from the American, British or Russian embassies, imposes it on his government and forces it to accept those named therein as representatives? Is this not a betrayal of the country? Is this not a betrayal of the constitutional law? The first objection we have to your (the Shah’s) rule is that you came and sat on the throne calling yourself “Imperial Majesty” and proclaiming that you must do everything yourself, yet, as you yourself have confessed, you took these lists and acted in accordance with the orders of foreigners. Does this not constitute treachery? Do you have any justification for this treason? You could have stepped down; you could have stepped down saying that you would not perpetrate such a treacherous act. When they got rid of Ahmad Shah, it was because he refused to sign an

440 In the book Mission for My Country, we read: “During the Second World War, while Iran was under Allied occupation, the latter’s officials would prepare a list of candidates chosen by themselves which they would then give to the Prime Minister of the day, insisting that the said candidates were definitely elected to the Majlis.”

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agreement that they put before him on the table during a social gathering while he was on a trip abroad.441 From that moment on, the basis for the plan to get rid of him and put Reza Shah in his place was laid, for they deemed Ahmad Shah to be no longer of any use to them because he would not sign their agreement. You too could have refused to sign the agreement. Would it have cost you more than your position? Someone who betrays a nation for the sake of preserving his position is not fit to reign and was not so from the beginning. He deposed himself at the start. If we ever agreed to a monarchical system we most certainly did not agree that he should be the monarch. So now he has become powerful and is standing up to Russia, Britain, America and the others. They no longer bring the list from the embassies, rather you yourself prepare it and you yourself supply the names of those who are to be made parliamentary representatives. Does this make them the nation’s representatives?! Does not this action of yours constitute a betrayal of the country? Is it not a betrayal of the constitutional law? If this is how the parliament is going to be formed, either on the orders of the embassies or the orders of the Shah and his regime, it makes no difference which, then it will not be a true parliament; it will not be a national parliament; it will not be a national consultative assembly. The meaning of national consultative assembly is that the nation freely appoints its representatives who then sit in parliament conferring with one another about the affairs of the country. In our case though, the nation has had no part in the appointment of its representatives, thus this parliament is not a parliament of the nation, it is a rubber-stamp one, an illegal one. Whatever has come to pass in this parliament is illegal and any government which this parliament has supported in the past or will do in the future is illegal.

A CORRUPT SHAH, GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT When the people’s destiny is not in their own hands, it is the Shah and his regime who appoint whomever they want. Such an unworthy person it is who has appointed them. One of the political personalities quoted a military figure as saying that this Shah is an expert in selecting the bad eggs! [the audience laughs]. He said that if only five corrupt people were to be found in the country, he (the Shah) would put his finger on every one of them and would choose them! This is because he himself is a corrupt person. A corrupt person cannot introduce a virtuous prime minister. A corrupt person cannot endorse a virtuous parliament. For if the parliament were a virtuous one, it would prevent corruption, as it is the Shah himself is the origin of all corruption. If a virtuous prime minister or a virtuous government were in power, they would not listen to the words of a Shah who wanted to act against the country’s interests. When the head of the country is corrupt, he creates a corrupt government and a corrupt parliament. Consequently, the culture and education become corrupt, the army becomes corrupt, the economy becomes corrupt- all of this stems from the badness of that one man, it begins there. If that man, that person who believes himself to be in the top position, were a virtuous person, if he were someone who thought about the nation, someone who saw

441 It refers to the infamous agreement negotiated by the British Foreign Secretary at the time, Lord Curzon; Sir Percy Cox, then in charge of the British Legation in Iran; and three Iranian ministers: Wusuq ad-Dawlah, the Prime Minister; and Nusrat ad-Dawlah and Sarim adDawlah the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Finance, respectively. The agreement was signed on August 9, 1919 and provided for the reorganization of the Iranian army and finances under British control and the construction of railways. In return, Britain was to lend Iran two million pounds. This agreement, which had never been ratified by Parliament because Parliament had never been summoned to consider it, met with strong opposition from Ahmad Shah who refused to sign it. In 1921, it was formally denounced by the government of Sayyid Zia’ud-Din Tabatabai established after the coup d’état led by Reza Khan earlier that year.

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dependence on foreigners as shameful for himself, someone who was a Muslim, a Muslim who obeyed God’s commands- for such a person should not subject himself to the will of foreigners or take commands from foreigners- if such a person were the head of state, he would ameliorate the whole country. The whole of our country, however, has been plunged into corruption, because he who, according to their laws, should appoint the prime minister, is a corrupt person. He appoints someone who thinks like he does. He cannot install a suitable person in this position, because he would oppose his ideas. He would put an end to his thieving! Such a person cannot create and support a correct educational system; for this would be in opposition to the designs he has in mind. If we had a correct educational system, we wouldn’t be in the state we are in today. They do not allow our country to be reformed in any area. And everything stems from the man at the top. America gave a mission to a person, a” mission for his country”! What an apt name the Shah chose for his book “Mission for My Country”; how true! America gave him a mission for his country: to get it into the state you see it in at present.

MASSACRES - A CONSEQUENCE OF THE RULE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS Today, they informed me that this man has killed people once again in Tehran, in Khorasan and goodness knows where else. The Shah and his regime have fallen upon the people and are slaughtering them. This wretch, even at the end as he breathes his last breath, as he is set to leave, will not be satisfied until he has perpetrated other massacres. This is what happens when those in whose hands the destiny of a country lies are people who are not worthy of their position, when the parliamentary representatives are not fit to have such a position. Indeed, representatives whom the Shah appoints cannot be people full of the milk of human kindness! They cannot be virtuous people. If the choice were up to the people, they would choose righteous people to represent them in parliament, for this is what they want. If the people were free to choose, they would appoint someone whom they knew to be a good, virtuous man. They wouldn’t go for bad people; he who does is himself a bad person. Bad after bad, that is to say a bad ruler’s ability to exploit depends on his having bad agents working for him, for were his agents good people, he would not be able to carry out his plans. Without bad agents, orders which stem from his own desires and are for his own gain or that of foreigners would not be carried out. Consequently, a bad ruler chooses bad people, unrighteous people, to work for him. He selects unrighteous people and puts them in the parliament, and naturally an unrighteous parliament will vote for an unrighteous government. Small wonder then that a parliament and a government are formed which do not work for the interests of our country; it can be no other way. Nothing can be bettered until the basis, until that top position is reformed, or, in other words, until this dynasty is removed. These people have to go. Let them go and take their booty with them to that island they have recently bought! They have bought eight hectares of land there and have been provided with

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everything. All the family is there.442 The Shah himself is now preparing to go there to continue to live what many see as his aristocratic life, but what in reality is his deathlike existence.443

THE PEOPLE ARE RIGHTEOUS AND THEY WANT A RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT As long as the foundations of this regime remain and you are kept from taking the destiny of your country into your own hands and freely electing a leader for yourselves, nothing will change, for naturally, if the nation wants to find itself a president, it will not seek one out from the likes of Reza Khan or Muhammad

442 Here Imam may be referring to the Seychelles. As William Shawcross in his book The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally on p. 17 notes: “The Shah had actually asked his twin sister, Ashraf, to leave the country- she was too much the symbol of the royal family’s excesses... perhaps to Juan-les-Pins, perhaps to one of her two places in Manhattan, perhaps to her house on the Avenue Montaigne in Paris, perhaps to the house of her fabulously rich businessman son in London, or perhaps to his island in the Seychelles.” The Ittala’at newspaper of January 16, 1978/Dey 26, 1357 SH also wrote: “Yesterday, Faridah Diba, the mother of Farah, along with two of the Shah’s young children, Ali Reza and Layla, and two prominent court officials left Iran for America on a military plane... Rumors are circulating in Los Angeles that negotiations are presently underway for the purchase in Acapulco (Mexico) of a villa for the Shah.” Or perhaps the intention here is St. Moritz and the island of villas and palaces situated on the hills of this Swiss town which came into being when in 1967 the Shah bought a villa there and gradually bought adjacent dwellings and land. The Shah used to spend his annual winter holidays there while at the same time economic contracts, which were very profitable for foreign capitalists, were signed through the efforts of Hushang Ansari. In the period of troubled relations between the Shah and the Swiss authorities after a courier from the Iranian court was arrested in the international airport of this country on charges of drug smuggling, the Shah ordered the creation of facilities similar to those at St. Moritz to be established on the island of Kish along the Persian Gulf. Refer to Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar, p. 607. 443 Perhaps it is appropriate here to take a look at the last days of the Shah’s life: The Shah left Iran on January 16, 1978/Dey 26, 1357 SH. Initially, he wanted to go to America, but later he decided to reside temporarily in one of the regional countries. The Shah chose Jordan, but King Husayn, his old friend, did not accept him and he ended up going to Egypt on the invitation of Anwar Sadat to stay in Aswan, Egypt. The Shah’s stay in Egypt was only short, five days in all, and on January 22 at the invitation of King Hasan of Morocco he flew to Morocco. During his stay there, the revolution in Iran achieved victory and King Hasan, upon seeing that the Shah no longer had a throne, began to act differently toward him and made it clear that he no longer wanted him in Morocco. The Shah had assumed that he would be in Morocco only a short time before moving on to the United States, but he was soon informed that the authorities there had changed their minds about letting him into the country and he would no longer be welcome. Consequently, he turned to his two influential friends Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller for help, but they too were unable to persuade the White House to stick to their previous promise that the Shah would be granted entry. They did, however, manage to arrange a sanctuary for him in Mexico. The Shah left Morocco and headed for the Bahamas, from where he later went on to Mexico. The trip to Mexico met with an unexpected complication and was only made possible through the intervention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The light-blue imperial passports on which the Shah and his family had hitherto traveled had been made invalid by the government of the Islamic Republic, thus leaving the Shah and his family with no official passports! The Mexican authorities wanted to know what passports they would be traveling on. The Moroccans were unwilling to provide passports for the Shah and his family, because then the whole of his entourage would expect them too and all might use them to return to Morocco, which was something King Hasan most certainly did not wish. So there was an impasse. Farah thus turned to the UNHCR out of necessity, and it was with its help that they were able to go to Mexico. It was there that the Shah’s illness began to flare up dangerously. His influential American friends finally managed to persuade the American authorities to allow him into the country for medical treatment. However, the Shah’s presence in America caused a worsening of relations between Washington and Tehran. The revolutionaries within Iran seized the American embassy taking the diplomats, or in truth, the spies there hostage. Carter immediately ordered the Shah to leave America; mortified, the Shah left and headed for Panama. It is written that the Shah spent some anxious days in Panama, added to by his illness which caused him great suffering. It is said that he was constantly in fear of being arrested and handed over to the new Iranian government. After spending only a short time in Panama, Anwar Sadat invited the Shah to return to Egypt. The Shah accepted his invitation, and, on his return there, Sadat placed the Kubbeh Palace, the most splendid of the palaces in Cairo, at his disposal in an attempt to lift his spirits. The Kubbeh Palace had once been home to King Faruk, the last of the Egyptian kings, and it was to this palace that the Shah in his youth had traveled to ask for the hand of Princess Fawziyyah, King Faruk’s sister. And so it was that after eighteen months of fear and anxiety and of moving from one country to another in search of asylum, the Shah succumbed to his illness in Cairo. Fate had decreed that the Pharaoh of the Age should die and have his final resting place in the land of the Pharaohs. For more information on the Shah’s last days, see William Shawcross, The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally.

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Reza. The people will look for a righteous person, one who is of use to the country and will attend to their needs, as a matter of course. Again, naturally, when the president of a country is a righteous person, it follows that he will steer the country toward righteousness and virtue too. When he decides to form a governing body, he will naturally want righteous people for it. He will not seek the collaboration of thieves, for his aim will be to reform the country. He will seek out virtuous people to work with him to reform the country. When a virtuous government is in place, it follows that the people will be allowed to vote freely, and when that happens, they will select righteous people for the parliament. For not all the people are bad, the majority of them are good, virtuous individuals who want the good of the country. They want it to thrive, to enjoy a sound economy, and they pray for good, honest men to govern. It is only natural that when elections are free and safe from the interference of these unrighteous individuals, righteous people will enter parliament. And when this happens, a virtuous government will be formed, a virtuous president will take control, one who will not act against the interests of the country. Things have to change at the top, one should begin there. Control of the country should be in the hands of someone who wants to serve the country, not someone who wants to serve his own pocket. The Shah and his regime have been serving their own pockets. You have seen the list that Melli Bank and some other banks published, but this does not tell the full story; this is only the half of it. There is much more that the banks do not know about. The sum of money which the Shah himself is said to have taken is apparently three billion! Three billion, seven hundred million and odd dollars!444 And this is just the amount that he has sent out of the country recently! We do not know how much he has sent out in the past! You and I will probably never know. We are asked what we want to do. This is our reply. We want the people of the country to have the authority to designate a president; we want the people of the country to give the authorization. What will be the outcome of this? Well, the citizens of a country are not the enemies of one another, so the result will be that the foreigners will not be able to bring all the people under their influence. The modus operandi of the 444 Toward the end of 1978, notable sums of hard currency were transferred abroad in non-mercantile transactions from different banks in Iran. Employees of the Central Bank issued a list of the names of important figures attached to the court who were transferring money to banks outside Iran, along with the amount of money transferred. On this list, figures exceeding thirty million and reaching eight hundred million dollars stand out, and the names of ministers, senators, members of parliament, security forces personnel, governor-generals, army commanders, courtiers and people close to the Pahlavi family, among others, appear. In addition to this list, a handout was published in which the amount of money transferred abroad by people associated with the court was included. At the bottom of this handout it was written that seventeen credit transfers with diplomatic codes had been made to special accounts in banks in Switzerland, France and America to the sum of thirty billion, seven-hundred-and-fi million rials belonging to the Shah. Here a few of those published figures which were over one hundred million dollars are mentioned. The people who had these exorbitant sums of money in their personal accounts also took a large number of expensive carpets, gold, antiques and other pricy goods which were part of their personal belongings, out of the country: Murad Ariyeh (merchant) 750 million dollars; Rahmani Kia (managing director) 530 million dollars; Reza Amini (minister of industry) 500 million dollars; Shafi’i Namazi (merchant) 500 million dollars; Husayn Namazi (merchant) 450 million dollars; Mahdi Shaybani (former governor-general) 450 million dollars; Misbah Zadeh (manager of Kayhan newspaper) 450 million dollars; Muhammad Ali Mas’udi (senator) 450 million dollars; Admiral Ardalan (military industries) 400 million dollars; Amir ‘alih (owner of Qoo vegetable oil company) 350 million dollars; Qadimi Nava’i (contractor) 350 million dollars; Muzaffarian (merchant) 350 million dollars; Muhammad Ali Mahdawi (senator) 350 million dollars; ‘Izzatullah Amili (ambassador in Belgium) 350 million dollars; Asadi 350 million dollars; ‘Abd arReza Ansari (imperial services) 350 million dollars; Jundaqi (MP) 300 million dollars; Ghiyathi (contractor) 250 million dollars; Sharif Imami (former PM) 250 million dollars; Esmali Nia (adviser to Hoveyda) 200 million dollars; Riyahi (the son of the Sheelat [fisheries] managing director) 160 million dollars; Dr. Kazimi (imperial services) 160 million dollars; Hasan Ali Mehran (minister of the economy) 155 million dollars; Hasan Hashimi (contractor) 150 million dollars; Partow Azam (imperial services) 150 million dollars; Bakhtiyar (contractor) 150 million dollars; Admiral Habibullahi (head of the navy forces) 150 million dollars; Amuzegar (ex-minister) 150 million dollars; Furuqi (minister of art and culture) 150 million dollars; General Azhari (PM) 170 million dollars.

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foreigners is to put a thieving king to rule over the people, who then places a corrupt government over them and creates a corrupt parliament which puts corrupt people in charge of the departments and offices. Of course, there are many very virtuous people in the offices and departments, but some of them line their pockets, and when this happens, corruption sets in. We want none of this.

CONSULTING OPINION POLLS Our plan is to get the people’s opinion through their votes. We will take control of elections out of the hands of the disciplinary forces and place it in the hands of the youth. In each city, when the disciplinary forces, the town and city police and the municipality have been pushed to one side, the youth will take over. It is the nation itself that should guard the polling boxes and take charge of other electoral matters. In each city, and according to the requirements of that city, some of the trustworthy people there, the knowledgeable and those who care for their country, should appoint a number of people to supervise the elections, to guard the polling boxes and oversee the voting. The people should be the ones who appoint someone as their president, and I too will make my choice known to the people so that, if they wish, they may vote for the same person, if not they are free to choose someone else. When the people are free to choose, they will, inevitably, choose a righteous person; the vote of the people will not be erroneous. People do make mistakes, but thirty million do not. It may be that the wrong person is put in power, but if this is the case, then when he makes his first wrong move, this nation will depose him.445 He will be finished. We say that we, the people, should appoint the country’s head. Naturally, when a nation wants to appoint someone to determine the destiny of the country it will appoint an honest person, not a corrupt person. And, naturally, a population of thirty million people will not make the wrong choice. When the time for the elections arrives, we will announce our choice for presidential candidate. We will search everywhere until we find a person suitable for the job, that is someone who is not a thief, someone who does not want to line his own pockets, someone who has proven himself and whom we know. We will put him forward (as a candidate), even if he is from the class of porters. As long he is a sincere and a knowledgeable person, it does not matter if he is from the working class or if he is a third-class citizen. We will not go for an aristocrat, we seek a suitable person. When this suitable person takes up his position as leader of the country, he will bring a suitable government into being. He will not bring in the wrong government, a corrupt government. Parliamentary elections will be free, the people themselves will oversee them, and a national parliament will be brought into being which will have nothing to do with the Russian embassy, nothing to do with the British embassy and nothing to do with the American embassy, it will be one that will support the interests of neither the one nor the other. We will create such a parliament, God willing [the audience says God willing]. Once such a parliament has been created, then naturally when a matter is discussed there, discussed by two hundred people, for example, two hundred people who are suitable for their posts, who care about our country, who are not thieves, who do not want to line their pockets, who want to serve this nation and are not simply after a title, they will take into account the interests of the country when making their decisions. If an agreement between our country and another is brought to the parliament for approval, of course it 445 Which is just what happened after the victory of the Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic republic when the nation’s elected representatives deposed President Bani Sadr at the request of the people.

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should first be scrutinized by the righteous government itself which will throw it out if it is found to be immoral, but if by any chance the government fails to see its faults and it is sent to parliament, the MPs there will study it and decide whether, on the whole, it is in the nation’s interests or to its detriment. This is the kind of system we want, and it is not something which is too far removed from reality.

LAWS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SHARI’AH Our constitution consists of laws which God has told us are basic laws. In this present constitution of ours, there is also a supplementary law- which has not yet been put into practice- stating that any law which contradicts the Islamic law is not valid. What we want to do is to put this law into practice, we want to act upon it. We will create a country in which virtuous people (rule)... Plato says it is the philosophers who should run governments; philosophers in his sense of the word. Of course, philosophers may also be virtuous people, but the qualification of a ruler in our eyes lies in his virtuousness. We say that the person who should run a country, the person in whose hands we want to place our destiny should be someone whom the people have selected and who has come to the fore through the votes of the people. When this person acquires leadership through the votes of the people, he will, inevitably, be a virtuous man. Consequently, just as you have witnessed how one mangy goat has been able to infect the whole nation, [Laughter from the audience], so too when a virtuous person, a true human being is head of state, he will create a sound, healthy country. The universities will become proper universities, not like those we have today. Even after fifty years or so of having universities, a doctor still has to be brought in from abroad to perform a tonsillectomy. This is shameful for us; we have had universities for fifty years, or maybe less, yet as they themselves admit, these universities have until now not been able to present us with one proper doctor. People are even sent abroad to be treated; when someone falls ill, he is told to go to England for treatment. Why? Because the education is not right.

SUN OF THE ORIENT They do not give us a proper education. It’s not that the people in the East do not have the aptitude, no, this is a mistaken notion. And it’s not because the East has a sun, or the Eastern countries enjoy a sunny climate, whereas the West has no sun, as you see here, that the West is more advanced. No, it’s because these leaders here446 have had a modicum of suitability, they went after their country’s interests. However, their suitability was only good for themselves, they trained their own people properly, but, for us, many of them were harmful. If we had one proper university, abilities would blossom beneath the sun of the East, skills would blossom. This is what we want.

SHAH’S DEPARTURE AND RULE OF THE NATION There are those who say the Shah must go, but then ask: what will happen when he does go? What do you think will happen? Will the world come to an end? What does the Shah do for us apart from killing people? What service is he presently doing for our country that will be lost if he goes? What void would be created? Yes, there would be a void for the killings would stop! We want a country whose destiny is in the hands of the people. If the people install a president whom they at first believe to be suitable but who misuses his

446 It refers to the leaders in the West and Russia.

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power once he attains it, we want them to be able to put a stop to this, for we want the authority of the president to lie with the people. Whenever they say no, then it means no. We don’t want a set-up like that in Iran today where the bayonet prevails. For one year now cries of “no” Have rung out in the streets, yet still there is someone who proclaims that this is not what the people are saying! What do you want the people to say? What else are the people doing other than spending their nights shouting that they don’t want the Shah? Still one perverse individual continues to say that this is not what the people are saying! How can someone deny this? To whom should the people air their grievances? Where should they air them for them to be heard? They go into the streets shouting “no,” they go onto the rooftops at night, in the middle of the night, and during the day shouting “no.” For a year now they have been shouting that they don’t want the Shah; what else do they have to say? To whom should they say it? We want this man to leave and these governments to leave us to see to our own affairs. We will select a suitable person and the West need not be afraid that we will fall under Russian influence nor should Russia fear that we will show the West special favor. No, we will neither be on one side nor the other.

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE OUT OF THE QUESTION The idea is being propagated that Russia has a hand in this movement! Who is Russia to interfere (in our movement) ? [the audience laughs]. What does Russia have to do with us? Russia cannot have someone interfere in our movement. Is it Russia who is telling everyone to call for Islam? Russia is opposed to Islam, so how could it do such a thing? Such talk is nonsense. When a nation has stood up saying: “We want an Islamic government, we want nothing other than an Islamic government”; then should it be said that unbelievers have told them to say this?! Neither Russia nor the West has a hand in our movement. This is something of our own doing. The people are now saying they want to administer their affairs themselves.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE YOUTH AND PAYING ATTENTION TO ISLAM The nation needs you young people, but first there is one thing which you must do, you must reform yourselves. You must strive to reform yourselves to prevent yourselves from turning into traitors. He who goes into a shop or department store here abroad and is crooked, (God forbid), and steals something using the logic that they have been stealing from us so we can steal from them, is a traitor. Such a person is of no use to us. Reform yourselves. He who does not put his affairs right with God cannot handle the affairs of the people. You must put your affairs right with God first. We need young people who can be trained in human education- that is, Islamic education- who can become true human beings. We are not indifferent, we do not want just anyone and whatever he turns out to be like, dissolute and I don’t know what else, it won’t matter. We want a country which is an Islamic country. Islamic means like a human being. The Qur’an is a book designed to produce (true) human beings. Islam is an ideology intended to create (true) human beings- a human being in all the dimensions that he possesses. If a person were to practice the ideology of true Islam within himself, then it would be impossible for him to intentionally do something wrong, and of course it would be impossible for him to betray his brother. We want such an ideology, one that when it first starts to train the people directs them toward the development of the excellence of the human being. You look around yourselves in the world; can you find an ideology like Islam which has laws aimed at making man a true human being even before he has been born, before his parents have married? All of the world’s ideologies deal with people who have reached

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puberty and who are active members of society. Islam, however, aims to perfect man even before he is born, before his parents marry, by stating what kind of spouse a man and a woman should choose. Why does it do this? Because the husband and wife are the origin of an individual or individuals and Islam wants these individuals, who are to be handed over to society, to be righteous individuals. So before a couple marry, Islam stipulates what kind of a woman the man’s prospective wife should be and what kind of a man the woman’s prospective husband should be, what kind of personalities they should have, how they should behave and in what kind of family they should have been brought up. After marriage too, Islam stipulates how the husband and wife should treat each other. Islam has laid down rules that pertain to the period when the woman is with child, and to the delivery of the child. It also specifies how a child should be reared. Islam provides laws and instructions for all of these matters so that this child that is produced from these two people will be a virtuous individual in the society and righteousness will reign throughout the world. This is Islam. Islam seeks to create true human beings and it sets out to do this even before the child is born, before its parents have even married. It begins there and has laid down laws that cover this period and the period after the child has come into the world: it stipulates the duties that are incumbent upon the parents while the child is being suckled; it specifies how the child should be reared by the parents, how he should be treated later in the elementary and high schools and what the teachers there should be like. Then when the child reaches the age of independence, the age at which he must make his own decisions, Islam tells him what kind of a person he should be, what he should and shouldn’t do. Islam does this because it wants the people in society to be righteous, sound individuals. If that which Islam wants were to come to passsome of it has and some of it hasn’t, most of it hasn’t- there would be no stealing and no treason. None of these things that we see today would happen. No one would act unjustly toward other people. This is how we want things to be. Islamic government, defender of women’s and religious minorities’ rights We say we want an Islamic government, but don’t think that this means once we have established it we will pick up the sword and behead everyone! Or we will push all the women aside, wrap them in a shroud or lock them up in the house! This is not what Islam is all about; such things have nothing to do with Islam. When we say we want to establish an Islamic government some people assert that if they do this they will kill all the Jews and Christians, this is all talk that the Shah makes his agents say in his attempt to keep his corrupt throne! He will resort to anything. The law of Islam demands that we treat all Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and people from other nations who are residing in our country well and in a just manner. We are the followers of he who, upon hearing that an anklet had been stolen from the foot of a Jewish woman (in his realm), exclaimed: “If a person were to die in circumstances such as mine, no one would reproach him.”447 We want to be under the leadership of such a man.

WE HAVE A PROGRAM We have plans. We are not sitting here doing nothing, waiting for everything to finish, no; we have a program, a logical, temporal program. Of course Mr. Carter will not like this program of ours. The American world too will not like it, just as those who want to plunder our country will not, but the rest of the world 447 It refers to the attack of Sufyan ibn ‘Awf on the city of Anbar that took place at the time of Imam Ali’s rule. One of the soldiers stopped two women, one a Muslim and the other a dhimmi [non-Muslim living under the protection of the Islamic state] and robbed them of their anklets, bracelets and earrings.

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will. The American leaders say one thing but at the same time their philosophers, their religious men, write thanking me and expressing their support for the Iranian nation. It is not as if the American people themselves are opposed to our interests, they agree with us and they regret the actions of their government. It is these governments which are corrupt. It is like someone thinking that because this is the way Muhammad Reza Khan is, this is the way the nation of Iran is too! No, the nation of Iran is separate from this regime, they are not connected. That which I would like to emphasize to you gentlemen, and it is something I should constantly repeat, is that you must reform yourselves. Strive to purify yourselves. Make your actions conform with the laws of Islam, your behavior conform with the laws of Islam, with the laws that God has given us. God knows how things should be done, how man should be trained. When His order is acted upon, a righteous person enters the world, and should this person become a minister, he will be a righteous one; should he become a lawyer, he will be a righteous one; should he become a prime minister, he will be a righteous one; and should he become a shop keeper, he will be a righteous one. Wherever he goes he will be a good, righteous person and he will make those around him good too. May God grant you all success [the audience says “Amen”]. May you all succeed in reforming yourselves [“Amen” from the audience] and your country [“Amen” from the audience].

87th Speech Date: January 7, 1979/Dey 17, 1357 SH/Safar 8, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Deceitful propaganda of the Western press; description of the spiritual universe; signs of Shah’s betrayal Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

SHAH MUST LEAVE The issues that the people of Iran have raised during this period are issues about which there is no ambiguity. From the outset, I too have raised these same basic issues and there is nothing obscure about our demands. We do not ask that the Shah simply leave the country for a holiday, we demand his overthrow. When we say the Shah must go, we mean he must go from power, not for a rest! Secondly, the imperial regime is one which is not accepted by the people; indeed it has been illegal since its inception. Thirdly, we want a just government based on the laws of Islam to hold sway over Iran. None of these demands are ambiguous so as to warrant someone’s explanation or for someone to proclaim that it is still not clear what it is the nation is saying. Unless that person is deaf! Otherwise, for some time now, for over a year, the nation has been shouting in the streets: “We don’t want this imperial regime; we don’t want this Pahlavi regime; we want an Islamic government.” There is nothing ambiguous about this.

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Do not think something has been achieved because the Shah is now preparing to leave. Hitherto, none of the goals that we and the nation of Iran set out after have been achieved. The Shah has been quoted as saying that if he does decide to leave the country, he will go only for three months because of the problems he has!448 Adding that if he goes (for good), oil will not reach the West. But he is only saying this to equip the West with ammunition to use against the movement. The same can be said to be true about his statements claiming that if he goes, the red flag will be raised over the rooftops of the houses in Iran or the red flag will fly from the heights in Iran! Or, in other words, everyone throughout the whole of Iran will thereafter become communists and Iran will incline toward Russia!449 He makes such remarks then later says there are only a limited number of people who oppose him! That they are inconsequential! That they haven’t understood him! That if they had they would not oppose him! Well now, we must look at these three points he has raised to see whether he is correct, and this indeed would happen, or whether this is just another one of his devilish propaganda stunts.

YES TO OIL SALES, NO TO AMERICAN BASES The point he makes that there would no longer be any oil for the West were he to go is, however, perfectly true, if by this he means we would not give it abroad on the same terms he did. For he gave our oil to foreign countries, and that which he got from America supposedly in return for the oil- but which in fact was received simply to hide the fact that in reality he was not getting anything- was very advanced weaponry which no Iranian had the expertise to operate and whose sole purpose was to create bases for America in Iran. In other words, America took the oil and in return built bases for itself in the country! If a country wants to build bases for itself in another country, it first needs to pay billions of dollars, for example, to get the permission to do so. Iran, however, gave America this permission in return for the oil that we gave it! These people gave America our oil; if they had bought weapons for Iran in return, this would still have been wrong, but it would not have been as bad. However, this they did not do. Instead, they purchased arms and equipment from the Americans in exchange for the oil and built up bases for them in Iran- bases which the Americans used against Russia- under the pretext that in this way America was paying for the oil! The Americans argue that paying for the oil is no crime, and they say they want to pay for that they have purchased. Now, however, they say the sum Iran has to pay them (for the arms) is much more because Iran means to become an advanced country! They say the eighteen billion or twenty-two billion dollars the Shah has spent on these arms has not gone to create bases for the Americans, no; they claim these arms are for Iran itself! Even if we accept their argument we still have to ask why Iran needs so many? Iran doesn’t need this many. Are these arms purchased because Iran intends to become one of the superpowers, to stand up

448 On January 6, 1979/Dey 16, 1357 SH, it was announced that the Shah would go abroad for medical treatment and for a rest, and that in his absence, and in accordance with the Constitution, a Regency Council would be formed which would take over the affairs of the country. This was the Shah’s last declaration. 449 The Shah and his agents called the revolutionary people of Iran communists! During an interview to mark Mordad 28 [August 19], in reply to a question as to whether a bunch of hooligans and the Islamic Marxist group had been responsible for recent events, the Shah said: “Without question! Islamic Marxists are undoubtedly to blame.” (!) Eight days after the bloody event of September 8, Sharif Imami announced, “Undeniable facts and incontestable circumstantial evidence testify to the fact that the Marxists were the central cause of the violence.” Moreover, Dr. ‘Amili, the regime’s Minister of Information and Tourism, said: “We are in no doubt that a communist campaign is directing this movement, since the slogans used and procedure followed by those concerned are communist.”

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to Russia and America and step through the gates of civilization?! Is this why the Shah has bought so many arms? We know this is not the case and we say these arms are not for Iran, they are for America! America gets both the product and the money given for it. It gets the oil and the money it paid for it. The Shah used the oil money he received from the Americans to buy weapons from them and build bases for them in the country. Presently, in Iran, there are many places where these American bases are situated. So the Shah is correct if by saying the West will no longer get oil he means it will not get it on the same terms that he gave it to them. If the West expects us to give it our oil and in return allow it to build bases for itself in Iran, or to build something that is of no use to Iran or that is indeed detrimental to Iran, it is sadly mistaken. We will pour the oil into the desert or burn it before we will give it to the West under such conditions. However, if the Shah is saying that we will not give the West oil even through proper, logical and fair business transactions, then this is a lie. Whatever kind of government takes over in Iran will need money to administer the affairs of the country, and the main portion of our income comes from the oil revenues. Oil will be given to any country that will pay a good price for it in cash. We will give oil to America, but we don’t want to create bases for it in return as the Shah did. Instead, we will get money in exchange and use it to deliver this weak, deprived nation from its present circumstances, from this ruined agrarian economy and this assembly-plant industry which has been created for the interests of others.

OIL SALES FOR ERADICATION OF POVERTY If a proper, correct government comes to power, it will sell the oil for money which it will spend to the benefit of this nation. It will save these indigent people, these weak people, those who, because of the failure of the agriculture, have flooded into the cities in the middle of this cold winter and lack shelter. They are living in tents, not the kind you have put up here450, no; they live in inadequate tents which they themselves have made. They have to spend the biting cold of winter either beneath these tents or in single rooms built out of mud. Those who have been there and have witnessed their living conditions know what life is like for these people. They have nothing, no piped water, no electricity, the roads are not asphalted. Some of them live in holes in the ground from which, as I have been told in letters I have received, the poor women have to climb many steps- I can’t remember the exact number they wrote whether it was a hundred or a little less, certainly it was a lot- simply to get a pitcher of water from a tap installed in a nearby street. Once they have filled their pitchers, they have to return to these holes and once again climb down these numerous steps. Picture these women in the middle of a biting winter climbing up and down these slippery steps. Just look at the troubles this nation has to endure. The people want to eliminate these troubles, they want to make the country one in which the poor people are taken care of in whatever way possible. So in one sense the Shah is speaking the truth when he says oil will no longer go to the West, but in another he is not.

RESISTANCE OF IRANIAN NATION AGAINST US AND USSR The other point he made was that if he went, the red flag would be raised! This is not correct either. We have repeatedly said, as have others, that such claims are not true. He asserts that it is he who is stopping

450 This is in reference to the simple tent which had been set up for people visiting Imam in Neauphle-le-Chateau. At this time, Imam ordered that the heating system in his residence be turned off so that he could experience the hardships the people in Iran were suffering that winter through lack of fuel.

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the red flag from being raised!! If this nation were one whose people would raise the red flag above their heads as soon as he left, if our nation were such a nation, then how is it that throughout the whole of Iran the people are standing up to America and Russia with clenched fists and have made America back down? From the outset, the Americans have been saying they will keep the Shah in power, they have always insisted that the Shah must remain. They are still saying this! Only now they say it a little quieter! [the audience laughs]. Initially, they proclaimed in such a pompous manner that they would keep the Shah in power, that he had to remain, that the stability of the region depended on him! If he went, they said, the region would lose its stability! Later they realized that with him in power there is no stability! For as you see today in Iran all these disputes and the unrest stem from the fact that he is in power. Were he to leave, leave in the sense of him being removed from power and leaving [God willing from the audience], then they would see the stability the country would enjoy.

IN WHAT WAY DOES THE COUNTRY LACK STABILITY? If by saying the red flag would be raised he means that Russia would interfere directly in Iran and the Red Army would pour in and take the country, he is lying. Russia cannot do such a thing, for another thug like itself is standing, watching and waiting, and were Russia to make such a move, war would immediately break out. Today, all the world powers know that were another world war to break out, it would mean the elimination of the human race. For with the weapons that exist today, such a war would not be confined to a region, it would not be a case of there being war in one country but not in another. All of the regions of the world, all the countries of the world would be destroyed. No one in his right mind would take steps to provoke such a war. Even if we suppose that a foreign army does indeed invade our country, we have all had enough historical experience to know that they may successfully invade and prevail over the nation, but they would not be able to remain in the country. This nation would destroy each and every one of them; it would finish them off. They cannot bring two people in for every person in this country; they would want to derive some benefit and they wouldn’t be able to do so if they had to watch their backs all the time. Thus, there is no reason to fear that Russia will act irrationally and attack the country. This is just idle talk, spoken to incite America. America knows this, and if it could do something to save the Shah, it would have done so by now, it would have needed no provocation, for the Shah is to its benefit. So these words of his that if he goes such and such will happen and it is clear that it is fear of him which is stopping Russia from invading Iran! If he is no longer around, then God only knows what will happen! [the audience laughs]. We all know that such talk contains no element of truth.

SHAH’S CLAIM OF HAVING NO OPPONENT As for the third point he made that there are only a few people who oppose him, a limited number of people, he has made two remarks here: one is that those who oppose him are limited in number, that in reality all the nation wants him and it is only a few, a small number of people, who do not! And the other is that those who do oppose him do not understand him, if they did they would not oppose him. So let us take a look at both points to see if this is the case or not. If those who oppose you are only a limited number of people then why did you repent?! If the rest of the nation is with you and there are only a few people, a limited number of dissenters, then you would have simply got rid of them, there would have been no need for you to repent! So what made you say: “I stand

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before the nation and make a pledge”? When the nation is in agreement with you it means that your deeds have been so good that all the nation approves of you. When this is the case, there is no need for pledges, for you have fulfilled your promises, you have worked well for the people. So if the nation is with you and there are only a limited number who oppose you, then instead of saying: “I make a solemn vow”; “I have made mistakes which I won’t make again”; and “I won’t repeat these mistakes”, you should be saying: “Oh nation, come yourselves and get rid of these few people who are opposing me”. If the nation is in agreement with you, then it will be sufficient for you to make a call over the radio saying: “Oh nation of Iran that agrees with me, oh nation of Iran whom I have served and have benefited and whom I mean to take to the ‘gateway of civilization’, come, destroy this small number of people, these seditious elements”. If you really did enjoy the people’s consent, they would rise up for you and eliminate this small group of people about whom you speak.

IRAN BEING ON STRIKE ALL OVER Well now we must ask why these bazaars are presently closed down in Iran. We put this question to him. Have they closed down because they are afraid you will be deposed?! Are they in this way showing their opposition to those who oppose you?! Is this why they have closed down? When the people shout “Death to the Shah” in these demonstrations they embark on, do they really mean death to someone else, and when they say” the Shah”, they don’t mean you?! Iran is in a state of turmoil, strikes engulf the country and many of them are held by governmental organizations. Has this come about because the people agree with you? Have they gone on strike because they approve of you? Are they on strike because they approve of your government? Is it true then what you say about them only being a limited number of people?! Previously, you used to describe your opponents as a few people from over the border! As you put it, they came into Iran from over the border using false birth certificates and set on creating this kind of trouble. This means that those who work in all these bazaars of Iran are people who have come into the country from over the border, and are limited in number to boot! The whole of Iran has risen up against you, yet still you speak of limited numbers! Even now that you concede it is Iranians who are opposing you, you nevertheless maintain that they are only few in number!

SHAH’S REAL COUNTENANCE As for the other point he made that these people do not understand him, in one sense he is right and in another he is not. He is right in the sense that as long as man is in this world, he cannot perceive the true nature of other human beings, for this is not something which is apparent, although some of it may be. As long as we are in this world, we see all faces as the faces of human beings and all deeds as commonplace. However, when this page is turned and the page showing man’s inner nature is revealed “the day that all things secret will be tested”451, man’s secrets, his inner disposition, will be revealed in a place suited to this purpose: the kingdom of heaven, the hidden world. When he enters there everything will be revealed. So at present we cannot really understand him, we do not know what his inner nature is like, just as we cannot see that of anybody else, whether those who have an abundance of good qualities or those who abound in evil. We cannot recognize them for what they truly are in this world. All of us are eating and moving

451 Qur’an, 86: 9

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around452 in this environment, we are all living in this environment. We are all like one another with two ears and a head and the other things we have in common. But in this world, no one can come to understand the full truth about another person. In this sense then he is correct when he says that he has not been understood. We cannot fully know him or his father, nor can we comprehend him, because the secrets have not yet been revealed.

SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE AND ‘THE DAY SECRETS ARE REVEALED’ Those who seek to divine a hidden, secret meaning in the revealed text, who speak on matters beyond the superficial understanding that we have and who have understood something of the celestial world, say that a human being’s true nature, which is not apparent here, will be depicted in suitable forms on that following page which is the page revealing man’s inner nature. In other words, someone whose appearance is now one of a human being whose nature, whose natural disposition, is so bad it resembles not that of a human being but of a fierce animal will take this form when he leaves this world. For the time being he resembles a human being, but when he passes on and appearances are pushed into the background and his true nature is made manifest, he will look like a savage beast. His face will become that of a ferocious animal. But we have to wait and see which one of these savage beasts he will resemble most. Is he a leopard, so will he resemble a leopard? Is he a wolf, so will he resemble a wolf? Or is he worse than these and will consequently resemble something much worse? The ferocity of animals has a limit. Their savagery has its limits. Wolves are a case in point. A wolf attacks another animal, feeds on it then rests. It is not the nature of a wolf to devour just any animal! One may find an exception, but generally there is a limit. Other animals too are limited in their ferociousness. Man, however, differs from other animals because he has no limits. That is to say the side of man’s nature which pertains to blessedness and moral excellence knows no bounds: he can reach the stage where all his attributes are God-like. In other words, when he looks at something he will look with God-like eyes; when he stretches out his hand it will be God’s hand: “When You threw the spear, it was not your act, but God’s.”453 You threw it but it was God’s act, not yours. Those who swear fealty to him “Do no less than plight their fealty to God.”454 Man can attain such perfection that his hand is the hand of God, he becomes the eyes and ears of God.455 Man is unlimited in the perfection he can attain. At the same time that defective side of his nature, the side that pertains to nastiness, also knows no bounds. “God is the Protector of those who have faith, from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the evil ones, from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness.”456 “Into the depths of darkness;” not simply into darkness, but into all the degrees of

452 453 454 455

Qur’an, 25: 20 Qur’an, 8: 17 Qur’an, 48: 10 It refers to a famous Hadith al-qudsi [Statement of God as narrated by the Holy Prophet (s)]: “None of my servants will get closer to me than he who performs the deed dearer to me than that which I have obliged him to do. That which is dearer to me is nafilah.* The servant who performs nafilah will become so close to me that he will become endeared to me, consequently, I will become his ear with which he hears, his eyes through which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks and his hand with which he grasps. If he calls me I will answer, and whatever he wants from me, I will grant him.” Usul al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 53. *Nafilah a voluntary act of religion, the observance of which is not positively enjoined; a work of supererogation; supererogatory prayers. 456 Qur’an, 2: 257

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darkness. Conversely, God speaks of ‘light’ in the singular, because light is singular and the most perfect light is the singular light. So on the one side there are different depths of darkness, and those who reject faith will be led from light into darkness, whereas those who have faith will put all the degrees of darkness behind them and will go toward the light. As long as we are in this world, none of this is obvious to us. Neither the brilliance nor the realm of light for the believers is evident, nor is the darkness or the degrees of darkness for those who reject faith. These things will be evident when this page is turned and the following page is made manifest. You will see some people who have ten personality traits which are made manifest in ten faces. He’s only one person, but his animal nature is so dominant, his carnal appetite so strong, that his face resembles that of a greedy animal like a pig. His ferociousness too predominates- as it does in animals like leopards- and devilishness and deceitfulness fill his face. In the hereafter, when this page is turned, he will be the devil of all devils. And at the same time as he has a devilish face he will also have a ferocious face, the last level of ferocity; he will have the face of a lustful animal too, the last level of sensuality. He will appear with these different faces. So from this aspect of the matter, we have indeed not only failed to understand him, but none of us have understood ourselves either. We have not understood other people in the same way as we have not understood him. At the time when secrets become apparent and the page is turned, then he will understand himself, and the people too will understand him. We too have not understood what we really are, we won’t know until we see our true inner nature. I seek refuge in God from the corrupt nature that exists in us.

THE WORLDLY FACE OF SHAH AND HIS FATHER You are not entirely correct when you state that we have not understood you, understood you in the sense that you mean- for you are not one of those who can comprehend understanding in the sense that I have just spoken about. We have indeed come to understand something about you, as we did your father before you, from your deeds. Today is Dey 17 (January 7)457, I can remember, as perhaps this man (the Shah) does, indeed anyone of our age may recall what wickedness this man (Reza Khan) perpetrated around this time. Such pressure he put this nation under, such repression; what disgraceful acts were carried out against so many honorable women because of him; so many miscarriages occurred around the time of Dey 17. Such acts of aggression this man’s agents and executioners perpetrated against the men, how outrageously they violated the rights of the women and dragged them from their homes. These are the deeds your father perpetrated, they are beyond description. His true character will be evident in the next world; we could not understand him properly while he was in this world, we could not understand what kind of an animal he

457 After the Constitutional Revolution from the middle of 1927, some circles close to Reza Khan began talking about the forced removal of the women’s Islamic veil [kashf-e hijab] and by the New Year of 1928 [1307 SH], Reza Khan’s wife and daughters appeared in public without the Islamic covering. The law calling for the removal of hijab was implemented after Reza Khan’s return from Turkey (in 1934) on January 7, 1935/Dey 17, 1341 SH. On this day, Reza Khan, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, attended the opening ceremonies for a college along with his ministers and their wives who had removed their Islamic covering. At this ceremony, Reza Khan addressed the women saying: “We have broken the prison bars! Now the freed prisoners can make beautiful homes instead of cages.”

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truly was. As far as the deeds you have done are concerned, let’s take stock to see what we have understood of you. What deeds have you carried out that the nation has not found out about?

CRIMES OF PAHLAVIS ARE INDESCRIBABLE Of course, these people have done many things behind closed doors! While I have been here, I have been sent lists of the amount of money which these people have sent abroad- indeed while I was in Iraq I was sent such lists- in addition to documents from companies whose creation these people ordered.458 But this much that we know is still only the half of it. There is money that has been spirited out of the country about which we have no knowledge; acts of treason have been perpetrated about which we know nothing. Perhaps, at some later date, if the historians find out about them, they will be recorded in the annals of history. With the passing of time, further acts of treason that he has committed against our nation and some more of the crimes that he has perpetrated will be told. For the moment though we do not know the full extent of his crimes. We do not know everything that happened to the believers in these prisons, what they did to our youth in these prisons and the Comite459. What they had to endure cannot be described, it cannot be spoken about. A few of the tortures they suffered and which have been divulged include the sawing off of feet, immersion in boiling oil and roasting prisoners by tying them to an iron frame covered with wire mesh and electrically heating it like a toaster. These are just some of the methods of torture that you and I have heard about. As for the other things they do, we have to question Nasiri about these.460 We have to interrogate him about these matters, for the Shah says torture no longer takes place in the prisons! This is what he asserts, that the torment that was said to take place in the prisons no longer occurs! He concedes that a little bit of psychological torture is still carried out, but he denies that the physical torture that went on previously,

458 There was not a major economic organization in Iran- whether in the department of trade or in the areas of agriculture and industry- in which the Shah and his family were not shareholders. Through ‘The Pahlavi Foundation’, ‘The Imperial Organization’ and ‘The Social Services’, the Shah was one of the major shareholders of ‘Umran Bank, Iranshahr Bank, Dariush Bank, The Development and Investment Bank of Iran, and Shahryar Bank, while he also held major shares in the Kurush Savings and Mortgage Bank and the Ekbatan Savings and Mortgage Bank. The Shah had substantial investments in companies and organizations such as General Motors of Iran, Persian Metal Forms Co., and in various aluminum factories. In addition, he was a major shareholder in companies which were involved in trade, production, industry, and distribution. The Shah did not even overlook investments in hotels and restaurants! This unchallenged sovereign pocketed a huge share of the returns made from dozens of restaurants, casinos and night-clubs and from the following hotels: Babulsar; Vanak; Ramsar; Arya Sheraton; Chalus; Gamrun; Bandar Abbas; Nowshahr; The Hayt in Khazar; The Hayt in Mashhad; and The Tehran Hilton! Furthermore, each member of the Pahlavi family was also involved more or less to the same extent as the Shah in commercialbusiness enterprises. For further information refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, p. 216. 459 This is in reference to the notorious Comite building (now it is turned into Ebrat Musuem and open for visit for public) in Tehran where political detainees were usually first taken to be tortured and which was the headquarters of the Joint Committee of the National Police Force and SAVAK. The two forces had joined together to cooperate with one another in seeking out and annihilating secret centers of activity against the Shah’s regime, and indeed in destroying anyone who in any way opposed the Shah’s dictatorship. Prominent members of governmental organizations were members of the Comite and all important sections of the government, along with the armed forces, had representatives there. For more information on the intelligence organizations during the Shah’s regime and their workings, refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, vol. 1, pp. 379- 488. 460 Nasiri, the then head of the National Information and Security Organization (SAVAK) and one of the Shah’s main advisers. An interesting point appears in the memoirs of the late Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, we read: “After Nasiri was arrested and taken into custody (following the victory of the Islamic Revolution), I asked him: ‘Why did you torture the political prisoners in Iran so? ‘ He replied: ‘I am not aware that torture was carried out! No one told me what was going on!’”

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with people having their hands hurt a little, still occurs!461 He was informed of what was going on and those things that he is aware of are recorded in his brain, in his soul. If one had the ability to reach inside him and read the secrets recorded there, if one possessed the ability to read those things that the angels of God have written down and are meant for the next world, then one would realize just what deeds this man has done, what orders he has given. Those people who carried out his orders later reported to him what they had done. He knows what has happened at his command, he just won’t tell the people he knows.

EVIDENCE OF SHAH’S BETRAYALS AND CRIMES Such acts of treason you (the Shah) perpetrated against this nation. You spoke of wanting to take it to the gateway of a great civilization, yet in action you whittled away the power of its youth. Come, ask these young people of ours whom you sent abroad to learn about atomic energy and so on, what they are doing here. They come and tell me how they are being treated over here. You won’t let our youth progress. You have kept our universities at an inferior level not allowing them to become independent; you do not let the lecturers at the universities get on with their jobs. You have put our education in a state of backwardness. It is an imperialist educational system, one that has been dictated to us by others. We are lacking a proper educational system, and even if you were to go now and this government were overthrown, we would be left with a ruined, chaotic country Its economy has been destroyed; its education has been destroyed; its army is corrupt. Such a country is this regime’s legacy to us. We are the inheritors of a country in disarray. With the help of our young people, our educated people and the enlightened classes of our country and nation who are living in seclusion or are languishing in prison, it will take us many long years before we can return Iran to the level it was at thirty odd years ago before his rule began. So much time is needed to return the country’s farming to its original state. So much time is needed to turn this educational system of ours into a proper system, to turn our economy into a true economy. You say we have not understood you! This is what we have understood of you, if you are any different, speak out. If you are other than this, then why do you say you have made a mistake!? If you acted any differently from our understanding, then why do you say you have erred?! What you would really like to say is: “I did the right thing. You are the ones who are mistaken, these few people are mistaken. The nation is with me. My actions were right, all of them, it is these few people who have come here from over the border who have made the mistake”! How nice it would be if you spoke honestly and then left. Why don’t you do this? Why are you constantly saying that if you were to leave this and that would happen and” they have not understood me, there are a few people who would agree with me if they understood me”! If these people had understood you, what events you would have witnessed then! Now that they haven’t understood you, indeed now that none of us have understood you, we are opposing you to this extent, what, then, would it be like if we perceived your true nature?! Anyone who perceived your true nature would oppose you. Now that he is getting ready to leave, he has apparently installed a few ‘butchers’, as one of the gentlemen called them, to continue killing the people. He means to flee, but he has delegated a group of people to continue massacring the people! So we are still facing the same problems. We have repeatedly stated that

461 After Carter came to office, the Shah, in an attempt to gain the new President’s approval for his regime, announced that torture was no longer carried out in Iranian prisons.

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as long as the monarchy exists, this government is illegal, for the people have voted that this monarchy is illegal. The people have said they don’t want a monarchy. All of the people have said this. If the Shah and his regime think otherwise, then they should find us one person- apart from those who are in his employ and whom he pays- who wants this regime to remain in power. Let them go through the bazaar asking people: “Which one of you wants this regime?” If they can find one person who says he does, then they can claim that all the bazaars in Iran are under their control, all the peasants are with them. No matter how often you have told the peasants their situation would become lamentable if the akhunds came to power, they didn’t listen to you. For they know the akhunds do not want to destroy their livelihood rather they want to rescue them from their adversity and deliver these poor people from the deception they have been exposed to. I have said time and again that if we gain control, those who once owned ten or a hundred villages will not be given them back. They have an account to settle, they have to settle years of accounts. This regime sends people to the farmers or peasants, as they call them, proclaiming how if the akhunds gained power such and such a thing would happen. But the peasants know you for what you are! What have you ever done for them? The only thing you have done is to plunge them into a slough of despond. Why have they come to settle around Tehran and are living in these huts? We want to take them out of these huts; we mean to change this parasitic state Iran is presently in, we mean to deliver it from its dependence on foreigners. There is nothing ambiguous about what we mean to do.

NEED FOR ARMY IN AN ISLAMIC STATE Spurious ideas are presently propagated about what will happen if an Islamic government comes to power. Among the army men, they propagate the notion that the army will be dismantled! We need an army, how could we then completely dismantle it? We will rid it of a few thieves, but the rest we accept. Army commanders, however, take note, we will accept only pure-hearted commanders, the impure at heart will have to go. Those who have taken the wealth of the people, those who have stored the wealth of the people in foreign banks, they will have to go, but go not in the sense of just getting up and going with the money, no, this has to be taken off them. If I were able, I would not let this wretch (the Shah) leave just like that. He has to stay and settle his account. Where do you think you are going? Don’t think you can just take the money and leave. We need the army, we respect the army. We hold the young army men, the young army officers in the highest esteem. If in the higher ranks too there are found some genuine commanders, then they also enjoy our respect. We oppose those who have stolen from this nation. We respect people in all levels of the government. If there are one or two among them who happen to be corrupt, then they have to go. There has to be a purge. Otherwise, the country needs the army, the country needs an administration, it needs ministries- it needs all of these things, but not as they are in their present form.

BASIC ILLEGITIMACY OF THE SHAH’S REGIME We are now opposing this government because it is illegal, for the Shah introduced it and he is illegal. Likewise, since it is the Shah who introduces the parliaments, we deem them too to be illegal. The parliament is not a parliament of the nation; it is the Shah’s parliament, or, more precisely, America’s. We deem this government to be a treacherous one, for the highest form of treason is to take a vote of confidence from a parliament it knows to be corrupt! This constitutes treason against the nation. The government gets

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a vote of confidence from people whose proxy the nation has no knowledge of- no one can deny this- and the command to form a cabinet from someone with reference to whom the nation has for the past year been shouting: “Death to this man” and who is treating the people in such a draconian manner. Such a government is an illegal one. Whoever co-operates in the slightest with this government, whatever his position may be, is a traitor to our nation, and according to divine law is a sinner who has committed a forbidden (haram) act, whoever that person may be.462 You gentlemen who are abroad must make all people everywhere realize that this is what the whole nation of Iran is saying, it is not simply what I am saying. You are part of the nation, you too agree that this government which the Shah has imposed on us, which wants to keep the Shah in power and makes it clear that he must return to Iran, is a government which has betrayed our nation and must go. [Those present voice their agreement]. God willing, may you all be successful.

88th Speech Date: January 14, 1979/Dey 24, 1357 SH/Safar 15, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: US’s support for Bakhtiyar; army’s role; need for nation’s preparedness Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

US’S SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO HOLD THE REGIME Now that America has realized the Shah’s putridity- and as the saying goes it has become so strong that even the Khan himself has realized it- it has adopted another course of action. Until recently, America supported the Shah and announced its backing for him. Now, however, the Americans proclaim their backing for this government463, and it is through backing this government that they hope to keep the regime.

462 If Imam Khomeini had not taken a decisive stance on the new government of Bakhtiyar and had not given serious warnings against accepting it, most certainly in view of the fact that Bakhtiyar was a member of the National Front who had once worked with Dr. Musaddiq and also considering the relations the nationalists had with the political groups and personalities such as Mr. Shariatmadari, particularly throughout 1978, Bakhtiyar’s government would have been officially recognized by the nationalist groups and some of the religious figures in Iran. In the book Inqilab-e Iran dar Du Harikat (p.74) Mr. Bazargan writes: “There is a tacit agreement between Bakhtiyar and the religious leaders.” While expressing regret that efforts to set up a meeting between Bakhtiyar and Imam had failed, the author continues: “If this had happened, God alone knows what savings could have been made and what subsequent retaliation, bloodshed and destruction could have been avoided.” Also in a secret document obtained from the American spy den (Documents from the US Espionage Den, vol. 27, p. 22, The moderates (3) ) we read: “Amir Intizam, Liberation Movement of Iran (LMI) central committee member, asked for an urgent meeting with Poloff Stempel morning Jan. 10. Purpose of meeting was to indicate that LMI had agreed to put forward name of Gen. Khalil Bakhshi-Azar to replace Gen. Jam as defense minister in Bakhtiyar’s cabinet...Bakhshi-Azar was acceptable to LMI and National Front, both of which were helping Bakhtiyar get his cabinet together at this point.” 463 Shapur Bakhtiyar’s government.

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They think they can bring back this old servant to calm the people, take the Shah out of the country and then, after a while, bring him back a more powerful and savage ruler than before.

ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT So, one of their strategies is to back this government. As I have said before, and will according to the referendum which was held464, this government is illegal; consequently repeat again, this government has been appointed by the Shah, who he is not the Shah; rather he is a usurper and a rebel. Thus, any governing body appointed by him is illegal. This government has come to power with the backing of the members of parliament also; however, they too are illegal because they were not chosen by the people. Indeed, the people do not know any of them and have not appointed them to be their representatives. Thus, a government selected by these members of parliament cannot be a legal one. So this plan of theirs, whereby they want to give this government the air of legitimacy, will not pass muster with the Iranian nation. The nation of Iran must demonstrate against it. It is incumbent on the people to rise up in opposition to this government, just as they did against previous ones, to demonstrate against it and bring it down. Indeed, it is already in a state of collapse, this government is not one that can calm the people. These people have stood up to martial law and military rule, they will not sit quietly before this kind of government waiting for it to make its next move. The promises that this government has given are no different from those of the previous governments. The former government, I mean the last but one, gave many promises. It promised peace and then tried to implement it through tanks and machine-guns! This government has promised to bring to justice those guilty of misappropriation. If this is the case, then we must ask him (Bakhtiyar): What about the Shah? This wealth that the Shah now possesses, this wealth that he has transferred abroad, did he come by it legally or through illegal means? If you think that he obtained it legally, then you yourself are the worst criminal of them all- indeed, you didn’t object to any of this yesterday, all this talk started today. On the other hand, if you see him as having obtained it illegally, then you are in fact recognizing his guilt and admitting that the Shah is a criminal, that he is someone who has misappropriated the wealth of the nation, has stolen from the nation, plundered and betrayed it. Consequently, as stipulated in the law, if the Shah is a traitor, he cannot be the Shah. Thus, you (Bakhtiyar) are acknowledging that you were appointed by a Shah who is a traitor to the country and has plundered its wealth! Seeing as you are promising to arraign those who have acted treacherously, then arrest the Shah. It is within your power to do this, do not let him flee, put him on trial, take the wealth of the people away from him. Not one of these thieves, whose names were recorded in that document, details of which were divulged by the bank, has stolen as much as he has! You promise to catch these traitors; well he is the leader of them all. The whole nation knows you (addressing Bakhtiyar and the government) are in the wrong if you do not agree that he is a traitor. And if you do recognize him as a traitor, then you yourselves know, as well as the whole nation, that you have been appointed by a traitor and those appointed by a traitor must either step 464 It refers to the million-strong demonstrations by the Iranian people on Tasua and Ashura.

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down- indeed the people will eventually bring them down if they themselves do not come to their senses quickly and step down- or be seen to be traitors.

AMERICAN PLOT This, therefore, was all part of a plan, to bring a government to power and have it promise the people that it would bring these people to justice! That it would give back control of the religious endowments to the ulama! What need do the ulama have for religious endowments that you are trying to bribe them with?! Do they have any need for them? If the ulama gain control of the religious endowments, they will give them to those they have been bequeathed to, to those they are meant for. You are trying to deceive the ulama with such statements as: “We will put control of the religious endowments back into the hands of the ulama!” And “We will dismantle SAVAK and create an “intelligence office”! This simply means you will get rid of the name SAVAK and give it another name instead! Things will be just the same! I really do not believe that they are even going to imprison these thieves, these accomplices of the Shah they have arrested. According to them, these thieves are in confinement, but for all we know they may have been taken somewhere very pleasant. It is not improbable for the Shah to do such a thing.465 I cannot believe that they are truly going to convict these people. These are men who have been the Shah’s accomplices for the past fifteen years, such as the former prime minister and the former head of SAVAK who were the Shah’s friends as well as his accomplices.466 This is just like the time he said he would carry out ‘reforms’! One cannot believe that these people really intend to take any steps. Even if they did, it would not be acceptable to us. Let us assume that the Shah or his government want to create a heaven of a country for us, we do not want the heaven that is created by the Shah’s hand; we do not want the heaven that is created by the hands of the Shah’s servants. Of course, such a thing will never happen, but were it to happen, we would not want it, because according to the law, according to the holy shari’ah, he is illegal and therefore has no dominion; the same applies to the government. Consequently, everything they do, whether they turn this country into a heaven or a hell, will not be accepted by the nation, as indeed it is not accepted by us either.

465 It refers to the arrests by Azhari’s military government on November 7, 1978/Aban 16, 1357 SH of former government officials including Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the Shah’s former prime minister; Manuchehr Azmun; Mansur Ruhani; Ghulam Reza Nikpay; Dariush Humayun; Iraj Vahdi; and General Nasiri. The former British Ambassador to Iran, Anthony Parsons, remarked at the time that he felt the Shah would never put Hoveyda on trial for to do so would be to put the regime on trial. And in his book The Pride and the Fall (p. 100), Parsons says of Hoveyda: “To arrest him would be to arrest the Shah, to try Hoveyda would be to try the Shah, and to condemn Hoveyda would be to condemn the Shah.” The BBC on November 8, 1978/Aban 17, 1357 SH reported that Hoveyda had been made a scapegoat. 466 The Shah became acquainted with Hoveyda when he was a director of the National Iranian Oil Company. He got to know him better when Hoveyda was appointed Finance Minister in Mansur’s cabinet and saw him as a persona grata for his regime. Consequently, following the assassination of Mansur, he gave him the premiership. Mansur obediently served the Shah and was able to retain the post of prime minister for more than twelve years. His term in office is the longest on record in the contemporary history of Iran. Ni’amatullah Nasiri had been a classmate of the Shah’s in the Tehran Officers’Training College. During the Musaddiq era, he was the commander of the Imperial Guard and was the man sent by the Shah in August 1953 to arrest Musaddiq. He was one of the leaders of the Mordad 28 [August 19] coup and in 1965 [1344 SH] was appointed head of SAVAK.

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ARMY NOT TO SUPPORT THE SHAH We have heard, from various quarters, that they wish to adopt another course of action- although this too I find hard to believe will come to pass- and that is they wish to carry out a military coup.467 So far, a number of ways have been suggested by which this will be carried out. Some say that a number of these bloodthirsty butchers have been given sensitive posts,468 and as soon as the Shah leaves the country, they will carry out a brutal coup d’état and such and such will happen. I do not believe that this will be the case, for the Shah now lacks substance, he is too insubstantial for the army to support him. He is only in place now because these army commanders, who are his accomplices, deem that were he to go, it could possibly be bad for them. So they are clinging onto him with both hands, but it is as if they are holding onto a dead man in a coffin. The Shah is no longer of any account; he is unable to bring this about.

SUPPOSED COUP And does the army want to do this without America’s permission? For the top brass in the army are servants too. These few people who are guilty of stealing, of plundering the wealth of the people, and who now want to flee, cannot perform such a deed on their own. So it remains for America to give it them to perform, and in my opinion it is very doubtful that America will do such a thing, for its experts have already studied that possibility, even though their understanding was very little! They (the Americans) have taken one step at a time and every time they have met with defeat. In the beginning, their tactics were to strengthen the Shah following this up by propagating him to be this, that and the other. Then they established martial law and saw that although it was implemented with the utmost severity, still the people paid no heed to it. It was announced; indeed this was the law, that if more than two people came out together onto the streets there would be dire consequences, as a result one million people poured into the streets! This is something that our nation should take note of: If one day they threaten to take action if the preachers speak out about a certain topic or against Israel, yet, in order to paralyze the regime and stop these kinds of threats, every preacher ascends the pulpit and speaks out on that subject all the same, they will not be able to do anything about it. They always take advantage of disunity. They frighten one group out of going to the pulpit and speaking out so that when another group, who are in the minority, ascend the pulpit, they will not say anything because they see that no one else is saying anything. If two or three do speak out they are quickly arrested. If they threaten you with all kinds of consequences if you close the universities, and still all the universities remain closed, they will not be able to do anything. Yes, if they can create disunity they will do so and will exploit it. They announced that martial law was in effect and that if two or more people came out together onto the streets they would do such and such and woe betide anyone who came out during

467 In the last months of the Shah’s reign, four ways of confronting the Islamic Revolution were suggested. The fourth option, which was favored by the CIA and the American military, was a military coup and the installment of a military government similar to that in Pakistan. After the Shah had left Iran, Brzezinski, Carter’s security adviser, told Bakhtiyar to frighten the people with talk of a coup d’état, and advised General Huyser and Major General Philip Gast, Chief of the US Military Mission in Iran, to protect Bakhtiyar with the complete backing of the Iranian army. Refer to Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar, p. 878. 468 General Ghulam-Ali Badrihi, one of the Shah’s executioners, and General Mahdi Rahimi were appointed Commander of the Ground Forces and Military Commander of Tehran, respectively, at the time of Bakhtiyar’s government. General Khusrowdad, one of the cruelest and most ruthless of the Shah’s military men, retained his post as commander of the helicopter forces and airborne troops. Refer to Gam beh Gam ba Inqilab, p. 162.

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curfew, nevertheless, our nation poured into the streets a million strong! And the regime couldn’t do a damn thing about it. The people blocked the roads so they could remain on the streets during curfew hours. When the people are many, the regime cannot do anything. Supposing they were to do something, it would be nothing other than some minor ignominious act; they couldn’t do something rational which would produce results. They did not achieve anything by the martial law which they imposed on twelve cities.469 A revolution took place in each one of these cities and is continuing. Now this government is saying, albeit falsely, that it will lift martial law, whether it does or not is all the same, for the people no longer pay heed to martial law or to the military. When the Americans realized that martial law was having no effect and the people were still of the same mind, they established a military government. So martial law had to remain in place, but now the government too had to be run by the military. For a while, they were intent on crushing the people through the military government, however, once again the people resisted, they stood up to the military government, shouting the same slogans as they had done before; doing the same things as they had done before; sacrificing their lives as they had done before. A military government had no effect either.

PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THE CRIMINALS The people have been facing the military for a few months now. They faced out martial law, but at that time their ideas had not blossomed as they have now. At that time, SAVAK was something of consequence to them and the Shah was the Shah! But these notions are routed now, the nation has routed them, this nation has destroyed this idol. The Shah no longer enjoys any standing, neither he himself, those associated with him nor his army commanders have any standing now. If anyone enjoys standing in the eyes of the nation at present it is those army commanders whose hands are not imbrued with the blood of the people, and that means most of them. Those who thirsted for blood and whose hands were elbow deep in the blood of our nation are but a few, whom the people know about and whom they have made known to us! God willing, we will deal with them later.

THE NATION’S ARMY It’s not that our nation opposes the army; we view those in the army, the commanders, officers and those with rank, as our brothers; it is the murderous elements in the army that we oppose. The country has to have

469 Isfahan was the first city in which martial law was declared. On Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11, 1978/Mordad 19 and 20, 1357 SH, huge demonstrations and marches were staged in this city, which, due to the intervention of government troops, resulted in a vast number of demonstrators being killed and wounded and a number being held in custody. It was following this that on August 11, 1978, martial law was declared in Isfahan. The first statement to be made by the military governor of Isfahan (Major General Reza Naji), announced the imposition of a curfew which prohibited the circulation of people between 8 pm and 6 am, and declared the formation of any kind of social grouping in excess of three people categorically forbidden. The following day, Saturday, August 12, 1978, martial law was also declared in Najafabad. Due to the movement’s expansion and the continued demonstrations, on September 8, 1978/Shahrivar 17, 1357 SH, an official statement was issued which announced that in addition to Isfahan, martial law was also to be declared in Tehran, Qum, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kazer’n, Abadan, Ahwaz, Karaj, Qazvin and Jahram. Between 2 pm on Saturday, February 9, 1978, and the morning of Sunday, February 10, the military governor of Tehran issued four different statements numbered 40, 41, 42, and 43. Statement number 40 specified that the hours of curfew were to be from 4. 30 pm until 5 am. However, word immediately spread throughout the city that Imam Khomeini had proclaimed the military governor to be without legitimate authority, and thus people were not to obey these regulations. On hearing this, people began to collect sand and sacks and by building barricades across the streets they in effect broke the imposed curfew. Some of these people carried sidearms and were covered by a group of youngsters who were equipped with firearms, and who turned the streets into fields of combat during the hours of the curfew.

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security forces, and we welcome them with open arms, we embrace them as our brothers. The army should not suppose that if “His Imperial Majesty” goes, it too will go or Iran will cease to exist. No, this will not be the case. As you see, “His Imperial Majesty” now lacks substance, yet Iran is where it should be, as are you. These few thieves who are now giving you your orders will, in a few days’ time, grab the money and flee, that is if the nation is so careless as to let them. Yet your position will remain the same; the nation wants you and you in turn want the nation. You are not the Shah’s army; you are the nation’s army. They are lying when they say you are the Shah’s army! Who is the Shah to need an army? It is the nation that needs an army. The Shah himself must be from the nation, but he has acted foolishly and has separated himself from the nation. If this regime had aligned itself with the nation, there would have been none of this. I would not be here today and neither would you gentlemen. These people have driven a wedge between themselves and the people. They thought they could crush the nation until the end; they distanced themselves from the people and found themselves in the situation you see them in today. All the world powers rallied to his support, they stood by him, but because the nation did not want this regime, it has not survived. All the powers joined together, from the north to the south, the east to the west; they came together saying he must remain in power. But the nation said “no”, and when these powers saw that the nation was adamant, they realized that they too had to say “no”, and this they did. So now they say “no” to the Shah remaining, but their second step is to say “yes” to this government! They say “yes”, this government has to be, this government is a moderate one and whatever, but the nation says “no”, and even if all the powers in the world support it, when the nation says “no”, then it will not be. It is said that the ministers are not allowed into the ministries, this nation itself, these governmental institutions themselves oppose the government, it is not only the merchants of the bazaar, the university people, the villagers and the farmers who are opposing it, the governmental offices too have had enough. The people there know better than most what corruption has gone on. It is said that they did not let the ministers into the ministry buildings; they apologized and told them that they did not accept them for they were not true ministers! Can a government whose ministers are not allowed into their ministries discharge its duties? This is just a farce. This parliament is not a true parliament. If these artificial representatives they have created and have sat down in the parliament were judicious, they would not sit there. At a time when the people will not let them into their ministries, these ministers take their posts saying: “I’m a minister! I want to carry out reforms”! What reforms do you want to carry out? They won’t let you into your ministries, so where do you want to discharge your duties, where do you want to govern?! America has come to realize that this army is of no use, that it cannot control the nation for it does not oppose the nation. It is these few individuals whom this regime has installed to head the armed forces who oppose the nation, the rest of the honorable military personnel suffer greatly because of their actions. But they are unable to do anything.

RUMORS ABOUT PARTICIPATION OF ISRAELI FORCES IN KILLING IRANIAN NATION I have been told that these massacres which have taken place were carried out by soldiers from Israel, but I do not have concrete proof of this. A few days ago someone- I can’t remember his name- came here and told me that when he and a few others were traveling to Abadan, they stopped along the way to ask for directions and saw a soldier standing nearby. They called him over to them and realized that he didn’t understand Persian, so one of the group spoke to him in Arabic and they learned that he was an Arab from

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Israel! The man himself admitted that he had been brought to Iran from Israel. A truck stood nearby full of his colleagues. These people have used Israeli soldiers to kill the people of our nation, nevertheless, our nation resisted, it gave lives, it gave its youth and it stood up to them saying it did not want this regime. This is the “no” of the nation. Sometimes it is only a city, a district or a province which voices protest, and when this is the case, it is right for one to assume that such protests will be squashed. However, at times a whole country stands up, and this is what has happened today. Today, a whole country is saying “no” to the monarchical regime and “yes” to Islam. It is the whole country, and no power can quarrel with a whole country. Consequently, as you have witnessed, they have had to bring pawn after pawn into play in the hope of achieving something, but they have failed every time.

IDENTIFICATION OF AGENTS FOR A LIKELY COUP The American experts saw that martial law only made matters worse and a military government even worse still. Now it is rumored that they are planning a military coup d’état! Is a military coup any different from a military government? The meaning of a military coup is that once again a military man takes over the reins of power and once again the people are killed, only this time in slightly greater numbers. The people have already shown that they will resist such measures. It is possible that a group of people have plans to carry out a coup d’état, but I doubt that such a thing will come to pass. We know who they are; they have no place to hide. If they do such a thing they will not be able to flee from us. Wherever they go we will find them and take revenge. They must realize this, they must come to their senses and not dirty their hands with such a vile deed. Whatever vile deeds they may have perpetrated hitherto are done, they should refrain from perpetrating any more. They shouldn’t suppose that we don’t know who they are, we know them, and the nation too will soon know them. I doubt that America would be so foolish, that its experts would be so foolish, as to undertake such a useless task, to make one blunder after another in this way. This will not happen. This is just another stratagem that I don’t believe they will execute. I do not believe they will carry out a coup d’état.

PLOT FOR ATTACK ON THE ARMY AND KILLING THE PEOPLE There is a third plan which is even more satanic than the others and which has a greater chance of being executed. It is said that in the event of the Shah leaving the country, America is planning to bring a group of its insurrectionists into play to attack the soldiers in the name of the nation, and lead them to believe that the people want to kill them. In this way, they want to make the army confront the people. This group is from the Americans, and they intend to come onto the streets, fool the people into following them then leave them to be gunned down and massacred. This is their ultimate plan. In this way they hope to bring about a massacre and make it appear that if the Shah leaves, the nation will destroy the army and massacre all the commanders! These are people, insurrectionists that the Americans themselves have supplied. They comprise commandos, kolis and mercenaries in their pay, and they are bent on inciting trouble. They will encourage some groups to attack the police headquarters, the barracks and the military headquarters and tell those who know no better: “When His Imperial Majesty goes, the nation will massacre you all!” As it is only natural for those being attacked, to defend themselves, their defensive actions will be made to appear just in the eyes of the world. It will be said they were only defending themselves against people who wanted

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to kill them. A great massacre will take place in the name of defending themselves against people intent on murdering them. Therefore, I warn the nation, the soldiers, the commanders, young officers and others to get wise to this plot, for it will most probably be carried out, and they should be vigilant and not allow themselves to be tricked. The commanders, officers and soldiers, the town and city police and the Gendarmerie should not entertain the idea that the nation is their enemy. The nation is at enmity with that wretch who will soon be leaving, God willing. The nation opposes neither the Gendarmerie nor the town and city police, it opposes neither of these, nor does it oppose the army or the members of the armed forces, they belong to the people and the people belong to them. Everybody should be aware of this plot hatched by fiends to try to turn two sections of the nation against one another and to incite fratricide. In the event of this plan being executed, they hope to trick the army commanders, the officers and the soldiers into thinking that it is the nation which has attacked them, whereas in actual fact those doing the attacking are their agents. If such a thing should come to pass, these commanders and officers should turn their guns on their superiors who are ordering them to kill the people. They should kill them instead. They must realize that the nation bears no animosity towards them. The nation is their friend, the people are their brothers. Their positions are secure, they will carry on with the same job as they are doing today, with the exception that the transgressions the American experts carried out against them, the burdens that they imposed upon them will be no more, and the army will be an independent one, an army of the nation, not an American army. It will be a national army belonging to the nation; the nation wants the army and the army wants the nation. So this is another course of action they may adopt to try to achieve what they want.

A NON-VIOLENT MILITARY COUP! Another course of action also exists, and that is they may carry out a bloodless coup and then resort to hypocrisy in order to deceive the people and preserve America’s control over us. If the Shah is still around, they may kill him to be rid of him, they may proclaim that they will give his wealth to the nation, the call to prayer may ring out from the minarets, and they may even establish prayer gatherings! This is one way by which they may try to fool the people, through hypocrisy, so that America continues to have control over us. And if the Shah is retained, they may bring him back after the flames have died down, or, alternatively, they may put another pawn in his place to continue his work, in other words to be America’s servant. Then once again we will be back to the same old set-up, with them taking our oil, building bases for themselves and destroying the nation’s resources.

NATION’S READINESS TO NEUTRALIZE PLOTS The people must be wary of these plots that are likely to come to pass, the people must ready themselves to deal with them and to neutralize these devilish actions, and they should not fear anything. The nation has reached the stage now where all the eyes of the world are on it; the Iranian nation has acquired a reputation in the world. I am aware, through the messages that have been sent to me, that from every corner of the world people are singing the praises of the Iranian nation. Wherever you look, from America to the Arab and other governments, they all view what has happened in Iran as nothing short of a miracle. I too view this as a divine affair; it is not man’s doing. The hand of God is with you. Nation of Iran, do not fear anything!

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Without the involvement of the hand of God, it would have been impossible for a human being to take children of such a young age and elderly men, eighty years of age, along the same path; the hand of man could not have achieved this. God is with you, so what do you fear? All the power in the world is nothing before God the Blessed and Exalted. Trust in God the Blessed and Exalted and persevere with your movement; fear nothing and continue your demonstrations and strikes. Victory is close at hand, God willing. Do not be afraid, be strong and patient. The Most Noble Messenger spent his whole life suffering, his whole life. You cannot find even one month in his life when he relaxed. All his suffering was for you. Today, the religion of the Prophet lies in your hands, they want to do away with it and it is up to us to preserve it. They are taking Islam’s resources and it is up to us to safeguard them. Do not be afraid, be strong and patient. Learn from the example of the Messenger of Islam. He suffered hardships for thirteen years in Mecca, and the rest of his life was spent in battle, dispute and repulsing oppressors. We have only been doing this for a short while; what are we afraid of? If we are killed then, God willing, we will go to heaven, if we kill then still we will go to heaven. This is the logic of Islam, because Islam works for righteousness. We do not want to own the world; we want to establish righteousness and justice, not this “social justice” that Mr. Shah talks about, by which they take all the people’s wealth and then say this is Islamic social justice!! May God protect you all. May you be successful [“Amen” from the audience]. May God grant victory to the Iranian nation [“Amen” from the audience].

89th Speech Date: January 21, 1979/Bahman 1, 1357 SH/Safar 22, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: Keeping unity and solidarity and rising up for God, the secret behind the victory of the Revolution Addressees: A group of Iranian students and residents abroad I seek refuge in God from the ac cursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE NATION’S UNITY OF PURPOSE, SOURCE OF VIGOR AND VICTORY Before saying a few words to the gentlemen, I must thank all the young people, the brothers and sisters who are outside the country and whom during this period I have put too much trouble, and also ask their forgiveness. I pray to Almighty God for your health, greatness and happiness. I hope that a suitable environment will be brought into being in Iran so that you can all return and serve your own people and your own country. You all saw how, as a result of the Iranian nation’s unity of purpose, the pillars of the palace of a power that liked to see itself as a superpower and was supported by all the superpowers- even unfortunately almost all the Islamic governments gave it their backing too- crumbled one after the other. You all saw what became of that Rastakhiz Party that they once praised to the skies. Both the Shah and his wicked agents

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once sang its praises loudly, blowing it all out of proportion, indeed the Shah himself went so far as to say that anyone who did not become a member was to leave the country; he was this uncompromising about it. But the nation of Iran stood up to this party-maker and to tanks, cannons and machine guns, and made this dictator think again about his party and decree it to be null and void. Such treason he committed when he changed the Islamic calendar470, the calendar that recalled the most noble of histories, the most creative of histories: the history of Islam which awakened man and awakened the oppressed, which humbled the tyrants of those days and created human beings in the true sense of the word, developing all dimensions of man, that which pertains to the spiritual as well as that pertaining to his material life. And this man wanted to deprive Iran of this honor. He wanted to trample the roots of Islam underfoot and replace the Islamic calendar with the pagan imperial calendar. But you saw how all the sections of Iranian society rose up against it, and, through the efforts of the people of Iran, he was once again forced to back down. You saw that through your unity of purpose, this man, who eulogized himself so much and whom others eulogized, was forced to come before the nation to repent and ask the people’s forgiveness. Granted he was trying to trick the people, but all the same he was forced to ask forgiveness. People of Iran, you saw how your unity of purpose forced all the superpowers to retreat. In the beginning they supported him, each one having something to say, such as, “We will interfere militarily”; “Iran will be divided”, and other such myths which they are always putting about. Yet you saw that even though all the superpowers were behind him and were supporting him he was forced to leave Iran and is now outside the country. It is unfortunate that he was able to escape the grasp of the Muslims and our youth. Nevertheless, in the near future he will be called on to return to Iran, God willing [the audience says “God willing”], and the treasure and money that he took from our nation, and which was transported out of Iran in his final days, will, please God, be taken from him [“ God willing” from the audience], and he will receive the punishment he deserves for the deeds he has done and the oppression he has carried out, God willing.

MASSACRE, PLUNDERING, PRISON However, as I have said before, we do not have the ability, that is, it is beyond man’s ability to punish him properly for the crimes he has perpetrated. It is only within man’s power to punish him for killing one person by taking his life. We cannot punish someone who, as you are witness, has killed on the scale he has. He has committed mass murder on a grand scale and has thrown people into prison for long stretches of time. He took our youth into his prisons and gave old men back to us. Some of those whom I had met before they went into prison and with whom I had shaken hands, I found to be as strong as Hercules; today, however, after having spent fifteen years in his prisons, when I shake their hands it is the hands of ordinary men that grasp mine.

470 Toward the end of 1975, on the anniversary of Reza Khan’s birthday, both the Consultative Assembly and the Senate agreed in a joint meeting that the official calendar of Iran was to be changed. Until then, time had been reckoned from the migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina (in 622 AD). The new calendar however (known as the Imperial calendar), took as its point of departure the founding of the Iranian monarchy by the Achaemenid emperor Cyrus, fixed somewhat arbitrarily at 529 BCE. Following this change, it wasn’t long before the self-absorbed monarchical regime in Iran was uprooted.

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Such suffering was brought upon our youth, our intelligentsia, our ulama, our university people and merchants, such torment they were made to endure. We cannot punish him sufficiently for all of this. He only has one life. If you attacked him together you could only take his one life. He has taken the lives of hundreds of the best sons and daughters of Islam, and now if you take the one life of a person who is connected more to foreigners than he is our nation, this cannot be adequate retribution. Suppose that he fell into your hands and you cut off his arms and feet and plucked out his eyes too, just suppose you did this, this would not compensate for what he has done either. That is why there is another world, so that adequate punishment can be meted out for such things. In the next life, it is possible that for every person he has murdered, he will be put to death only to be resurrected and then killed once more for the death of another of his victims. In return for the suffering he has put our youth through, he may have to spend an eternity in torment. Gentlemen, someone cannot just come along and rule over these people for thirty-odd years in such an unjust and cruel manner, having his agents in every region of the land treat our women, children, our young and old people, our clergy and laymen in the way they did without being punished for it. God, the Blessed and Exalted, will not allow anyone to do such deeds and get away with being punished simply by having his money taken off him and being killed. There are those among our youth who were thrown into jail in their prime and lost fifteen years of their life as a result. If they were of the class of ulama, they could have spent those years writing books and guiding people; if they were from the intelligentsia, they could have spent that time writing books and enlightening people; if they were from the medical profession they could have saved many people from death. All of these people whom they threw into prison consequently lost a big chunk of their lives, they could do nothing while in prison, they were stopped from doing anything. What is the nemesis for this? Will this be made right by killing Muhammad Reza Will this compensate? He is nearly at the end of his life now, he has lived his high life and done his oppressing, so can we say that it is retribution enough for us to take his money away from him, from this person who has committed all these crimes? That is, of course, if we can lay our hands on his money. We cannot possibly find all his wealth, for he is keeping it in a safe country, in one of these places which is safe for him and its own people but which we deem to be a traitor. Neither do we know in the treasury of which country the jewels that his father took with him when he left are presently being kept. At that time they were taken to England, we don’t know where they are today. Be that as it may, even if you suppose that you can get back the jewels of this nation that it is said he filled his suitcases with and transported out of the country, along with the vast amounts of money which he transferred to banks abroad- the particulars of some of which have been divulged- will this compensate for these losses, for the nation’s power which has been squandered the way it has?471 He made our universities such that they dissipated our human 471 In addition to the large amounts of gold, jewelry and antiques which were sent abroad by courtiers at this time, and which, according to reports, were later sold off in Europe and America, many of the crown jewels were also stolen from the country by the Pahlavi family, especially by the Shah and his sister, Ashraf. Eyewitnesses have stated that valuables belonging to Ashraf were transported out of the country aboard several C- 130 air force planes. In addition to openly transferring millions of dollars abroad in September and October 1978 [Shahrivar and Mehr 1357 SH], the Shah also sent numerous articles of value out of the country on military planes before he himself fled. It was reported that the Boeing which carried him to Egypt was filled with costly objects. For more information refer to Parviz C. Radji, In the Service of the Peacock Throne: The Diaries of the Shah’s Last Ambassador to London; William Shawcross, The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally; and General Fardoust’s memoirs The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty.

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resources; would that were all they did, but they turned our human resources into inhuman resources. The purpose of these cinemas that were active during his reign and the centers of corruption that they brought into being was to draw our youth there and make them oblivious to vital issues that should have concerned them. These centers kept idle this human resource that should have been used in the service of our country, turning it into an inhuman resource. How can we punish him for these crimes? These are crimes for which man cannot mete out punishment. Recompense for these must come in the Hereafter. And you can be sure that recompense will be given [the audience says “God willing”]. It is written in the Qur’an that in the Hereafter, man will see the results of his deeds, however small: “Then anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, shall see it; and anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.”472 This is what the verse says and this is what will happen. In that world, these actions will be reflected in a suitable form and man will see them there. He will be punished for these deeds of his there. Do not be disheartened if you do not catch him, for even if you did, you could not punish him adequately. There will be requital for his crimes in the next life.

MONARCHY CONTRARY TO THE LAWS OF REASON Everything that has happened hitherto and we are still only halfway, or even less, to our goals, has come about because of the nation’s unity of purpose. Unity of purpose, the coming together of a nation for a purpose caused these pillars, which in their words reached the empyrean, to fall one by one; like melting ice, they loosened and disintegrated. Yet still we have a long way to go, this is just the beginning. Our aim is not simply his leaving; this is just one of our aims. The monarchical regime is one that we deem to be illegal. It was illegal from its inception, and went against the rational laws of humanity. Even if we suppose it was a proper national parliament- which we have never had in Iran- which conferred power to rule on one man and his descendants, one that was wholly representative of the people, we still have the right to say to this national parliament and the people of that era: “Very well, in your own time you had the right to determine your own destiny; but grandfather, what gave you the right to determine the destiny of us who were born two hundred years later? With what right and according to which law did you do this?” This is something any rational person would agree with- indeed, it is so sensible that even the Khan himself would agree with it- however, so many delusions are created among the people and so much misleading propaganda is put about that people come to accept such things. It is said, and it is a correct assertion, that in any country, according to the law and rationale and based on human rights, the destiny of any person should lie in his own hands, the destiny of the nation should lie in its hands. Accordingly, at present, the nation of Iran should be able to determine its own destiny. Today, if the people of Iran want to appoint someone as their parliamentary representative or as their president, they have the right to do so. Now, let us suppose that we have decided unanimously to appoint a certain person to be president and that each district has chosen a parliamentary representative for itself, this is perfectly acceptable. Let’s further assume that we have unanimously agreed to create a Constituent Assembly, once again this is acceptable; it follows then that this Constituent Assembly has the right to determine the destiny of the nation which exists at that time. It does not, however, have the right to determine the destiny of an Iranian nation that does not yet exist; the nation of Iran today does not comprise those people who have not 472 Qur’an, 99: 7-8

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yet been born and will be your descendants in a hundred years’ time, they are at present inconsequential, I cannot determine their destiny for them. What right do any of us have to do such a thing? They are of another generation. Just because we are all Iranian and all Muslim, we cannot determine the destiny of a community that does not yet even exist! We cannot compel our descendants to recognize this man as ‘His Imperial Majesty’! What gives us the right to do such a thing? What business is it of ours? Monarchy is an irrational institution, it goes against human intelligence. So even if the Constituent Assembly is a properly-elected, one-hundred-percent national assembly, it should have no influence on the lives of our descendants. Now if we look back in history- and I myself was witness to what happened, although you young people were not yet born- we see that the Constituent Assembly (which gave Reza Khan the power to rule) was formed at bayonet point! Votes were cast at the point of a bayonet! Nobody dared not to vote, they didn’t even dare utter a word in protest. Of course, some did put their lives on the line and voiced their opposition, but the rest agreed either because of the bayonet that was hanging over their heads or because of their own greed, for some were offered much to give their consent. So a Constituent Assembly was created at bayonet point through which that creature was imposed on us. Even if it was a correct procedure, it was still wrong. If it was right for the people of that time, it is not right for you who are not of that era. The referendum and the Constituent Assembly of that period should not have any say in your destiny.

SHAH’S ORDER FOR COUP D’ÉTAT AND MASSACRE Indeed, today we went a step further. We not only rejected the decision of that period, we actually threw the Shah out of our country. He wanted to throw us out, he announced that whoever did not join his Rastakhiz Party had to leave the country. But praise be to God, you united and your unity of purpose meant that you did to him what he wanted to do to you: you threw him out. No one can bring him back now. If such a thing were possible, they would have kept him in power in the first place. [the audience laughs]. Keeping him in power is much easier than him leaving and then trying to bring him back. Of course, they are considering this. From what has been said, this scoundrel gave the command for a coup d’état to be carried out while on board the plane that was taking him out of the country. [the audience laughs]. The plane was in the air and still he could not control his passion [the audience laughs], and from there- as was said- he ordered a coup d’état, and his coup means beatings and killings! Nobody listened to him. Indeed, word has it that only recently an order was given to a garrison to carry out a coup in Hamadan, to bomb the city and create disturbances there. Just today I received a letter telling me the same thing. Nobody listened however, and instead a hunger strike was staged.473 At the moment, the garrison is completely in the hands of the people. Self-sacrificing for spiritual cause How did such a thing come about? It came about for two reasons, one because of the unity of purpose that 473 Two thousand eight hundred homafars at Shahrokhi garrison near Hamadan went on hunger strike and were joined by air force officers and NCOs. This group along with their families held a march and demonstrated in the grounds of the air force base. Severe clashes took place when security police at the base attempted to disperse the demonstrators and eleven of the wives at the base were arrested. Subsequently, the strikers and their families held another demonstration in which they once again fervently voiced their support for the Iranian nation’s movement and demanded the release of their friends. Kayhan newspaper, 1/21/1979 (11/1/1357 SH).

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has appeared in Iran, and the other because of that buttress which comprised Truth and rightness, that is God. You cried out for God and Islam shouting “We want Islam, we want freedom and independence.” Of course, an Islamic government per se will give you the freedom and independence you seek, but you expressed your demands more fully, otherwise an Islamic government means freedom and independence. Because your coming together had this support, by the will of Almighty God you have been victorious up to now, and you will remain victorious if you safeguard these two aspects of your movement. Make sure that your uprising is for Truth: “I do admonish you to do one thing and that is to rise up for God”474 not for your own carnal desires. If man rises up for his own personal desires and not for God, he will get nowhere, his uprising will eventually fail; something that is not for God will not endure. Strive to keep this movement of yours a divine one, one that is for God. I do not believe that someone who struggles for the people does not have spiritual convictions. Those who believe in God, those who believe in punishment and reward reason that if they give their life, they will attain a higher form of life, if they give everything they have, God will give them even more back, so much more that no eye can see and no ear can hear. It is a logical fact that we give our ‘aba and receive a hundred in return, we sacrifice one life which is imprisoned in this body, and will be freed and in return we will be given a divine life, a life of freedom, a life which is comprehensive, which encompasses everything. We will be given a life in which everything is at our command, we need only say “be” and it will be, whatever we want to happen will happen, this is what we will get. This is the reasoning of those who sacrifice their lives. As for those who do not have such convictions and struggle for the people, they are either extremely stupid or the whole thing is put on. I believe it is all put on and they are simply blinding others to the truth. They may say they are struggling for the people, for the masses, but one should ask them: “What will you gain if they kill you? Are you a person who would give his life for the masses without gaining anything?” Whatever man wants, he wants for himself, only a few can be found out of the whole human race that is not like this, you won’t find an army of people like this. If there is no religious conviction involved, if the movement is not one for God, it will not last. God, the Blessed and Exalted, says that He admonishes us to do one thing, out of all admonitions, he says he has only one for us: to rise up for God. The admonisher is God the Blessed and Exalted, the conveyer of the admonition is the Messenger of God, may God’s peace be upon him and his descendants, and the book in which it is recorded is the Qur’an, the scripture of God. He tells us to both rise up and to make our uprising for God. If you want your uprising to bear fruit, to be effective, and not to end in disunion and division, all of your endeavors must be directed at one point, a point beyond the natural realm, a point which is everlasting in everything, all of you must focus your attention on Him. When this is the case, then your uprising and your movement will be a secure and lasting Islamic movement, for its buttress is everlasting, and something whose buttress is permanent is itself permanent.

EMPHASIZING GOD’S ADMONITION I have this admonition of God the Blessed and Exalted in the language of the Qur’an the meaning of which I will convey to you. This admonition communicates to us the importance of having unity of purpose and

474 Qur’an, 34: 46

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of our aims being one: God. “Rise up for God.”475 It won’t work if one person is on one side and someone else on another. If in an uprising you see groups, parties and fronts being formed, know that it is not an uprising for God. If we all focus our attention on one point the call is for unity of purpose, for unity of belief. Unity of belief will bring about unity of purpose and unity of action. “I do admonish you to do one thing.”476 It is just one admonition, but it contains everything. Listen to this admonition and act upon it, your success lies in this admonition. It is God’s admonition and it is only one. Whatever you imagine is in this one word. This is why the Qur’an is a miracle, for three or four words can administer all of man’s affairs. “I admonish you to do one thing and that is to rise up for God, it may be in pairs or it may be singly.”477 If the uprising is for God, then everything gravitates to that divine power. It is because your uprising has a divine nature that it has reached this stage where it has trampled all human forces under foot. That is to say, the fist has triumphed over tanks and guns, these tanks and guns which the Shah’s regime brought into the country and filled Iran with. Our youth, our old people and our women stood up to these with clenched fists shouting that they no longer had any effect. And why do they no longer have any effect? Because the uprising is for God; is it possible to fight with God? This is a divine uprising, it is for God, and all those claims that the regime made have been thrown out.

REPAIRING DEVASTATIONS AND RUINS Yet we are still only at the beginning. Do not think that we have achieved something, so now we can relax. No, the arising for God is now just the beginning. According to what those knowledgeable in divine matters say, rising up is the first stage on the path to God, it is the awakening.478 We still have a long way to go. Gentlemen, we are the inheritors of a country everything of which this man has destroyed. You see ruination everywhere; he has destroyed all the manifestations of civilization and still he proclaimed that he had brought us a “great civilization”. He destroyed our universities; he destroyed our agriculture; he has exhausted almost all of our oil reserves. He says we will have oil only for another twenty years or so, and at the rate he is giving it away, this will be the case! He has destroyed everything we had. He has destroyed our youth; indeed, the worst of all abominations, the worst crime of them all is his destruction of our human resources. It is the human being who can work and who is valuable. Without man, water and land are of no value. It is the human being who is valuable. He deprived Iran of this humanity; he destroyed that resource of ours which comprises the youth. Ask those young people who are presently in Germany receiving training in the field of atomic energy, they have told me that they are being kept at a certain low level beyond which they are not allowed to progress. You can ask them yourselves. They say their work is useless. These capable forces of ours are prevented from progressing; they are being suppressed and kept at a low level. He has laid waste to this country. Even if we are successful in getting rid of this corpse and the rest of them, it will still take us another ten to twenty years with the active help of all sectors of society

475 476 477 478

Qur’an, 34: 46 Qur’an, 34: 46 Qur’an, 34: 46 Khwajah Abdullah Ansari (1006 -1088 AD), was a gnostic who lived in Herat, Afghanistan. Ansari was a commentator on the Qur'an, expert in hadithes, polemicist and spiritual master, known for his oratory and poetic talents in Arabic and Persian. Manazil as-Sa’irin (Sharhe Talmasani), p. 53

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to eliminate these shortcomings. It will take another ten to twenty years of effort if we want our agriculture to be returned to the state it was in before these acts of land sabotage (jocular: Land Reforms) were carried out. All the people must join hands together, the peasants, villagers and farmers must set to work, others must help them, one group of people or the government alone cannot do it.

THE IDEAL GOVERNMENT What we want from a government today is for it to allow the whole nation to play an active role in it, not to be distant from it. The people and the government should assist one another, help one another. The government should not be like a stranger that the people are afraid of or that they can’t communicate with. We want a ruler like Hazrat Amir (Imam Ali), upon whom be peace. Of course, we can never find anyone like him, but we want someone who is remotely like him. During his reign, God forgive me for calling it a reign, I mean at the time of his caliphate, when the area of his authority was so vast that it included the Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq and Iran, he would leave his home to check up on this woman and that woman. According to historians, he once went to one woman’s home and comforted her children he did things to make them laugh. This is something that no ordinary ruler would do; only an extraordinary one would do this. He made noises to make the children laugh and later explained that when he first arrived they were crying and he wanted them to be laughing when he left. This is the kind of ruler we want, not someone whose shadow we are afraid of. We want a ruler around whom people gather when he enters the mosque and takes his seat, one to whom they speak and air their grievances. We want a ruler who, when a Jew makes a claim against him in court and the judge sends for him, he attends court, the court of a judge he himself has appointed, and when the judge rules against him, he accepts that ruling graciously.479 Could any of these governments summon this man to court for all the money he has stolen from the Pahlavi Foundation?480 Could they even make this wretch render the Foundation’s accounts? One has taken fifteen million dollars, another ten million, another five million, someone else thirty million, and they are all his relatives! We want a government that is just, and the very least we expect of it is that it does not steal! We are not saying that we want our ruler to be someone, whom we follow in religious matters, although this should be the case, we simply want him to be someone who will not steal the nation’s wealth, who will not take it then run.

PLUNDERERS AND REMITTERS OF FOREIGN CURRENCY If you study this list which covers a one to two month period- probably you have already done so- you will not be able to find the name of one religious person on it. Study it for yourselves; can you find the name of one of these sponging akhunds, as they call them, on it? Can you find the name of a mullah there at all? This that they say about the akhunds being spongers is just propaganda; they put it about because they wish to defame the akhunds, for it is the akhund who can give them a punch in the mouth. It is the akhund who

479 Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 4, p. 6. 480 Some of the Shah’s economic activities were carried out through an organization called the Pahlavi Foundation. One section of this organization was independent and another was run in association with domestic and foreign capitalists and owned most of the private banks; the industrial factories; the production, construction and food companies; the agricultural and animal husbandry units; and the trading companies in Iran, as well as dozens of hotels, restaurants, casinos and night-clubs. The administration of this foundation was for a time in the hands of Sharif Imami the President of the Senate.

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through his pulpit and his prayer niche (mihrab) in the mosque can confront the cannons and tanks. They want to take this power away from you; they want to take Islam and the Qur’an away from you. They want to take it all away from you so you become a people far removed from God. They want to disarm you, so you will have neither God, the Imam, the Qur’an, nor the admonisher, and you have no pulpit, no prayer niche and no akhund. You will be left with nothing. And what is it they should do to take these things away from you? They need only continue doing the things they have been doing up until now. The propaganda that was put about against the clergymen at the time of that godless man was such that taxi drivers wouldn’t even let clergymen into their cabs. One wretch of a driver said that he had made a pledge to God that he wouldn’t let two groups of people into his cab, one the akhunds and the other prostitutes! This is the image that he (Reza Khan) created of the akhund. Why? Because he was afraid of the akhunds; there was one akhund in the Parliament who really gave Reza Khan hell. There was one Mudarris who repeatedly defeated him, and in the end he was taken away and murdered.

UNITY OF EXPRESSION Unity of expression and rising for God, are what have given you victory so far. Preserve this unity of purpose, stop dividing yourselves into this party and that front and drawing a distinction between the akhunds and the university people. God knows that this is to your detriment; it is a blow to each one of you. One comes abroad and sees different political fronts that argue among themselves, ignore such things, gentlemen. If you are Muslims, then as such you are required to ignore such things; if you are nationalists then nationalism demands that you ignore such matters; if you are wise, then wisdom too demands this. It is my belief that this is something created by foreigners to divide us. Don’t become involved in such matters. Remain together: The hand of God is with the group.481 Work together; you have brought your movement this far, now, take it to the end of the line. The end of the line is when the hands of foreigners have been severed from your land, and your country becomes yours, yours to administer, yours to do with as you please, if you want to sell oil you sell it, if not then you don’t. Of course, we mean to sell our oil, but not on the same basis as this man did; he gave our oil to the Americans then built bases for them in return. With the money he received in exchange for the oil, he built bases for them! This is not a practice that will be continued.

LETTING GO OF UNITY CAUSE OF DEFEAT Have unity of purpose, for if this stronghold is taken from you, you will face defeat. If these people in Iran who are all shouting together for freedom, who are all shouting for God, become divided and a group of them start shouting slogans other than for God, then know they will be defeated. Such things will occur for he and his regime have been defeated and they will do whatever they can now to suppress the movement. They will create one group with one name and another with another name to delude the people and make this nation lose its spirit. I tell you to be strong, don’t lose heart. When the superpowers

481 Prophetic Hadith, Sahih Tirmidhi, vol. 3, p. 316.

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cannot do a damn thing, these few children certainly can’t do anything.482 Be strong and firm in your stance. The power of the nation is one that no power on earth can confront. You have witnessed how you were able to throw out someone who enjoyed the support of all the superpowers. Our movement will continue as long as the hands of foreigners, whether of the left or right, remain in our country, and as long as there is life in our bodies we will shout out [the audience says “That’s right”]. Gentlemen, push aside these divisions and disunity. I ask you all here and all the sections of society in Iran, I beseech you all to make common cause if you want to free your country from the clutches of foreigners. One person beats the drum for America, one for Russia, and one for China, this is all wrong. One is worse than the other! Why don’t you do it for your own sake, you poor person? The country is yours, should you give it to someone else?! And in so doing can you still claim to be a nationalist or a Tudehi?483 A Tudehi is someone who struggles for his own nation, not for China or some other country. Put a stop to this dissent; come together under the banner of Islam. If you want to get rid of all the powers, and you yourselves, through moral excellence, create an exemplary country whose morals are of the highest caliber, an exemplary country which oppresses no one, which does not covet the wealth of others, which does not put up with oppression nor gives its wealth away to others- for indeed our plan is neither to oppress nor to allow ourselves to suffer oppression, we mean neither to impose anything on the people nor to have anything imposed on us- then you should all be united and keep your movement for God. Make your aims sincerely for God and close ranks. I hope that God will assist you; He will, God willing [“God willing” from the audience].

90th Speech Date: January 24, 1979/Bahman 4, 1357 SH/Safar 25, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The need for the people to control the country’s current affairs Addressees: A group of Imam’s friends and assistants who have been with him during his stay in Neauphlele-Chateau In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

REPAIRING THE RUINS THROUGH COOPERATION AND PATIENCE I thank all the gentlemen who have given their assistance and have performed tasks throughout this period that I have been entangled with these problems. I must say that the tasks they did were their own tasks and this home was their own throughout.

482 This includes the small number of people who took part in the marches held on Arba’in [fortieth day death commemoration] January 19, 1978/Dey 29, 1356 SH and shouted party slogans in the vicinity of Inqilab Square (formerly Esfand 24 Square). Their calls, however, were drowned out by the shouts from the flood of people who, accompanied by clergymen from the different districts of Tehran, swept toward Azadi Square (formerly Shahyad Square). Due to the people’s protests, from Inqilab Square thence, this group was forced to shout out in unison with the people. Meanwhile, on January 17, 1978/Dey 27, 1356 SH, a group organized under the leadership of Ali Asghar Haj Sayyid Jawadi and also an Islamic Society of Universities announced their existence. 483 Tudehi: a member of the Masses (Tudeh) Party, which was in practice the orthodox pro-Russian Iranian communist party.

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I would like to point out that when we are together in a small, humble house, we have to work together, each person has a job to do, it is not feasible for one or two people to do all the work. The same goes for the work which has to be carried out in a country which has almost been destroyed and has witnessed many tragic events, it cannot be done unless all sections of that country and all the people of that country pull together. If the Iranian people, every one of them, wherever they may be, do not take steps towards the reconstruction of this country, it will remain in its ruined or semi-ruined state and it will be the fault of us all. Everyone must do whatever he/ she can and, for a while, must endure hardships patiently and stoically. If this happens, a pleasant, flourishing, sound country will be established, which will be right in all aspects. All sections of the country should also keep watch over the country’s affairs to prevent devils from once again penetrating. People coming and going into government offices should be inspected, they should be checked and searched, so that anyone purposely planning some kind of offence or act of treason can be stopped and referred to the judicial system to face prosecution.

LACK OF RESTRICTION CAUSE OF CORRUPTION AND LAWLESSNESS All the disasters that have occurred in these years have done so because the institutions in the country from the top one down, from that man who ruled this country calling himself the Shah, have been free to do what they liked. The Shah ruled without constraint, he was not restricted by the law, and consequently when he acted with license, others learnt from him and followed his example. When the parliament is formed with no regard for the law, then it only follows that the representatives therein are going to do whatever they like, heedless of the law. Such things should be brought to an end if one wants Iran to be a progressive country in the true sense of the word, not merely by someone just saying that it is. It must be one’s intent to change the country intrinsically; that is, the hand of treason should be severed; the hand of crime should be severed. The people are duty bound to watch over all those places that are affiliated to the government. Those with problems who go to the police station or attend court should keep a careful watch over the proceedings; if they wish to see the country reformed, they are duty bound to report any wrongdoings they witness there to the establishments which will be set up to look into such matters, so that the people involved can be prosecuted. If for a period of time some righteous tribunals are set up to look into affairs, that is to see to the people’s problems, things will be very different from what they are today with the courts having nothing to do with the rights of the people, or not being able to have anything to do with them, and with the police robbing people rather than serving them. If such practices continue, then even if the biggest thief of them all does go, the lesser thieves will simply take his place and carry on doing the same things. All of you, all of us, should observe matters closely, we should follow up wrongdoings and be prepared to make sacrifices so that, God willing, a sound country will be created. I pray to Almighty God for your well-being. I apologize for all the troubles you have gone through during this period. May God protect you all and keep you healthy. I am now going to return to this country and we will see what happens. I am bound to go whatever happens. We may have to turn back mid-way and consequently I will once again be at your service, or we may reach there, in which case we will accept whatever lies in store for us. [One of those present: We will be honored, sir, to be in your service.]

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Imam: May God keep you all.

ANXIOUSNESS ABOUT COMPANIONS Gentlemen, I must say something to you that I have already said to Mr. Yazdi484 and some of the others, and that is that I release you from your oath of allegiance to me, for it is possible that due to the preparations they have made, this journey will be a dangerous one. I have no desire to see you put in danger, God forbid, because of me.485 I have lived for many years now, but you are all still young. [One of those present: I sign these words with my blood.] [One of those present: I have told the ladies that you do not wish them to be on the airplane. It has upset them and I put it to you that didn’t Imam Husayn take Hazrat Zaynab and his sisters along with him?] Imam: Well, Imam Husayn was Imam Husayn. My circumstances are different. No, I do not wish the women to accompany me, the gentlemen likewise. I feel it would be better if I went alone and the gentlemen followed later... May God prolong your life. May you be successful, God willing. It is unacceptable to me that someone should be put out for my sake. I have no concern for myself, but I cannot see even one of my brothers embroiled in difficulties because of me. May God protect you all and may you be successful, God willing.

91st Speech Date: January 28, 1979/Bahman 8, 1357 SH/Safar 29, 1399 AH Place: Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, France Subject: The wish to be with the nation; negligence of the army and government; advise and final notice Addressees: A group of students and Iranians resident abroad I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Mer ciful

ALONG WITH THE NATION Whatever disaster befalls the Iranian brothers, whatever trouble they are forced to go through, is like a heavy weight which bears down upon my shoulders, one that I can hardly bear. Over the past two or three

484 Dr. Ibrahim Yazdi (September 1931 – 27th August 2017), was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the transitional government of Dr. Mahdi Bazargan. He was a pharmacist by profession and diplomat until his resignation in November 1979, in protest at the Iran hostage crisis. He was misled by his liberal political approach and disagreement with Imam and the interim government. He had soft approach to US committed crimes in Iran. He fled Iran and from 1995 until 2017, he headed the US supported Freedom Movement of Iran against the Islamic Government of Iran. He died in Izmir Turkey. 485 Monte Carlo radio in its Arabic service said: “Shapur Bakhtiyar has information to the effect that certain groups are plotting against the life of Imam Khomeini and have hired a few foreign terrorists, who are presently in Iran, for the task. Bakhtiyar has sent a message to Imam Khomeini warning him of the danger that threatens him in Iran. Meanwhile, Imam’s words created a commotion in the gathering and unsettled members.” Ittila’at newspaper 12/26/1978 (10/5/1357 SH).

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days, killings have once again been perpetrated in Iran, which grieves me deeply.486 From different parts of Iran the people swarmed into Tehran enduring great difficulties in the cold of the winter.487 This too is a cause of sadness for me. All of these things are like a great load weighing heavily on my shoulders. I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant the nation of Iran, the people of Iran, success. I pray to Almighty God for their well-being. I had intended to join my Iranian friends (in Iran) and serve alongside them, I want to share in any sadness that may, God forbid, befall them and if, God forbid, their blood is shed, I want mine to be shed along with theirs. However, fearing that my return to Iran would prove detrimental to them or their overlords, that it would not be in the interests of their overlords, the hands of traitors once again emerged from their sleeves and closed the airports, thus preventing my return. But I still have the same plan for going, and, God willing, I will leave at the first opportunity.488

IRANIAN REVOLUTION, CONTINUATION OF THE PROPHETS’ MOVEMENT It says in one of the traditions, that when the eyes of the Most Noble Messenger, may the peace of God be upon him and his descendants, fell upon a group of unbelievers who had been taken prisoner and were passing by him, he remarked, in words to this effect: “We want to take man to heaven and these people are being dragged there by their chains”!489 All the prophets, upon whom be peace, were appointed to ensure man’s happiness in all aspects, in his worldly life and in his other life. They wanted to take man to the level of perfection befitting a true human being. Many a man though did not endure such a burden and does not.

486 On January 26, 1979/Bahman 6, 1357 SH, as the people impatiently awaited the arrival of Imam Khomeini, Bakhtiyar’s government announced that it had closed the airport to prevent Imam’s return. The news angered the people greatly and in most cities of Iran, in particular Tehran, Tabriz, Rasht, Gorgan, Abadan and Sanandaj, clashes took place with troops and agents of the regime in which dozens of people were killed or injured. On January 28/Bahman 8, a bus carrying Gendarmerie workers ploughed into a group of demonstrators killing or injuring a number of people. Clashes ensued between the people and military agents and acting on the orders of their commander, the soldiers took refuge on the rooftops from where they opened fire on the unarmed people. Reinforcements were sent and the battle between the people and armed soldiers carried on well into the night leaving 150 people martyred and 600 injured. In this incident, the people, out of extreme anger and despair, set a few buses aflame. 487 Toward the end of January 1979, Iran was preparing the biggest, most historic welcome for the Leader of the Revolution. A flood of people flowed into Tehran from the provinces and the most remote areas of Iran to take part in the ceremonies. From the theological school in Qum alone, 5,000 people set off for Tehran to welcome Imam. A committee was set up called the ‘Welcoming Committee for Imam Khomeini’ with the specific task of maintaining order and keeping the peace during the ceremonies as well as preserving their dignity. Despite these preparations, Bakhtiyar’s government ordered the airports to close down to prevent Imam’s return on the appointed day (January 26/Bahman 6). On this day, millions of the citizens of Tehran, along with people from all over Iran who had traveled to Tehran, gathered in the streets and moved along Azadi St. toward the airport in expectation of Imam’s arrival. Among the most popular slogans chanted on this day were: “Woe betide you Bakhtiyar if Khomeini comes late; If Khomeini comes late, the machine-guns will come out.” and “Oh leaders, oh leaders, arm us.” 488 In the memoirs of Imam’s late son, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, an interesting incident is recalled concerning Imam’s departure for Iran: “After the decision to leave Paris and return to Iran became definite, Imam told me to go to the homes of our neighbors in Neauphle-le-Chateau and apologize to them for any inconvenience his stay there had caused them and for depriving them of the peace and quiet of their hamlet. So along with Mr. Ishraqi and one or two others, I went to visit all our neighbors in the hamlet, gave them Imam’s message and apologized to them. On arriving at one particular house, the owner excitedly grabbed a stepladder and climbing up it reached to the top of a cupboard and brought out a large, cherry-colored bottle. Turning to us, he enthused how this old wine of his was the very best! Before I could explain to him that in Islam wine is considered unclean and we are not permitted to drink it, his wife said: ‘Muslims don’t drink wine dear.’ Still holding the bottle in his hand he looked at us and rather dejectedly asked: ‘So what do you live for?’ Everyone burst out laughing except him!” 489 Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 5, p. 249.

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We too as followers of the Most Noble Prophet, may the peace of God be upon him and his descendants, rose up to take this deprived nation to this level of perfection, this nation, which throughout the rule of the monarchical regime from its inception, during these past fifty years- and we can all bring to mind what has gone on in more recent years- has been deprived and bedeviled in all aspects. This nation lost everything, all its wealth was taken from it and continues to be done so, and all its resources are being thrown away. Iran embarked on a movement, and I, as an Iranian subject, am following the rest of the people. I too speak a few words and take a few steps to save this nation. We want to save these people who are governing Iran. We want to deliver the army from its parasitic state. When the American military advisers first came to Iran and took control of our army we voiced our opposition. We abhorred the granting of privileges to American citizens and expressed our abhorrence. We want to make these governments independent, but they will not accept this. We tell the people in government they should be independent in determining the destiny of their country, but their reply is that they want to remain servants! They do not actually say this, of course, but this is what their actions show. We want to deliver the army from the control of these American advisers and these masters, but the top brass in the army will not accept this, they want to remain the underdogs. This relates back to what the Most Noble Messenger said about having to drag those prisoners to heaven, to happiness, by their chains. This is what we have to do, we have to drag this top brass to happiness with chains. We want you to be the master, but you say you want to be the servant!! We say you should control the affairs of your own country, you should be in charge of your own army, the country’s resources should be yours, they should benefit these poor wretched people who live in hovels, but you will not accept this. You are not willing either to become true human beings!! This is what we want to make you, but you do not want it.

SHAH’S REGIME, A BAG OF CLAIMS! From the beginning we have been beset by assertions. At the time of Muhammad Reza Khan, we heard claim after claim. The radio would blare them out, the television would give us pictures to accompany them and the newspapers would write about them. Every time one opened a newspaper the first thing one would see was His Imperial Majesty Aryamehr said this, His Royal Highness (the Crown Prince) said that, the Queen said this and the Shahbanu said that. Every time we turned the radio on it was the same thing. Whoever wanted to speak had to repeat these claims. He himself would constantly voice them, claiming to have brought the country to such and such a state, to be taking it to a ‘great civilization’ and so on. But when we dealt with him and he left, then it became obvious for everyone that he had done nothing, he hadn’t done a damn thing! Whichever manifestation of civilization you care to name is ruined and he is the one who has ruined it. Do not forget Muhammad Reza, for all your misfortunes were brought about by this wicked man. Do not forget him; remember him. Do not think that now that he has left Iran, whatever he did is in the past and is best not talked about. No, he must be kept alive in your memories until the time that he himself, his overlords and the others are all gone. When they are all dead and buried, then we will have nothing more to do with them.

DOWNFALL OF SHAH, PERMANENCY OF IRAN Up until this point, all the talk has been about His Imperial Majesty and the assertion that the people of Iran are a Shah-loving people; that they have always been Shah-lovers; that they can’t even live without a Shah!

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Now the Iranians are without a Shah, but they are still carrying on with their lives. This man himself490 said that if the Shah went, the country would become communist. Well, the Shah is no longer in the country, has it become communist? Is it the Shah who has prevented this? Is he still around? He’s gone. Was it the imperial regime that stopped the communists? The regime no longer exists. Neither the imperial regime exists nor the Shah. Muhammad Reza Khan used to say that if he were not around, the country would be divided! Britain would take one part, Russia another and America another. And I would reply: “Sir, with you around this is the case. If you go there will be none of this!” Now that he has gone, has the country become divided? Has one of these countries invaded from one direction and the other from another?! No, he has gone and all this talk has finished.

MONARCHY AND NATIONALISM TWO SIDES OF ONE COIN Hitherto, we have had to put up with the boasting and bragging of Muhammad Reza Khan, about how he is the King of kings, His Imperial Majesty and the Aryamehr! Now it is this talk of ‘nationality’ and ‘freedom’ that we have to suffer. They go and stand at the grave side of Dr. Musaddiq and say such things!491 We neither accepted what he said nor do we accept what they are saying now! What can we do, we are not so easily taken in. We can see that the same things that went on at the time of Muhammad Reza Khan, the former Shah, are still going on. Nothing has changed. At that time they killed people and now they are killing people; at that time they plundered and today they are plundering; they stopped gatherings then and they are doing so again today. He didn’t allow more than two people to gather and neither does Bakhtiyar, but not one of them could enforce this! The people no longer pay any attention to such things. Nothing has changed except the name, the plan is the same, the set-up the same. One day it was called an ‘imperial’ regime and the next they are talking about nationalism and a democratic republic.492 These people are bad with Islam but good with its republic! They speak of a democratic Islamic republic, but they are opposed to the second term which is ‘Islamic’. They are the enemies of Islam. Otherwise, why when they set out their plans do they speak of a ‘democratic’ Islamic republic? What has Islam done wrong? What has Islam done to them? They are not good with Islam because it is Islam that prevents personal interests from being realized, it is Islam that will not allow these heavyweights to live an aristocratic life or to live just anyhow they like! Islam sets matters right. It is Islam that does not let foreigners govern over Muslims; it is Islam that gets in the way of oppression and dictatorship. But they have the nerve to say that now we have rid ourselves of Muhammad Reza Khan’s dictatorship, we are faced with the prospect of the akhund’s dictatorship!493 Really, what have the akhunds done? What kind of dictatorship do they have to offer? Are we telling you to be dictators? We are telling you not to govern in 490 Shapur Bakhtiyar. 491 In late January l979, Shapur Bakhtiyar and a group of nationalists, among them Mahdi Bazargan and Dr. Siyasi, discussed the idea of exhuming Dr. Musaddiq’s body from its grave in Ahmadabad and re-burying it in the graveyard of the 30th of Tir martyrs. 492 ‘Democratic Islamic Republic’ was the name proposed by some for the future Iranian government. The leftists (apart from the Tudeh Party) were in favor of the formation of a ‘Democratic Republic.’ 493 In one of his speeches, Bakhtiyar had stated that he could not allow the government to take a form that no one accepts, and exclaimed how much more oppressive the new dictatorship may be from the old one! He also averred: “I have fought against the repression of the Shah and I will fight against this repression too. (!) We will not replace a worn out dictatorship with a new, more powerful one.” Ittila’at, Bahman 1357 (January-February 1979).

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a dictatorial manner. Apart from corruption, we will not prevent anything, the people will be free, it is you who don’t allow them to be free.

ISLAM’S CONFRONTATION WITH THE OPPRESSOR AND BLOOD-THIRSTY Nowadays, those who once supported Muhammad Reza Khan support this regime under other names. It is only the name that has changed. Muhammad Reza has found another name, but the problem remains the same. The Iranians must be on their guard, they must be attentive; they must not suppose that because we have prevailed it is an end to the matter. We have thrown Muhammad Reza out; very well, the scene has changed; now we are faced with scene two. At one time they use the weapon of force, brutality and dictatorship, then another time the weapon of reconciliation and, in their words, moderation is drawn, and yet at another, both reconciliation and brutality are tried. Now we have talked of a democratic Islamic republic on the one hand and” the true religion of Islam” on the other! This is the same tactic that was used by that wretch. The true religion of Islam indeed! He doesn’t even know what the true religion of Islam is! From one side we hear talk of the true religion of Islam while on the other it’s very foundations are being destroyed! According to Islam you must step down, Islam does not accept the rule of a tyrant and you are all tyrants. Islam is opposed to oppression. The prophet of Islam fought for twenty-three years against oppression. At one time, in Mecca, he did battle using sermons, and at another, in Medina, he used the sword. You however are propagating oppression. Only the day before yesterday you killed our youth, you are bloodthirsty murderers. We want to rescue you from these trammels of imperialism, but you say you want to remain where you are. You don’t have the sense to save yourselves, so we will have to knock some sense into your heads until you free yourselves from this burden. We will have to clap you in chains and drag you out from under this burden, for you do not have the wit to save yourselves. Members of the armed forces, we want to make you independent, but these two or three people who have been put in command over you won’t allow this, they have to be stopped, they have to be thrown out. Members of the government, we want to create an independent government, but these servants will not allow us. Throw them out, persuade them to step down.

ON THE WAY OF ESTABLISHING AN ISLAMIC STATE At the first opportunity I get, I will go to Iran, God willing [“God willing” from the audience]. And the first action I will take once there will be to establish an Islamic government based on the laws of Islam and in accordance with the votes of the people. [“God willing” from the audience]. I will put forward my suggestion to the people and let them vote on it, if they agree then I will set up an Islamic government. The people of Iran are Muslims, so, apart from a few who see Islam as a threat to their continuing their injustice, I do not think they will oppose it. We all saw yesterday in Tehran what magnificent gatherings the people of Iran held! The same thing happened again today.494 These people want Islam. They do not want to endure the burden of tyrannical

494 On January 28-29/Bahman 8-9 SH, Iran was the scene of massive demonstrations and clashes between the people and agents of the regime. On January 28/Bahman 8, Kayhan wrote: “In demonstrations and bloody clashes in Tehran and the provinces dozens of people were martyred. In a huge march in Tehran the people called for the return to Iran of His Excellency Imam Khomeini. At the end of the

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governments any longer. They want a just government. Nobody should suppose that we don’t understand what an Islamic republic is.495 It is them who pretend not to understand! Why don’t you understand? Everyone knows what a republic means; it means the public vote must be acquired. The Islamic part means it will be based on the laws of Islam. Are you opposed to Islam? Is it the Islamic laws to which you are opposed? Islam has laws for the political aspects of life and the social, indeed for all aspects of man’s life. An Islamic republic then does not involve itself with the constitutional law, rather with the laws of Islam. You are not opposed to the republic part, so is it the Islamic bit you are against? If this is the case, then you intrinsically lack faith, you do not believe in Islam, you are not Muslim.

INVITING THE ARMY BACK TO THE NATION We want this army of ours to be an independent one, not one in which a colonel from America can overrule a general (in Iran). Generals, we want to save you; are you saying you don’t want to be saved? You don’t have the wit to save yourselves. We will have to save you by force. Our youth have retained their human nature, not like some of their elders who, because they have killed so many people and perpetrated so much oppression, have lost theirs and are now like ferocious animals. Our youth are not like this. Oh young people, rescue your country, rescue your army. Do not permit these four old men, who have hoarded our money and then sent it abroad, to restore the former situation. You must make sure once and for all that such a thing can never happen. As I have said previously, if the government, that is, if the head of the government, as he likes to call himself, comes here, he will not be able to meet with me unless he first writes his resignation and makes it public.496 When I speak of resignation here, I do not use the term in its true sense, for he is not truly the prime minister to have a resignation to hand in, but I use it merely for want of a better term. Otherwise, what does resignation mean in this case? You are not the prime minister! If he does this then I will receive him, for he has not reached the stage that some of the others had. There have been some people who committed such gross crimes that I could never have agreed to meet them, not with resignations or anything else they may have offered. If he is wise, he will hand in his resignation and come here and repent, then he will be the same as everybody else. However, if he too has lost his humanity, then that is his affair. As far as I am concerned, if he comes here and repents I will receive him. But if he remains obstinate then nothing changes. He will be the one who is sorry, I can tell him now that he will be sorry. He saw how his master lived to regret what he had done and had to come before the people and plead with them, but they were going to have none of it. Don’t let it come to the point where you have to plead with the people and they march an eight-point declaration was read out.” The final point in the declaration read thus: “We condemn the vicious attack carried out yesterday by the regime’s executioners in which a number of brave, self-sacrificing Muslims were martyred or injured, and we denounce the deceptive slogan ‘support for constitutional law’ which is chanted by a few hired army men dressed in civilian clothes.” 495 It refers to Bakhtiyar’s speech in which he said: “One must first understand what an Islamic republic is, then agree to it... for me the term Islamic republic is completely unknown and hitherto I have not come across anything in any book on it.” (!) Ittila’at, February 3, 1979/Bahman 14, 1357 SH. 496 On January 28, 1979/Bahman 8, 1357 SH, Kayhan carried a huge headline: “Imam Khomeini: ‘I will not receive Bakhtiyar until he resigns.” On the second page it went into more detail: “The following declaration was received 2 am in the morning Tehran time from Paris by phone: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, their excellencies the Hujjat al-Islams of Tehran and the provinces, may God prolong their blessings, it has been said that I have agreed to meet Shapur Bakhtiyar in his role as prime minister; this is a lie. I will not meet him until he resigns from his post for I do not accept him as holding that post legally. Ruhullah al-Musawi al-Khomeini.”

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reject your pleas. Do not dishonor your own tribe; do not sully your reputation, if you carry on like this you will get yourself a bad name, even in your own tribe.

A PIECE OF ADVICE AND AN ULTIMATUM We want the good of society, we are the followers of the prophets who came to reform society; they came to assure society’s happiness. We want to take those who are blind and do not understand to well-being and happiness, by force if necessary. Those who can see will go after these things of their own volition. As followers of the prophets we mean to make our society a happy and prosperous one. We are saddened and sorry about these troubles that Iran and our people have to endure. The clerical community wants to free you. I exhort you to follow Islam and observe its laws; if you accept this, those whose crimes are not many will, if they repent, be counted as one of us. But if you do not, we will force you to accept the truth and stop perpetrating crimes. We will do this through coercion and through the pressure that the nation, that the cries of the nation, will bring to bear on you. Just as the cries of the nation got rid of that parasite, so too they will pluck you out by your roots, which have of course not yet taken. Be sensible, the sooner you repent the better. This is the best thing for you to do and I want what is best for you. At this sensitive time, it is necessary for the nation of Iran to stand firm and not relinquish their movement for their victory is nigh, God willing. [the audience says “God willing”]. I ask your well-being from God, the Blessed and Exalted. May God protect you all. May you be successful. May God give you strength, God willing.

SECTION 4

Imam Khomeini’s Speeches on his return from exile back to Iran until the victory of Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini arrived on 1st February, 1979 to Tehran and guided the struggle against last remains of defunct Pahlavi regime. The revolution became successful on 11th February. During these 10 days of dawn, he delivered 24 speeches, the first was given at the Mehrabad airport on his arrival. He then immediately proceeded to Beheshte Zahra cemetery and gave his historic speech predicting the fall of military government and establishment of Islamic government. The rest of speeches were mostly delivered at the Alavi School where he was staying temporarily.

92nd Speech Date: February 1, 1979/Bahman 12, 1357 SH/ Rabi’ al-Awwal 3, 1399 AH Place: Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, Iran Subject: Imam Khomeini’s historic speech outlining the state of affairs of the course of the Revolution Occasion: The return of Imam Khomeini to Tehran after fifteen years in exile Addressees: Millions of people In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

GRATITUDE TO ALL STRATA OF THE PEOPLE I would like to express my gratitude to the various strata of the nation for their devotion. The devotion of the Iranian nation is a heavy burden upon my shoulders for which I cannot compensate. I also would like to thank the clergy for their self-sacrificing devotion and endurance in facing all the difficulties during the past course of events. I also would like to thank the university students who have undergone hardships, the merchants and traders who have been subjected to inconveniences, the young people of the bazaar and universities and science schools, who have shed their blood in these affairs, the university professors, the Justice Ministry, its judges and lawyers, all the classes of the people, the employees, the workers, the farmers and all the ranks of the nation.

THE FIRST STEP TOWARD VICTORY You have gained victory through your exceptional efforts and unity of expression; of course, as the first step, your victory is now in the initial stage in as much as you have swept aside from the scene the main traitor named Muhammad Reza; although, it is said that he is making frantic efforts abroad. Even now that his own masters have spurned him, and are not allowing him entry, he is seeking help from some of his likes in order to find a way out of his predicament. But he is thinking in vain to be able to hold the reins of power once again, after this dynasty’s fifty years of treachery, and after thirty or so years of crimes and treason committed by this treacherous man against this country pushing it backward. He has transformed our country’s culture into a culture of colonialism. He has thrown the agriculture to the wind; he has exhausted the Treasury; he has devastated the country and has made his army and the military dependent upon the foreign military and advisers; this is a cause of regret for us and the nation.

HOPING FOR THE ULTIMATE VICTORY Our victory will dawn when the hands of the foreigners are severed from our country and all the roots of the monarchial regime are pulled out of our native land, and all (their forces) are driven out. The foreign agents who have been making all these attempts and frenzied efforts recently to bring back the Shah- that is, the former Shah- or install another regime, or safeguard the monarchy and all such issues, should realize that all this is now past history. Such issues that you (foreign agents) are bringing up are nothing but hollow words; and if you do not succumb to the nation’s will, the nation will dump you where you rightfully belong. We should thank all the strata of the society for bringing this victory up to this stage by means of their unanimity. We should all understand that the secret of this victory is the unanimity among Muslims- all of them, the unanimity of religious minorities with the Muslims, the solidarity of universities and educational

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schools, the solidarity of the clergy and the political factions. We should not lose this victory, lest Satan, God forbid, sow the seeds of discord within your ranks. I thank all of you. I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant all of you, health and honor and to sever the hands of the foreigners and those dependent on them.

93rd Speech Date: February 1, 1979/Bahman 12, 1357 SH/ Rabi’ al-Awwal 3, 1399 AH Place: Beheshte Zahra Cemetery, Tehran Subject: The illegal nature of the Parliament, the government appointed by the Shah, and the regime’s seditious elements Occasion: The return of Imam Khomeini after 15 years in exile Addressees: Millions of people from Tehran and various cities of Iran I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

GRATITUDE AND CONDOLENCES We have undergone difficulties- great difficulties- during this period. However, the partial victories that have resulted are, of course, also great. (I mean) difficulties borne by women who have lost their young sons, men who have lost their children, children who have lost their fathers. Whenever I lay my eyes upon those who have lost their children, I feel a heavy burden weighing down upon my shoulders which is unbearable for me. I am helpless in face of all the damage inflicted on the nation. I can never thank this nation enough for sacrificing everything in the way of God. God, the Blessed and Exalted, will reward them. I extend my condolences to those mothers who have lost their children and I share their grief. I offer my condolences to those fathers who have lost their young sons. I give my condolences to the young people who have lost their fathers during this period.

THE MONARCHIAL REGIME CONTRADICTS WISDOM AND THE LAW Well, let us consider for what reasons have all these miseries been inflicted on the nation. What has this nation said, and is saying that since its voice (of discontent) rang out, killing, oppression, plundering, and such things have continued until now? What has the nation said that it should deserve such a punishment? One issue raised by this nation was that the Pahlavi monarchy had been founded against the law at its inception. All these people of my age know and had seen that the Parliament was established at bayonet point. The people never had any discretion in its establishment. It was set up through the coercive force of the bayonet and its representatives were coerced into voting for Reza Shah’s monarchy. Therefore, this monarchy has always been null and void from its inception because the principle of the monarchy is against the law, the rule of wisdom, and human rights from the very start. Well, assuming that one nation unanimously voted for a person to be the king, thinking that it would have control over its fate and have the freedom to determine its own destiny; its vote applies only to itself during its own time. However, if one nation voted, say unanimously, even for a king to succeed the present one, what right does that nation of

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fifty years ago has to determine the fate of a nation of fifty years later? The fate of each nation must be in its own hands. We did not live in the previous era- say during the early period of the Qajar dynasty.1 If we assume that the Qajar monarchy came into being through a referendum and that the whole nation unanimously voted positively for it, it did so for Mr. Muhammad Khan Qajar, not for the succeeding monarchs. However, our time was the time coincident with the monarchy of Ahmad Shah;2 none of us ever lived during the time of Mr. Muhammad Khan. It was our ancestors who gave their vote to the Qajar monarchy, what right did they have to designate Ahmad Shah to be the king during our time? The fate of each nation is in its own hands.

THE PAHLAVI REGIME IS IMPOSED AND ILLEGAL One hundred years ago, or perhaps one hundred and fifty years ago, there existed a nation which was the master of its own destiny and could use its own discretion. However, it did not have any authority to determine a king that should govern over us. Let us assume that the Pahlavi monarchy had been established based upon the people’s discretion and that the Parliament was established by the people’s vote, too; this means that- assuming that this invalid premise is correct- only Reza Khan should be king and only over those who were living during that time. As for Muhammad Reza being king over today’s populace, most of whom, except some or a handful, do not have an understanding of those times, what right did the people of that time have to decide on the fate of us living at the present time? It follows then that Muhammad Reza’s kingship is illegitimate and the Parliament holds no legality, firstly, because his father’s kingship was illegal and was established through coercion and at bayonet point. And even if we assume that Reza Shah’s kingship was in accordance with the law, what right did they have to determine our fate? Each individual decides his own fate. Were our fathers our custodians? Can individuals who existed one hundred or eighty years before our time decide on the fate of a nation who will come into existence much later? This is another reason why Muhammad Reza’s kingship is illegal. Furthermore, assuming that this monarchy which was established during that time and the Majlis members were empowered rightfully, now this nation whose destiny should be in its own hand is now saying that it does not want this monarchy. When this nation votes that it wants neither Reza Shah’s nor Muhammad Reza’s kingship, nor the monarchial regime, then its destiny is in its own hand. This is another reason why this monarchy is invalid.

PROTÉGÉ GOVERNMENTS AND RUBBER-STAMP PARLIAMENTS Now, we will delve into the issue of governments which sprung up in the monarchy of Muhammad Reza and the Parliaments which we have now. Throughout the whole period of the Constitution, with the exception of some instances and concerning some Parliament members, the people did not have any

1

2

The dynasty of the Qajar kings ruled over Iran from 1193 AH (1779 AD) to 1344 AH (1925 AD) for 151 years. The Iranian nation was kept backward in all the aspects of social, political, and cultural during the reign of the dictator dynasty. The shameful treaties that the dynasty had signed with the powerful governments of the time have always been a disgrace to Iran’s history. The grounds for western invasion to Iran started from the very same time. Ahmad Shah Qajar ibn Muhammad Ali Shah was the last king of the Qajar dynasty (born in Tabriz 1909, ascending to throne in 1314 SH/1327 AH. He was deposed in 1945 / 1304 SH / 1344 AH and he died in Paris in 1948 / 1307 SH). He was chosen as king when he was only twelve after Muhammad Ali Shah was deposed but the National Parliament chose Asad al-Malik as his viceroy because he was not old enough, after his death Abul Qasim Nasir al-Mulk was given the position. He was a patriot and good-willed but he had an unrestrained and sensual life; therefore, he was deposed and the Qajar dynasty became extinct and the kingdom was given to the Pahlavi dynasty.

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authority in the election of Majlis members. You (the people) are well aware that in this present Parliamentwhether the Consultative Majlis or the Senate- none of the members have been elected by the people, and you who make up the nation of Iran, you the nation who are residing in Tehran, I am asking you the people of Tehran, did you know that you were supposed to designate these Parliament members, whether for the Consultative Majlis or the Senate? Do the majority of the people know the individuals who are now in the Parliament as representatives and senators, or that they were also designated through coercion and without the people’s knowledge? A Parliament, which is established without the people’s knowledge and consent, is illegitimate. Therefore, these people who are now occupying the seats in the Parliament and are taking the nation’s wealth saying that such and such amount is the salary of a Parliamentarian- they do not have the right to receive such salaries and they are answerable; those who are in the Senate also do not have any right to get this salary and, likewise, are answerable. However, the government, which derives from a king who is illegitimate and whose father was illegitimate is illegitimate; likewise, the Parliament members who are designated by such a government are illegitimate. A government appointed by such a Parliament and king is illegitimate. This nation, which wanted to take issue during the reign of Muhammad Reza Khan, was saying that it did not want this monarchy and that its destiny should be in its own hands and now it is again saying that it considers these Parliament members, the Senate and this government illegitimate. Can someone appointed by an illegitimate Parliament or a Senate or a monarch be legitimate? We are saying that you (the Shah’s government) are illegitimate and should step down. We declare that the incumbent government, which proclaims itself the legitimate one, does not even believe in its own legitimacy! At the time that the government was not yet in his hands and his ministry was not in existence, he (Bakhtiyar) considered the government illegitimate, what has happened that now he is saying that his government is legitimate? This Parliament is illegitimate; ask the Parliament members themselves if they had been elected by the people. We will take each one of them who claims that he has been elected by the people to his own polling precincts and will ask the people there whether this gentleman is their representative or not. We will ask them if they appointed him. Rest assured that their reply would be negative. Therefore, does a nation which is crying out that this government, this king and this Parliament are all against the law, and a nation which has the religious law, legal and human right to hold its destiny in its own hands deserve to have a graveyard of martyrs built for it in Tehran and in other places?

CORRUPTION AND DESTRUCTION IN THE NAME OF REFORMS AND PROGRESS I must say that this wicked traitor, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, has gone, he has escaped and has ruined all that we had; he has destroyed our country; instead, he has expanded our graveyards. He has destroyed the country’s economy; all our economy is now ruined and is such a complete shambles that if we wish to restore it to its original condition with the people’s efforts, it will take long years. Neither the government alone, nor one stratum among all the strata of the society can ever accomplish this task of rebuilding the economy; not until all the people have joined hands can we ever free the economy from this entanglement.

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Bear in mind that they had created “Land Reforms”3 in their so-called bid to transform the farmers into real farmers; they used to be tenet-farmers, so they wanted to make them real farmers! However, after a long period, their land reforms ended up in the complete annihilation of our farming and of our agriculture; and now you are dependent on foreign things. That is, Muhammad Reza had done all this so that a market for America would be created and make us all dependent upon it; so that we would import wheat, rice and everything from it; so that we would import eggs from it or from Israel, which is America’s stooge. Therefore, the deeds that this man had done in the name of “reforms” Were by themselves tantamount to utter depravity. The issue of” land reforms “Has so harmed the nation that perhaps cannot be compensated for in the next twenty years, unless the people join hands and help each other for many years in order to make up for all these losses. They had rendered our culture a retrogressive culture. This Shah had kept our culture so backward that now our youth cannot complete their education here and they have to seek education abroad after partially completing their studies here with all the difficulties and pressure upon them. We have had universities for more than fifty years and approximately thirty or so years that we have had this university, but due to the treachery committed against us this university never grew; it does not have any human development.

THIS MAN HAS DESTROYED ALL OUR PEOPLE AND OUR MANPOWER. Because of his servility, this man established centers of prostitution; the television is a center of prostitution; most of the radio stations are centers of prostitution. These centers have been given permission to operate, to be centers of prostitution. They are all in collusion with each other. In Tehran, there are more off-license shops than bookshops. And God knows how many other centers of corruption were in Tehran! What for? The cinemas are centers of prostitution. We are not against cinemas; we are opposed to centers of prostitution. We are not opposed to radio, it is prostitution that we are opposed to; we are not opposed to television; what we are opposed to are services rendered to foreigners for keeping our youth backward, and the dissipation of our manpower. When did we ever oppose modernism and its processes? When manifestations of European modernism set foot on eastern shores, particularly in Iran, instead of utilizing this (great) center of civilization, we were pushed into savagery. The cinema is one manifestation of modernism which should be in the service of the people and their (intellectual) development. And you know very well that our youth have been dragged into corruption through these and other centers of the same nature. From this angle, we oppose these centers. In this sense, they are tantamount to a betrayal of our country.

3

Land Reform was one of the main principles of neo-colonialism, which was urged on all the countries under the dominance of colonialism, from Latin America to Asia and Africa, and was implemented by the governments of these countries in a very similar manner. In 1962 (1342 SH), the Shah launched the land reform program as the first tenet of his six-point “White Revolution”, later renamed the “ShahPeople Revolution.” This ‘Revolution’ was not a revolution at all, rather it was put into effect on the one hand to win the confidence of American capitalism; to show his approval of and co-operation with the new strategy; and to open a new market for the Western economy, and on the other to curb internal discontent and actually prevent a revolution! The reform program, which was dependent on foreign, especially American investment, dragged the Iranian agrarian economy into bankruptcy, such that a few years after its implementation the country had been changed from a wheat exporter to a major wheat importer. In addition, as a result of the migration of villagers into the towns and cities and their attraction as a cheap work force to the industries and the service sector, over a period of eleven years from 1966-1977 (1345 - 56 SH), 20, 000 Iranian villages became uninhabited! Refer to Farhang-e Danestaniha, p. 239 and Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran (The Modern History of Iran), p. 219

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AN OUTCRY BECAUSE OF THE SHAH AND AMERICA But, what about our oil! They have given away all our oil to foreigners: to America and other countries! In return for what was given to America, what did they get? In return, they received arms to be used in installing bases for America! We gave away our oil to America and constructed a military base for it! With this chicanery in which this man (the Shah) had a hand, America guzzled our oil and, in exchange for this, it built for itself a military base. That is, America has brought weapons into the country that our own army cannot use without American military advisers and experts around. This is the (real) issue regarding our oil, which, God forbid, would have been exhausted if this person had endured. If his rule had continued, our oil reserves would have been exhausted and since our agriculture has already been destroyed then this nation would have been completely impoverished and would have had to work as coolies for the foreigners. We are crying out because of this man (the Shah) and for this reason. The blood of our youth has been shed for this reason; because we want freedom. We have led a life of suppression for fifty years. We did not have any media, or a proper radio and television; no writer could express himself; no preacher could talk at the pulpit; no prayer leader could perform his task freely; not even a single individual in the society could carry out any work. During his time, this suppression of freedom prevailed and is prevailing (in the country). And now, the remnant of this man’s soul has remained; hence, the last vestiges of repression have remained. What we are saying is that this man, his government, his Parliament and all of these are illegitimate and if they persist in what they are doing, they are criminals and should be tried in the court. And we will try them.

ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT WITH THE PEOPLE’S SUPPORT I will appoint a government! I will make this government lose its face! I will appoint a government. With the people’s support, I will appoint a government! I, with the approve of this nation will4... This gentleman5 does not even believe in himself; his friends do not approve of him; the nation does not approve of him; the military does not approve of him; it was only America that supported him, and had ordered the military to support him; the British also supported him and said that the military had to support him too. This person is not approved by either the nation or a single stratum of the society. Yes, they would bring hired hooligans from among themselves into the streets and they would cry out and shout (pre-rehearsed) words (in their favor). But this is the nation, this6 is the nation. He declares that a country cannot have two governments! It is quite obvious that a country does not have two governments; the illegitimate government must go! You (Bakhtiyar) are illegitimate. The government we are referring to is a government contingent upon the nation’s vote and God’s laws. You must renounce either God or the nation! This man must stay where he rightfully belongs. Or, he orders a group of his mercenaries to slaughter the nation on the orders of America and the likes of it.

A WARNING TO THE NATION OF IRAN As long as I am alive, I will not let them gain any sovereignty. I will not allow the return of the former regime’s oppression and iniquitous. We will not allow Muhammad Reza to return. They (America) want to 4 5 6

The intensity of the people’s emotion interrupted the Imam’s speech. Bakhtiyar. Referring to those present.

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bring him back. Be vigilant! O, people, be vigilant! They are concocting a plan. This contemptible man7 has set up headquarters where he is staying now and is establishing relations. They want us all to revert to that same situation where all that we have will be subjected to suppression one after another and they will let America devour all of our existence. We will not allow this. For as long as we live, we will not allow this to happen. I implore the Gracious and Almighty God to grant all of you, good health. I must say that it is incumbent upon all of us to keep the torch of this movement burning until the time that they (the Shah and his lackeys) have been toppled. Let us set up a Senate8 based upon the people’s votes and appoint the first governmentthat is, the permanent government.

A PIECE OF ADVICE AND A FINAL WORD WITH THE ARMY I must give the army a piece of advice and extend my gratitude to the top military officials- one stratum of the army. The piece of advice that I want to give is that we want the army to be independent. We are taking great efforts and we have shed our blood and sacrificed our youth, we have used our honor and dignity, our clergy have been imprisoned and have been tortured; we want the army to be independent. You, the General of the Army, the Lieutenant General; do you not wish to be independent? Do you wish to be puppets? I advise you to return to the nation’s embrace, say what the nation is saying. Say that we must be independent. The nation is saying the army should be independent and should not be under the command of American and foreign military advisers; come and join us. We are saying these things for your sake; say the same things for your own sake. Say that “We want to be independent; we do not want these foreign advisers to be here.” Should we, who are saying that the army should be independent, be given such retribution (at the hands of the army), who shed the blood of our youth in the streets. Should the soldiers spill the blood of our youth because they are saying that the army should be independent? We want you to be men of honor.

IN APPRECIATION OF THOSE MILITARY MEN WHO JOINED THE NATION I would like to express my gratitude to that group (in the military) which has united itself with the nation. They have vouchsafed their own, their countries, and their nation’s dignity. Those enlisted men, warrant officers, and officers of the air force are worthy of our appreciation and praise. Likewise meriting praise are those in Isfahan, Hamadan and other places who knew their responsibilities toward their religion, nation and country, joined the nation and supported its Islamic movement. Islam is better for you than unbelief. The nation is better for you than the foreigners. We are telling you about this matter and you (the army) do the same thing. Desert this (army). Do not think that if you abandon (the army) we will come forth and send you to the gallows! These (ideas) are but your own imagination or the concoction of some other devious elements. On the contrary, we have accorded absolute honor and held in high esteem those warrant officers, enlisted men and officers who came forth and joined the nation. We want the country to become a strong one; we want the country to have a powerful military. We do not intend to throw the military into disarray. We want to keep the military intact; but a military that is of the nation and at the service of the nation; not a military that is subservient to others and is commanded by them. 7

The Shah.

8

Please see Imam’s explanation at the end of this speech.

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By “Senate Assembly,” I meant “an assembly of legislators”, not this Senate assembly (that is now extant). The basis of this “Senate” is an absurdity. It has always been so! May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

94th Speech Date: February 1, 1979/Bahman 12, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 3, 1399 AH Place: Rifah School, Tehran Subject: The achievements of the Revolution; conspiracies under the name of nationalistic slogans Addressees: Members of the Welcoming Committee In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE SECRET OF VICTORY ... Up until the time that God, the Blessed and Exalted, wills so, it is impossible for mankind to achieve this unanimity. You are aware, you, who were here in Iran know better that all over the country, from the remotest village to the capital, everyone rejected this dynasty (Pahlavis) with one united voice and heart. Children who have just started talking, youngsters as well as old men are saying the same thing. God is with this congregation. My brothers, safeguard this unity of expression. The secret of your victory is this unity of expression. Put your differences aside.

THEOLOGY SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY SOLIDARITY: THE GREATEST VICTORY I consider the reconciliation between the theological schools and the universities the greatest victory so far achieved. Even if we had not achieved any other victories, the fact that we have brought the clergy and the universities closer, and understanding was reached... And the treacherous hand that had kept these two groups in disparity for a long period has been severed, is of great importance. Thank God that the clergy have understood that the university people are not what the foreigners claimed they were. Likewise, both the youth and the university students have understood that the clergy are not the way they (the Shah’s regime) had depicted them. They were hankering to sow the seeds of discord among the nation and plunder all that it has and once more throw it in disarray, as a result of which it would be in disunity and oblivious of its own interests. You, the nation of Iran, have proved that with the unity of expression you can cut off the hands of the foreigners (from our land); you have severed the hands of this tyrannical king, the hands of this oppressive Muhammad Reza, who wanted to divest our country of all its existence.

NATIONALISTIC PLOYS Nowadays, some individuals from among those in collusion with him (the Shah), the so-called “nationalists,”9 have come forth with an assumed look of probity with the same intention of preserving the foreign interests with this assumed look. Muhammad Reza himself would resort to such shenanigans. He used to resort to the Qur’an, and would make pronouncements regarding freedom for men and women and

9

Shapur Bakhtiyar and members of his cabinet.

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would talk of free men and free women, but these were just his wiles. Now that “nationality” and “nation” Have gained currency, he talks of giving freedom and of shelving or augmenting (certain government plans). All of these are but his ploys and the nation should be vigilant and aware and must thwart all this trickery. I implore the Blessed and Exalted God to grant all of you, health and keep you all united. I hope that the hands of the foreign (powers) and those in collusion with them be severed from your country.

95th Speech Date: February 2, 1979/Bahman 13, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 4, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The depravity of the illegitimate monarchy and the expediency of continuing the struggle until the regime is toppled Addressees: Clergymen In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE SHAH’S BIG CRIMES During the time that I was out of Iran, I had always prayed for your well-being. And now, that I have returned in the company of the gentlemen here to be at your service, to be at the service of the clergy, to be at the service of the great Islamic scholars and the learned ones, to be at the service of the Iranian society, I see that the black-bearded friends whom I left behind have grey beards now. We knew certain individuals who were healthy and strong before they left us to go to prison. But when they came out, those who survived and had served their prison term have grown old, infirm and ill. All this lost manpower is worse than anything else. Among all the treacherous acts that the Pahlavi dynasty had committed against our society, no other acts of treason can be graver than their having destroyed our active manpower, or having rendered it inactive for a long period. Those who should have been at the service of the community, such as the great religious scholars and the intellectuals, had been taken to prison and detained for five, ten, or fifteen years. Think of all the suffering they (Shah’s cabals) have inflicted upon them, think of the inhuman acts they have done to these men of God and think of the manpower that had been destroyed and which should have been active in the society: if they were teachers, they could educate a number of people; if they were students, they could receive education; if they were involved in political activities, they could carry out political activities; if they dealt with religious activities then they could carry out their religious activities. All of this work force has been destroyed.

THE ISSUE OF THE SHAH’S “REPENTANCE” Every now and then, well, actually it was said, and is being said, that the Shah has come to repent, and has actually done so! Well, what do you (the Imam) have to say? God accepts repentance, so what else do you want to say!? Firstly, as I have reiterated time and again, repentance has certain conditions to be met and unless such conditions are fulfilled, God, the Blessed and Exalted, will not accept it. What God, the blessed and Exalted accepts unconditionally are those things that are relevant to divine rights: for instance, those who did not perform the obligatory prayers, those who did not fast, those who did not perform the hajj, if

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these people repent, their repentance requires no conditions and God will accept it. However, if (his offence involves the trampling of) the people’s rights, his repentance will not be accepted unless he compensates for them. You claim that this person (the Shah) has repented. I assume that it is true- will he accept to return the wealth that he had stolen from the people and expiate all the iniquities, such as the plundering that he had committed? Assuming that he does such a thing and that he possesses wealth to compensate for the loot he has taken- the nation’s wealth cannot be given back to the nation to compensate for what they had plundered! Everything belongs to the nation; it is not theirs. They looted and pillaged the national wealth and ran off with it and stashed it away in foreign banks.

THE SHAH’S INEXPIABLE CRIMES If we lay our hands on him, we will put him on trial. (If) we can we will bring him here and try him, that is if they extradite him, we will put him on trial in person; if they do not extradite him, then we will try him in absentia, and we will condemn him! We will retrieve the amount he has left here in Iran. Regarding his money in banks, we will announce that he has been condemned and that money belongs to the nation; the banks do not have any right to give Muhammad Reza anything that he had plundered from the people. Very well, now we will assume that he has personal wealth and that this personal wealth has been handed down to him as inheritance from his father; now, he uses this personal wealth to expiate for his loot. But how can he atone for the ten years of imprisonment that one has served and the manpower that has been wasted? Who can compensate for ten years or five years of prison terms of the clergy or scholars or our political dignitaries whose potentials have been wasted? That is, they were detained in a cell until their vitality and strength wasted away. These (crimes) are inexpiable! Who will compensate for one who has lost everything of his life? Who will compensate for the injury inflicted upon individuals and the pain that has tormented the hearts of the faithful, the old men, women and youth? If a human being takes the life of another, he is meted out the death punishment. If a person has killed thousands, how could he expiate for that? And these thousands were the best children of this homeland, the best children of Islam who were killed in prison cells- and whose legs were sawed off! We do not have inside information about prisons; we have but a little information. We have no knowledge of what exactly goes on and what went on with the people inside the prisons. We can only see the leg of someone from among the clergy sawed off; some had been broiled in a pan, that is, they ran electricity on the surface of something, and made the prisoner lie on it and tortured him with an electric shock. Assume that he is killed, and in expiation for it, we have taken one life; what about the other lives that have been lost in this way?

THE THESIS THAT ‘THE SHAH SHOULD REIGN BUT NOT RULE’ How can we accept the repentance of one person and say that he reigns as the king, but should not rule! What answer do we give to that old woman who has lost four of her children- just the night before she and her husband were seated around the tablecloth with their four children, and tonight there are but her and her husband! What answer do we give them? Shall we say: Let ‘His Imperial Majesty’ remain seated at the top; and on feasts, the imperial court’s religious scholars come and wish him well, together with the military officers and all the people who would take part in such ceremonies and acknowledge him as ‘His Imperial Majesty.’ And in our country, he does nothing but eating and walking about; that is, he does whatever he wants!

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We assume that his repentance is real... but we know that this (repentance) is nothing but a gimmick in order to deceive us and persuade us to allow him to reign but not rule until the time that the revolution fizzles out! Once the revolution is snuffed out, he will unsheathe his sword and sever all of your legs- that is, no religious scholar, political dignitaries, academicians or theology schools will be spared. This is a plot; it was a plot. Now, we are afflicted with another conspiracy.

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF CHICANERY You have all witnessed from the start how many different sorts of chicanery they have resorted to. They wanted to deceive. One man came forth and declared before the people: “O ulama! O great religious authorities! O ulama of the world, and what not! We had committed something and we had made a mistake; now, we regret our mistake! These very same ulama of the world and the great religious authorities that he said were like “Defiled beasts” and should be shunned;”10 the same ulama of the world that this man was referring to as worms wriggling in filth.11 This was his logic then! Now that his tail has been caught in a snare, he is playing the cunning fox and calling them the ulama of the world and the great religious authorities! Is not this anything but chicanery? This very person that was addressing the ulama of the world and the great religious authorities and (would act repentant) before the people and the nation, this same person installed a military government that very day! This person seems to take us to be very ignorant! Or, perhaps he is so stupid that he thinks that everybody is just like him! That same day, that same day and night, he held his repentance letter in one hand and a bayonet in the other and beat the people with it! Is this repentance? Can we say he has repented now? Let us accept it and assume that this man has repented- has he become pious and a Muslim? Now, after this man had said these words and before that he created the ‘conciliation government’‘conciliation government’ is the same one which had shed the blood of a crowd of people and the youth. With this “conciliation” of theirs, now they have installed another one to run the country. Of course, it was not him who did it, it was America! All our misfortunes are rooted in America, in the USSR and in Britain. Now, they have brought another one12 at the helm, armed with “nationalism and freedom-seeking” slogansthe same freedom-seeking slogans that this wretched man was blabbering about saying “free women and free men” and the freedom that they would grant! That same freedom that he said he had granted the nation, while machine guns, cannons and tanks were behind him.

DIVINE GRACE UPON OPPRESSORS AND TRAITORS?! Mister, the government is one that has derived from and that has its origin from a dethroned king- a king that is a traitor; a king that is the son of Reza Shah, who formed a Parliament at bayonet point. This much we remember that the Parliament that was established was formed at bayonet point. When a parliament is formed through the coercion of the bayonet, is it a legitimate one? This is one reason is that this man’s monarchy is illegal. Another reason that his monarchial rule is illegal is to say that the monarchy is a “divine grace” based upon the Constitution, which is sheer nonsense. It is an absurdity to say that the monarchy is a divine grace that the nation grants to “His Imperial Majesty”. 10 11 12

Quoted from the Shah’s speech delivered on May 27, 1963/Khordad 6, 1342 SH. Quoted from the Shah’s speech delivered on March 14, 1963/Esfand 23, 1341 SH. Shapur Bakhtiyar.

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Supposing that it is “divine grace,” What does it mean then to say, “The nation grants it”? How can it be possible that God bestows his divine grace to an oppressor?! How can God, the Blessed and Exalted, confirm someone who has annihilated multitudes of Muslims, and has committed all these treacherous acts against Islam and Muslims?! Bestow His grace upon him? Or, favor him? Even if we relinquish this idea and (believe that the monarchy) is a divine grace that the nation has granted to someone; this very same nation that you are now witnessing is saying “No!”; so that nullifies it! This nation had never granted it. You say that it has. The nation has never wanted them (the Pahlavis); Reza Shah came to power through coercion and formed the Parliament at bayonet point and the succeeding Parliaments in the same way. When was the Parliament ever “our” Parliament? This very same wretched man13 himself said that the Parliaments they formed were originated from the embassies and lists (of members) were brought to him! But now (he is saying that) it is no longer this way! Now, the country has become very powerful. This is not the case anymore! He is making a fool of himself! If one of the members of the Parliament that we now have- the Parliamentary assembly and the Senate- steps forward and declare that he is the nation’s (elected) representative we will take him by the hand to the very same people that he claims he is a representative of and will ask them if he really is their representative. They do not even know who he is! He is the representative of Muhammad Reza Khan! The (foreign) embassies have told him to designate these representatives. What sort of government will spring from such a Parliament which holds no legitimacy and whose monarch holds no legitimacy? Will a (legitimate) government be born out of an illegitimate monarch and Parliament?! Just recently, this man14 referred to this very same Parliament as illegal prior to his designation and appointment to his present position and said that it was from the Rastakhiz Party15 and was therefore illegal. Why is he now saying that it is legal!

THE PUNISHMENT METED OUT OF AN ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT If a person illegally holds a position at the helm of the government, it is a punishable offence. If a representative occupies a seat at the Parliament without being elected by the people, and wants to get involved in managing the affairs, it is a punishable offence. Punishment must be meted out to all of these people. Such circumstances prevailed in Iran and are still prevailing. Now, that vicious creature (the Shah) has gone, his moribund remnant has remained here and is saying the same words and nonsense. Now they want to deceive us by saying that they will accept whatever the nation says and will never pass over

13

The Shah.

14 15

Shapur Bakhtiyar. The Shah had ordered various parties to be formed such as the Mardom Party, the Milliyin Party and the Iran Novin Party. In 1974 (1353 SH) however, he announced that the Rastakhiz Party was to be regarded as the country’s only legitimate party and he made membership of it obligatory. He demanded that anyone who was opposed to this party should leave Iran! The Rastakhiz Party was established based on three principles: allegiance to the constitutional law; allegiance to the monarchical regime; and allegiance to the Shah-People Revolution. Hoveyda, the Prime Minister of the day, was elected as Secretary General of the Rastakhiz Party and ‘Rastakhiz’ became the focal attraction for those who sought power or influence. No sooner had this party been established than Imam declared its illegality according to religious law. He thus issued a religious decree forbidding anyone to become a member of this party and he argued that to demand compulsory membership was a violation of the Constitution. On the party’s first birthday following its establishment, the regime announced that this party enjoyed a membership of twenty-three million people; the total population of Iran at that time was thirty-three million people! The Shah forbad the party’s members to discuss or hold meetings about oil, the White Revolution, the procurement of arms and equipment, and the country’s foreign policy. Six months after its establishment, high-officials of the American embassy in Iran reported to Washington that this party played no practical role in the politics of Iran. Refer to Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran, p. 257.

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whatever the nation dictates and that they will obey the nation and will uphold freedom! If you (the Shah) really obey the nation, well, this is the nation; this is what the Iranian nation wants, except ten, twenty, fifty or perhaps a hundred club-wielding hooligans whom you had ordered to be paid, I mean those whom you pay and unleash them upon the people. Or the family of the employee who was under the (regime’s) supervision and who came forth, shouting slogans so vulgar that they themselves were ashamed16 to hear them! Those were the slogans of that regime and these are slogans of our nation. Have these been said at bayonet point!? Aren’t they the nation?! Aren’t these people who are all shouting “Death to this monarchy!” and “Death to this man!” the Iranian nation? Have all of them entered from across the borders with false identity cards? Have all these men entered with false identity cards? Do all these people (marching) here every day hold false identity cards? Do all of these people of the villages and cities, who are crying out that they do not want this corrupt monarchy, come from across the borders with false identity cards? They (the government) should desist from this. If they really feel compassion for the nation, they should step aside.

TURMOIL AND UNREST CAUSED BY THE AGENTS OF THE ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT You saw the multitude of people yesterday; and today throngs of people came all the way from this side of the city to as far as Beheshte-Zahra (cemetery), all this huge crowd! Is it against the law? Is it an infringement of justice? Are they doing something wrong? Say so, if they are. Why do such things sometimes occur? It occurs because the government agents who are not part of this multitude realize that they cannot stand within this crowd because they will be swept off by it. Then, there will no longer be unrest or perturbation; marches will be peaceful; people’s movement will be peaceful; everything will be peaceful. But then the agents enter the scene: and when they enter the scene, they have orders to “Beat up the people, go ahead break their doors, chase them and bash them with your rifles and all sorts of things!” You (the government) step aside. If you want stability in the region and if you want Iran to have stability and peace, you step aside and we will set things right. You are obstructing the region, or this nation, or this country from becoming peaceful; you are causing all this unrest! You have let loose thieves here and they are looting and bludgeoning the people. You have reduced Najafabad to utter ruins. You have indulged in an unrestrained killing spree massacring people in Tabriz, Qum, Tehran, Qazvin and all the cities, the names of which I cannot name one by one, and have created this maelstrom. You have caused all this (pandemonium). If you step aside and leave the people alone, they will not fight you; the people are peace loving and they are Muslims. They know that Islamic rules do not allow these actions. Step aside. Start from tomorrow. Relinquish your post. You are of the common people; you are not a prime minister or a Parliamentarian or anybody else. You are ordinary person like the rest of the people, because your post is not an official one. You are an ordinary person, though you are a usurper, we say that you have been compelled to commit all these misdeeds. I say that you have been coerced, because the same people and governments, which were supporting the Shah, were also supporting this man. They (America) dispatched (an emissary)17 for what? They say in order to support this man here. They told the army to support this

16 17

It refers to the demonstration staged by supporters of the Constitution; referring to America and Bakhtiyar. General Robert Ernest Huyser (1924–1997) was a four-star general in the United States Air Force who served as Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command (DCINCEUR) from 1975 to 1979; and as Commander in Chief, Military Airlift Command (CINCMAC) from 1979 to 1981. He came toTehran on a top-secret mission on Dey 14, 1357 SH/January 4, 1979 to thwart impending success of Islamic Revolution. Huyser departed Iran on February 3, 1979, two days after Imam Khomeini returned from France and called

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government. If he is a nationalist one, which is impossible because America tramples upon nationalism as it has done so in the past- if he were a nationalist, America would never confirm him nor would Britain. Now, suddenly they have become nationalists whose hearts bleed for the people’s welfare. But no, aren’t all these that they are committing, the same plundering, the same treachery and the same shenanigans that Muhammad Reza Khan would resort to? Now, this chicanery is meant either to reinstall that puppet, or to keep these half-dead governments, the monarchial regime, and such inanities, perhaps because of having grown despondent of him.

THE MONARCHIAL REGIME IS AGAINST THE LAW AND WISDOM The monarchial regime has never been in conformity with wisdom from its very inception. It is against the law and against the constitution! It is stipulated in the constitution and human rights charter that each nation should determine its destiny, meaning that at the present time, we should take our destiny in our own hands. It is not within our right to determine the destiny of our descendants. Our descendants will live after us; they will have their own destiny, which they should hold in their own hands; not in yours or mine. If “monarchial regime” means that a monarch should himself be (i.e. the king), and the nation designates him to be so, this regime is not monarchial; he is a monarch that is designated by the people to be the king. However, assuming that our people designate the king and his successor, your destiny is in your hands. You made the king your ruler because you were living during that time. Very well; but what right do you have to designate someone’s successor to rule over somebody else? What right do our fathers have to determine our destiny? The monarchial regime does not conform to the constitution or the human rights; therefore, it should not exist. The monarchial regime is corrupt, all of it. Assuming that it is a just one, still it is not in congruity with human rights. The situation in the country has hitherto been an indescribable, nameless hodgepodge of events. We are at a loss for words to name it. Actually, it is not known what it is. Let us call the country a constitutional one; but this is not constitutional, it is dictatorial. But the regime is not dictatorial.

THE GRAVITY OF THE CURRENT SITUATION OF IRAN I would like to inform you, gentlemen and the nation of Iran that our country has entered a critical situation that has plunged this nation between life and death. Either we remain captives forever and let Islam and the religious laws fall prey in the hands of the depraved clique, or we attain victory with our own hands. Our affairs vacillate between these two premises. Any individual member of the nation who declines to join these is a traitor. It is tantamount to treachery against Islam; he is betraying Islam and the country. If we do not grab these people by their coat tails and fling them out of the arena, they will bring the Shah back and all our resources will be handed gratuitously to America and the foreigners. And now that they have understood that Islam, Muslims and the clergy are the forces obstructing them, this time, God forbid, if they regain dominance over the country, nothing will be left of the clergy or Islam. When the situation reaches this critical point, who will oppose (them) ? Who can remain silent? Silence means acquiescence. The traitor is the silent one. Today is not the day that you should sit in your homes and tell yourself that my duty now is to go, for instance, to my shop and then come back, or go the mosque and then come back, or for the expulsion of foreign military advisors. In his memoir Mission to Tehran, Huyser called the mission “one that started with desperation and disunity and ended in disaster.”

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preach at the pulpit and then come back home. Today is not that day. If that were the case, then I would be in Qum busy with my studies and discourses and learning from the ulama. Gentlemen, this time it is different!

UPHOLDING JUSTICE IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES The present time is a matter of importance. It is an important issue for which life has to be sacrificed. It is as important as the one for which the Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Husayn) had immolated his life; as important as the one for which the Prophet of Islam strived for twenty-three years, and as important as the one for which Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him’ fought Mu’awiyah for eighteen months while the latter lay claims on being Islamic, and because he was a tyrant, he was an oppressive entity that had to be toppled. He lost so many of his great companions, and also killed so many (of the enemy). What for? In order to uphold the truth; in order to uphold justice. We must uphold justice. It is not an excuse to say that we possess no power; the nation is our power- this nation which stood before tanks with their fists and were killed. We, of course, hold them in high esteem and send them benediction. We will also get killed, God willing. This is not a time to keep silent; this is a time to take action. No one in any position or of any status should remain silent. This outcry of the peopleyou can see how loudly men and women are crying out.18 These are your support, may God reward your endeavors. If it were not for them, we would have never taken a single step. They are the driving force that makes us take action.

A MESSAGE TO THE ARMY I am telling the army that we want your welfare. We are not (saying) we do not want the army to be in this world; we are telling you not to be servants, not to have these foreign advisers or Israeli officials ruling over you. This is what we are saying. This is our logic. We are crying out that we want independence; we want military independence. Our military does not have independence. This is our cry. Gentlemen (of the army) we are saying that we want you to be your own ruler, to be independent. But then here comes somebody, say the army or a certain general or a fellow (i.e. a military official) resisting us! And their resistance means that they do not want to rule and that they wish to be servants! We want you to be real gentlemen! We are crying out and striving to make you real gentlemen. Some of these people who are, were and have become, devoid of any human nature, are saying that they do not want to be (free and independent)! We definitely have to be under the control of American and Israeli military advisers!

DEPENDENT ECONOMY We are saying that we have to set our economy right. You (the people) saw how those people in position, those involved with the monarchy, the government, and the like devoured the people’s assets. They pushed the economy backward. They have afflicted the nation with difficulties, and we are heedless. Now, we do not have any agriculture. Our resources would have been depleted had this man (the Shah) stayed in power a few more years. Iran would be reduced to a country with no resources, a country without anything. Oil is our resource- and they have plundered all of it and yet at the same time would declare that the oil would be depleted within ten or twenty years! And then what shall we have when all the oil is exhausted? Many 18

Referring to the sound emanating from outside the place where Imam was delivering his speech and where people were shouting slogans and demonstrating.

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promises are being made, of course. One promise is that he would industrialize the country! Which industry have you established? You have erected these steel mills in order to bring in a Soviet clique to rule over you! You did not do anything. You got and brought everything here, pieced them together- an assembled commodity! Your “industry” is no real industry. We have neither agriculture, nor culture.

A COLONIAL AND SUBSERVIENT CULTURE Gentlemen, they (monarchial regime) have dissipated our manpower. Our culture is a colonial one that had retarded the growth of manpower. They want to confine it within certain limits and never let it grow. They do not allow any manpower development. When I was in France, people from around would come to me; for instance, a few gentlemen working at an atomic power plant from Germany came several times and brought up some issues saying that they (Shah’s regime) would not let these gentlemen understand anything. They had dispatched a few hundred people and wanted to construct an atomic power plant for themselves. They also added that the Shah’s regime would not let them learn anything. Moreover, they stated that the plant they are constructing is deleterious to the country. Those who were working there had told us that this project was damaging to the country; it puts the country in peril! To whatever place you point your finger, you will see the name of Muhammad Reza Khan and his treachery written on it! The marks of Muhammad Reza and his treasonous acts are imprinted on whatever part of the army you put your finger on, on the American advisers who came here, on the culture and its retarded state, and on our agriculture. They have gratuitously gifted our verdurous pasturage to so and so, and then termed it “nationalization!” By “nationalization,” they mean dishing out one vast pastureland, which is said to be the most fertile one, to the Queen of England and to some others associated with her! Our pastureland is decimated, or given away to spongers. Our jungles were doled out to some others. By “nationalization”, they mean severing popular involvement in affairs and endowing land to foreigners!

CONTINUATION OF THE STRUGGLE: A RELIGIOUS AND LOGICAL NECESSITY We cannot imagine the treacheries they had committed against us. If, God willing, a just regime comes to power, if accountability is to be determined, and a free pen to jot down at least what they have plundered, we will then understand what issues these newspapers are involved in that we have no knowledge of, and what problems these people living in isolation know of that we do not. They have driven the country into non-existence. It is rationally and religiously incumbent upon us at this moment in time to follow up this matter and bring the movement that has taken root in Iran to fruition. Let us sever the hands of the foreigners off the national treasury, off religious matters and put an end to the repression that has plagued us, and which was quite severe. Let us root out repression and make the country our very own, run it and build it. “We cannot manage the affairs of the country?!”19 Do we have to steal? Do we surely have to be thieves in order to run the country? We have so many sincere and educated people living abroad and inside the country, who are well versed in all aspects and have been educated abroad, who are knowledgeable and trustworthy. We will oust one thief and replace him with an honest person. Will the country be in shambles?! “No, the issue of transition should take place legally!” They are so ignorant that they do not understand that the issue is that of the revolution; it is not one regime replacing another! The issue is revolution. These statements do not have room in a revolution. The revolutionary council or the one who initiated the

19

Allegations made by Bakhtiyar.

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revolution can accomplish this task. The same events have repeatedly occurred in the world. The Iraqi regime, for instance, or the Afghan regime, which has recently come into existence in Afghanistan, was typical of a revolution and the world acknowledged it. It was brought neither by a popular vote nor by anything else. “No, in a revolution war has to be waged.” We have been fighting for two years. The people have confronted the firearms of the regime with cold weapons and their fists. Do warring parties have to be of equal strength! What nonsense are they talking about?!

ADVICE TO THE ARMY AND THE GOVERNMENT I advise the army to be in solidarity with the nation. It is to your and the country’s benefit that you be united with the nation. The country belongs to you; the nation belongs to you and you belong to the nation. Be the nation’s servants. Desist from committing wrongdoings that some hooligans among you used to do. Repent. God accepts repentance and so does the nation. Your crime is not that serious that the nation does not accept your repentance. The crime you have committed is of a different nature. Return to the nation’s embrace. A group (among you) has already done so. An honorable group (of military men), namely military personnel from Isfahan, Tehran, Hamadan, Khorasan and other places, have joined the nation and declared that it is in agreement and solidarity with the nation. You also do the same. There is nothing to it. I also have a piece of advice to the government: Hey, you mister (Bakhtiyar) you are but an ordinary person; step down before you lose your face! (He says,) “I won’t budge due to my obstinate streak!” Why should a human being be obstinate and toy with the destiny of one nation and flout (the nation’s plea) only because “I am a Lori20, so I am a stubborn one.” Do you have to be slapped on the nape before you step out of the scene? Come forth and repent like a human being. Acknowledge the truth in the nation’s words. It is the nation’s command that should, and will, prevail. I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to grant you success. I hope that God bestows health upon you and make us succeed so that we can serve you and you can serve God. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

96th Speech Date: February 3, 1979/Bahman 14, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 5, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Enmity of power-mongers toward Islam; the expediency of the coalition of the ulama and all the strata of the people Audience: The clergy In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

20

Someone from Lorestan Province; Lors are quite known for being an obstinate lot and Bakhtiyar, being of Bakhtiyari descent, hailed from Lorestan.

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THE DISTORTION OF ISLAM I must thank the ulama and the learned ones. The nation is indebted, primarily, to the ulama, and secondly, to the rest of the social strata for its victory. You, the ulama, as it is your duty to be the leader of the nation, should be in the vanguard of the society’s affairs; purge the nation of its impurities. Thank God, you have risen to uphold the (Islamic) cause. On behalf of the honorable nation of Iran, I am thanking you. May God protect and bestow power upon the clergy, who are the nation’s reserve and support. Your and Islam’s enemies have introduced you and Islam in a bad light. The adversaries of humanity and religions comprehensively say that religion is aimed to be the opium for the people and the nation! Because they have understood that it is the religiosity and the clergy resisting them, they have stood in opposition against and have, since ages ago, attacked these two forces. They have lashed out at Islam, which is the greatest force, in a bid to introduce it in the worst possible light. They took efforts to propagate that Islam, if ever it was anything, it was merely a prayer or incantation! It was nothing but a human being-God ritualistic relationship as it is with Christianity. It is the same in Christianity; it has been distorted. The Christianity that Jesus Christ had brought cannot be like this. They opposed Islam and all other religions and counted them as the opium of humanity, i.e. something that the wealthy clique and ruffians had fabricated to tranquilize the people and silence the masses with empty promises. They had aggrandized this publicity to such extent that later it has been given to us in another form.

COLONIAL THESIS: SEGREGATION OF RELIGION AND POLITICS The issue of the segregation of religion and politics is an issue that was colluded with so much deceit and chicanery that even we have been deluded! Even the term “political clergy” is a word of abuse in our circle! (It is disgraceful to say) that so and so is a political clergy! Whereas in reality these gentlemen themselves have perused in authoritative supplications which state that men of politics are servants.21 Nevertheless, this chicanery has been inculcated so expertly that we ourselves have been deluded into believing that religion is separate from politics. A clergy goes up the pulpit (preaching) while the king is busy with his plundering! It is sufficient to know for anyone who has studied Islam and the glorious Qur’an that these two educate a society in all (respects).

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ISLAMIC PRECEPTS AND HUMAN LAWS There is a difference between Islamic tenets and other laws extant in this world- I am not referring to divine laws, which are not observed now, and have remained unheeded to, as Islam has been. Islam and that which had been handed down to man from God differ from those laws made by man. One fundamental difference lies in the fact that man-made laws took only one weak aspect into consideration. For instance, man has legislated laws that are concerned with the maintenance of (social) order and discipline, social associations and the quality of temporal politics. Another dimension that man has overlooked in formulating laws and principles is the human element. However, when you deliberate on Islam, you will see that from humanity’s point of view, it has ordered scheme and laws. Before man came to this world and even before his parents were united in matrimony, there was a plan to educate this seed (of creation) well. Islam has an organized code: how to choose a wife, how to choose a husband, what conditions and customs should be followed in marriage, conceiving a child and pregnancy. It is similar to the farmer who takes care of seeds after sowing 21

Referring to a phrase mentioned in Ziyarat-i Jami’at al-Kabirah in the Mafatih al-Jinan, p. 370.

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them making sure that the soil is just right and the water healthy; he sees to it that they ripen at the right time taking care to comply with the norms of plant cultivation, so that it grows right. Similarly, Islam commences with man’s education even before his father and mother get married. It aspires to maintain an earth that is salubrious and pure; a righteous wife should choose a spouse of humane qualities; other norms will have to be conformed to until the time the child is born. Thereafter it is incumbent upon the mother to observe the customs regarding pregnancy and nursing the child, after which the father takes the responsibility of bringing up the child and of relevant disciplinary norms that ensue. No human laws undertake the responsibility of any of these issues. This matter is exclusive to the laws of humanity. Another human aspect that has been neglected by other existing laws is the principle of self-edification- expediency because man is a humane creature that seeks to be divine. The Qur’an is a book that seeks to develop man, and Islam is a school that aims to make man in all aspects, not only to make him a material being but also a divine one. Islam considers all the facets of human life. Other principles and laws in the world have not outlined these issues like Islam does. Anyone can be brought up in any manner he wants: He should not just go hollering in the public market- he will be detained for it- but he is free to do anything that he pleases in the privacy of his home! One’s privacy and what one does in it is of no concern of theirs. It is no business of anybody’s! Islam, however, encompasses every aspect (even) one’s privacy; it takes care of man when he is alone, when accompanied by someone, and so on in similar cases.

THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF ISLAM One aspect of human life in this material world is that man wants to establish social associations; he wants to establish a government in this material world; he wants to establish other places that concern his materiality. Islam considers these aspects, too. So many verses and narrations on politics have been recorded that have not been narrated in matters of worship. You consider fifty odd books on jurisprudence, about seven or eight books concern worship, the rest relate to politics, societal affairs and social associations and issue of this nature. We have put aside all these and have concentrated on only one weak aspect. They (government) have introduced Islam to us in such a bad light that we found ourselves believing that Islam did not have anything to do with politics! Politics belongs to Caesar and the pulpit to the clergy! They do not even allow us to occupy the pulpit! Islam is a religion of politics; it includes a government. You read Hazrat Amir’s book and his directive22 to Malik al-Ashtar and see what it is. See what commandments concerning wars and politics from the Prophet and the Imam Ali (as) had been stated. We have these resources but we do not possess the competence to utilize them. Resources exist and we have everything, but we lack the competence to use them. It seems Iran has everything but it is given away to the foreigners. We have very rich books and traditions that cover everything but they have been badly introduced, i.e. by the experts.

STUDIES MADE BY THE COLONIZERS IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES Since the time that Europe opened its gates to Asia and the Orient, experts congregated and investigated. They were vigilant but you and I were in deep slumber in schools! They delved into study; they put every inch of Iranian land under scrutiny; they had a map of every spot where there was oil, or copper. They came into these waterless and barren deserts on the back of camels. They explored the oil reserves and sites, and

22

Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter 53.

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whatever (rich) spot they located, they put in record. Their studies about us revealed that the thing that could hinder them was belief in and service to Islam. From thence on, they attacked Islam, segregated it from everything, even from the nation of Islam and the servants of the Qur’an some of whom could not be made to comprehend that Islam was a religion of politics. Perhaps they saw it as a shortcoming of Islam! Islam has system of sovereignty- not like this monarchial sovereignty now. It has a government; it has leadership and a caliphate. The Prophet of Islam established a government. Hazrat Amir had a government, a governor, a commander and others of this kind. They had an army and military rules and regulations. They had everything. We had delved into a study of all this, but because it has been so distorted for us, and we were always hushed into minding our own business and were told to just say our prayers, and were constantly told “what business is it of yours what we are doing; it is none of your business, it is none of your concern” that our task was reduced into congregating to mourn!

THE COLONIAL CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE CLERGY Experts (from the West) have observed the people’s temperament; they discerned that the eastern temperament, especially that of the Muslims and for that matter Shia Muslims, was characterized by high esteem and advocacy of the clergy. They thought of how they could separate the people from the clergy. They hatched plots to sully the clergy’s reputation among the people. Majority of you were not living during the time of Reza Shah, but I, the people of my age, and the older men were living during his reign. Based on a conspiracy concocted abroad, they had subjected the clergy to measures so repressive that the latter could not even breathe. The people’s ideas of the clergy were such that they would not even give a clergyman a ride in their automobiles! They had dissociated the clergy from the people. However, their plot was a complete fiasco. They did whatever they wanted, but God is the best of plotters.23 However, their conspiracy succeeded in one aspect in that they could dissociate the clergy from the university. A clergy was not allowed to speak about the university, even among ourselves. I know of no one (who has ever gone to a university.) University people would also think of the clergy as pernicious creatures that the British had dumped here! I myself was a witness of an incident. Once I was traveling by bus with two respectable gentlemen from Qum several years ago. There were others riding in the bus with us. One of them was telling the other: “It is ages I have not seen any of these figures.” He was referring to us. Then he added, “The British have brought them and have sent some in Najaf in order to deviate the people.” From the university people’s point of view, the clergy either was a courtier or tied up to the British! From your (clergy’s) point of view the academicians were, well, I do not know, (westernized)! They have sowed the seeds of discord among the nation; they separated some people from the others and took advantage of this separation.

NATION’S SOLIDARITY: ORIGIN OF THE SHAH’S DOWNFALL You witnessed how the various social strata formed in this short period a coalition that God had caused. This coalition and unity of expression between the material and spiritual wings, between the ulama of Islam and other classes from whatever clan they may be had caused a nation to rise up in rebellion. This unity of expression that the nation had adhered to and caused the nation to rise, defeated all the world’s superpowers, tanks, and cannon.

23

Qur’an, 3:54

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All of you know Muhammad Reza, the things they would say about him; he would eulogize himself and he was powerful, too. He was endorsed by a powerful man from Russia, by America, Britain, all Islamic governments, China, the superpowers and any other powers after them. And you, the nation whose everything had been plundered, have vanquished this great power barehanded and barefooted; you have risen because unity of expression was at work. You crushed the tanks with your fists. Blood prevailed over the sword. You dragged him down from his throne. He escaped and ran away but he took the wealth (of the nation) and everything we had, apparently about three billion dollars! As one writer put it, he and his family took three billion and hundreds of million.

THE THIEVERY OF THE PAHLAVI FAMILY We cannot figure out how much this family had stolen from this country. One of the things that have been reported to me concerned one of the sisters of this man (the Shah), who has a mansion somewhere; I do not remember how much, but one thing I remember is that, according to a report reaching me, five million dollars, i.e. thirty-five million tumans had been spent just to plant flowers around it! We cannot imagine it in our dreams! We cannot believe it! You do not know what they had done to this country! You do not realize how backward they had pushed this country’s spirituality. I say you do not know- I mean you do know, now you know, that is we know right now that all misfortunes, any misfortunes we have and ever had is caused by this family. A country can never attain competence unless the government is competent. A corrupt man will destroy a country. We witnessed how this corrupt man whose name is Muhammad Reza Pahlavi would designate a minister; he would choose someone who was corrupt like himself! Anyone who is willing to steal, that is thieves are cronies of thieves! Thieves are never friends of the holy. When he designated a parliament representative, he chose one of his own kinds. The selection of representative was not in the discretion of the people. People never had any freedom during these fifty years (of Pahlavi rule). Nothing was related to the people, not one single representative, or parliament or government. Everything depended on the foreigners. When they had singled out this depraved man, they put him at the helm of the country, imposed him upon the country until it lost everything. Then he would constantly eulogize himself and would make the radios and the presses do the same. He made it mandatory for everyone to eulogize him!

AN EXAMPLE OF THE CORRUPTIONS AND CRIMES OF THE REGIME Consider his so-called “land reform” program. “Land reforms” that they commended, praised, and publicized so much caused nothing but the mendicancy of the farmers and the decimation of agriculture. Now, if the nation joins hands, it might be able to restore our agriculture to its original state. They have created a market for America, which either burns or dumps its (surplus) wheat into the sea; and if it ever it gives (its surplus wheat), it gets money in turn! It gives (its wheat) and gets foreign exchange. Some market they created! You do not have anything. They say that all of Iran’s agriculture is sufficient for only some thirty odd days! An Iran whose one province such as Azerbaijan or Khorasan could provide food for the whole country with surplus that can be exported, yet they say we have enough only to last thirty odd days! Where do we get the rest? We get it from Israel, from America or from other places. All this depredation was brought about by this despotic man who had written a book about his mission to his country stating in it that he had come to serve his country!! I say he is right! He had a mission to “serve” His country, which is to deprive it from everything! He had a mission to sever this country from everything, and to devastate

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its spiritual force. The greatest blow this country had suffered is the corruption of the force of the young generation. They lured them toward wine shops or cinemas, or took them to wilderness where they constructed centers of corruption and spread it. They did not spare one single decent youth for us. The greatest blow that this country had suffered is the dissipation of its manpower. Now the impact of this ruination has yet to surface. Some “service” He rendered! Some “service” to the country! He completely destroyed its agriculture and its culture and divested it of everything. If we had a culture, we would not be plunged into this misfortune. If only we had cultural luminaries, but were they independent? Culture must be independent. But will they ever allow such things? Would the intelligence organization allow such crookedness be straightened out?

THE OSTRACISM OF THE CLERGY FROM POLITICS AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS They had ruined the economy. If the nation had given him a deadline, he would have exhausted its oil within ten or fifteen years... but he left to do his own business! What has it (America) given in exchange for the oil? It has given us weapons! What weapons?! Modern weapons that the Iranian technocrats cannot understand what they are, and how they should use them! And why has it brought these weapons here? So that America will have a base in case, it starts a fight with the Soviets. It got our oil and, in return, it constructed a base for which it would be willing to give a country millions of dollars to let it construct such a base for itself! It takes our oil and builds bases for itself. This is our predicament. Then should not the clergy interfere with politics? Should the clergy keep silent about all this? And if a clergy dares to say something, he will be branded as a “political clergy”? America took everything we had. It had sullied and completely ruined the clergy’s image among the people. It separated the clergy from the modern intellectuals and bled them dry of their potentials. You were also divested of everything you had. If this movement did not possess any attribute, but it brought with itself the loftiest fruit that we could ever get, which was having a good theology studentacademician relationship. Only if they (regime) let it remain. Only if they allow it to live on! Strive to keep it! The key to your priority, the key to your victory is unity of expression. If they take this unity of expression from you, the same old bondage and plundering will prevail. It is not the same as before when you used to have an excuse that you could not do anything. Now you have realized that you can. You have a force and the nation is with you. You have a force in every city and village. Each day that you wish to accomplish something, the people will pave the way for your force to advance. Be together and form an assembly. Be accomplished and safeguard your unity of expression. Now they are trying to pit you against each other and take advantage of this. You should not allow this to happen. You must not allow their ruses to be put to work. That wicked man (the Shah) would do it until the time he left, and now this evil man24 is doing it.

THE NATION’S LEADER IS THE NATION’S SERVANT I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to grant you all success. I came back from abroad to serve you. I am your servant; I am the servant of the nation. I came in order to safeguard your chivalry. I came to topple your enemies. I came in order to make the nation independent, and if a government is to be founded then let it be an independent one. I came in order to sever foreign interests off our country. I came in order to

24

Shapur Bakhtiyar.

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expose the true image of these people who call themselves “nationalists” and what not, and who talk of “constitutional law” and such and such names but who actually want to bring back the same old problems. May God grant you success and familiarize us with our responsibilities.

97th Speech Date: February 3, 1979/Bahman 14, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 5, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The deceit of American agents in the guise of nationalism; Islamic rule Audience: Members of the Committee of Welcoming Ceremonies In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I do not know how I can ever compensate for all the efforts you have taken. I have not performed any service that merits your satisfaction. And I implore God to grant us the honor to be able to serve this country and the Islamic tenets. Safeguarding American interests with slogans of “nationalism” Today is the day that the phase we have toed reaches a sensitive stage in a way that has engendered a divine task for all of us. We are all duty-bound at this stage, which is a matter of life and death, from the very beginning up to the end, not to ever be negligent. One person’s negligence may prove to be costly. Now is the time that chicaneries are underway and they want to toy with the Iranian nation and us in any way possible. Today, once again they are saying, “We want to give freedom, we want to give you this and that, so please give us time!” The same words the Shah would say, the same ruses the Shah would resort to, but to which we never listened, are being asseverated by his servant.25 They want to bring back the same power; they are the servants of America; these people want to safeguard American interests in the name of nationalism, in the name of Islam, in the name of tribalism, in the name of the nation, and in the name of service; they want to give away your resources to the foreigners; they want you to be in captivity.

IN THE PATHWAY OF REACHING AN ISLAMIC RULE Now is a time that negligence is tantamount to self-destruction and suicide. We should not be negligent (of our duties); this movement must be perpetuated. Streets should be packed with crowds of people. With awareness, all the people should take to the streets and excise this rotten core (of power). Almost nothing of it is left except a tiny fragment- something insubstantial- and with the perseverance of you, the Muslim people and the persistence of the Iranian nation this too must be eradicated completely for us to achieve an Islamic rule, a just government, and a government wherein your interests will be neither usurped nor doled out to foreigners. This is the kind of government we want: an Islamic national government, a republic that is reliant upon the popular vote to be cast by the people in a free election unlike these past fifty years when nobody was free in anything; unlike these last thirty years when all of us were held in captivity and plunged into misery and suffering; our interests, the (resources) that we had, our treasury house was plundered and everything in it was devoured. Even now, our treasury money exists as a deposit in foreign banks in the

25

Shapur Bakhtiyar.

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name of Muhammad Reza Khan and his family and those who are related to him. All our wealth has been plundered. They impoverished a nation and then left and escaped.

UNITY OF EXPRESSION: THE KEY TO VICTORY We would like to express our gratitude to you, young people, for rising at this moment in time with all your power and might, with determination and divine will. You relinquished all your own affairs and pursued this great task, which is incumbent upon all of us. The key to your victory is your unity of expression and your striving after one goal. Now all the nations, that is the Iranian nation in every city, every village and hamlet is pursuing the same goal: not the annihilation of the Shah, or the destruction of this regime or the extirpation of the usurping government but the establishment of an Islamic rule and an Islamic republic which will be so, God willing. I would like to thank all of you gentlemen who have taken efforts, and these efforts have all been for your own servant. I am your servant. I want you all to be endeared. I am the nation’s servant. I want the nation to be proud and independent, not like today when everything we’ve got came from another place; and all our political affairs are devised; likewise our economic affairs are drawn up by somebody else; and our cultural affairs are programmed by somebody else; our military is controlled by somebody else- that is, by foreign advisers. I want you all to be independent and crush and hurl these remnants which have remained of colonialism and which are plundering the treasury in the name of “nationalism.” God willing, the establishment of an Islamic rule is nigh.

98th Speech Date: February 5, 1979/Bahman 16, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 7, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The ideals of the Iranian nation; public opposition against the monarchy; imposed regime Occasion: The introduction of Mr. Mahdi Bazargan as the Prime Minister of the provisional government Audience: More than four hundred domestic and foreign reporters I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

IRAN IN CHAOS The gentlemen present are well aware of the nation’s years of unrest. They know that all national and governmental machinery has been paralyzed, our economic situation was heading for annihilation, our cultural situation is a shamble, and universities, educational schools and the bazaars are closed; all these in addition to all the bloodshed that has taken place up to now and the mayhem in the country. They are informed of all this. Those who are responsible for these must cease fomenting chaos; and with reasoning must think and step aside.26 God willing, we will resolve all these problems with the support of the nation.

26

Referring to Bakhtiyar and his government.

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WISHING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF IMAM ALI’S (AS) JUST GOVERNMENT You, reporters, have seen that from the capital to every place your eyes can see, from large and small cities, from villages and boroughs, in every nook and corner, our nation wants and all the people with unified thought and consensus are saying that the monarchial regime, a decaying anti-morality and immoral regime, the monarchial regime of Muhammad Reza Khan has to be toppled, and with one heart and in the same direction they want an Islamic republic. Our nation is Muslim and is enthusiastic about Islam; it has experienced Islamic justice; our history has informed us about governments at the advent of Islam and has enlightened us on how these governments and the rulers had been. The Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib- who had been the ruler of a big domain, a huge country extending from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and other places - appointed a judge to arbitrate on the case of a Jew who fought Ali ibn Abi Talib and complained against him. The judge summoned Hazrat Ali, who was obliged and appeared in the presence of the judge; together they heard and deliberated on the case in which the verdict reached was against Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him; that is, the government had decided and (Hazrat Ali) abided by the decision. No such governmental situation can ever find manifestation in humanity. We wish for such kind of government- a just government which is committed to the interest of the peasants; a government which believes that it should consume stale bread lest one citizen in the country lives in misery or hunger. We want to establish such a just government.

THE ILLEGITIMATE PAHLAVI REGIME As you all know- that is, the reporters know from the information they have in their own countries, and the information that we have in our country and the events we had been witnesses of- Reza Khan staged a coup d’état and came to Tehran.27 After which he created a constitutional assembly, and handpicked the parliament members all of which he did at bayonet’s point. The nation’s discretion did not play any role, and was never taken into account in these affairs. He gathered such a horde and, at bayonet’s point, set up a constitutional assembly, which cast its vote. But this vote bore no legitimacy; that parliament was not a national parliament; and because it was not a national one, the Pahlavi monarchial regime was based on coercion and hence was illegitimate. When a regime was not legitimate, the parliaments formed thereafter were not national or legitimate. All these matters tell us that neither the present government nor the parliament is legitimate- not this parliament or that parliament.28

INTRODUCTION OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT BASED ON THE RULE OF JURISTS And because we consider the parliament and the government illegitimate, we see Iran in chaos, and so in order to put an end to this chaotic situation we are introducing a government based on the public vote, which you all see now, and you have witnessed that the public vote is in our favor and we have been recognized as an agent or as you call it the “leadership”. We are introducing the head of this government in order to form a provisional government which will not only put an end to the chaos, but also address the issue of setting up a parliamentary assembly, which is of utmost significance, and pave the way for the holding of parliamentary elections and make the preliminary preparations for such and set up the parliament. Likewise, it should see to the holding of elections during which people will elect a permanent 27 28

In principle, Iran. The national parliamentary assembly and senate assembly.

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government. The parliamentary assembly will in turn hold a referendum for the people to decide on an Islamic republic, although I believe that a referendum is not really necessary and the people have repeatedly “voted” for an Islamic republic. However, in order to end all pretexts and count all the votes, we should carry out such tasks in a free atmosphere so that the people and the whole world will know that the votes cast in a free manner by the people are cast for whom and for what regime. Therefore, we appointed a provisional government at the helm of which we have appointed Mr. Mahdi Bazargan, whom I have known personally for years, and who is a pious, religious, sincere, nationalistic man who believes in religions, and is not affiliated to any faction that is against canonical regulations. He will then appoint and introduce his ministers so that the revolutionary council, which chose him as the head of this government, can examine his cabinet ministers and, God willing, all affairs will be carried out with ease and facility. I should make you aware of another issue and that is if I have named him as the ruler, I did so based on the agency granted to me by the sacred canonical laws.

EXPEDIENCY OF OBEISANCE TO THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT He whom I have designated is to be made obeisance to; the nation must obey him. This government is no ordinary one; it is a canonical government. Opposition to this government is opposition to the canon laws and is tantamount to rebellion against religion. Rebellion against religion is meted with a heavy punishment in our laws and jurisprudence. I warn those who might entertain such an idea to sabotage it and, God forbid, stage an uprising against this government; I declare that the punishment of those elements in Islamic jurisprudence is very heavy. Rebellion against this government is rebellion against God and rebellion against God is atheism. I warn these people (Bakhtiyar’s government) to come to their senses and let this country be delivered from this anarchy; do not let this noble blood be shed and so much blood of our youth be shed anymore. Let our economy be corrected; gradually, we will put things in their right order. I implore God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant Engineer Bazargan success in carrying out this mission in the best way possible.

REPLIES TO REPORTERS’ QUESTIONS [After Imam Khomeini’s speech and the introduction of the provisional government’s prime minister, reporters asked their questions to which the Imam answered briefly. The questions and answers are as follows:] Question: [Your Eminence, the Ayatullah, said that anyone who refused to accept this government would be punished; if the military does not approve of it, what will you do?] Imam’s Answer: The military will never take such action. And if it does, firstly, the corresponding punishment will be meted out by God; secondly, the punishment that Islamic law has determined for such will be carried out should the circumstances demand so. And if, God forbid, the military did so, we would announce it. Q: [Considering the close contact that Bazargan had with you as well as with Bakhtiyar, what do you think will be Bakhtiyar’s and the military’s reaction?] Imam’s Answer: If both are sensible and want the country’s interest, their reaction will be positive; if they are traitors and want to betray the country, their affair will be with God.

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Q: [Do you think that the 1906 Constitution29 is acceptable and can serve as a framework during the transition period?] Imam’s Answer: Except from several articles that were incorporated into the constitution by coercion, the constitution holds until the time that the nation votes otherwise. [Afterward, Engineer Bazargan expressed the following in a speech]: I thank God the Almighty for conferring upon me such credibility and honor which I do not merit or have the competence for. I also would like to express my gratitude to the Iranian nation, which, as the Ayatullah has repeatedly stressed, has taken strides and raised their voices “in the name of the nation, the nation’s voice and for the nation.” This mission, that is the provisional government’s policy and the installation of a government during this difficult and perilous time is the greatest profession and responsibility and, at the same time, the greatest honor that has been conferred upon this humble servant. And perhaps, I am right in saying that it is the most difficult responsibility and task that has, so far, been granted upon any candidates and agents of other prime ministries during the 72 years history of the Constitutional Movement. In principle, considering the feebleness, inadequacy and defects that I have, I should not accept this responsibility and undertake such a mandate. However, on the other hand, I am compelled to do so on account of expediency, responsibility and natural duty, and I will tread this path, particularly, in order to follow the policy and tradition the Ayatullah has had during the period of his administration and leadership of the movement, and his resolute determination, absolute faith in God and belief in the success of the path his leadership has taken. This is the first lesson and command that I have received from the Ayatullah. Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib’s (as) commandment, to which I am duty-bound and committed, states: “When you are confronted with a grave matter and a difficult task do not ever waiver, face it and, with God’s might and power, the difficulties and problems will be resolved.” Hence, I hereby declare, with hope in God, while expressing my gratitude to the Ayatullah, the expectation of the nations of Iran and the world, that I am accepting this commitment and responsibility. I am prepared to face the dangers and take the efforts that concern me and I will fulfill all my responsibilities to the best of my abilities and take part in the crusade in the path of my beloved Iranian nation. “There is no power greater than the power of God, the Greatest.” [After Mr. Bazargan’s speech, Imam Khomeini said:] After thanking the Iranian nation, who have suffered and taken efforts during this long period and who have served Islam by shedding their blood, there is one thing I would like to inform the nation and that is the nation should voice out their opinions regarding Mr. Bazargan’s government, which is a canonical and Islamic government; they should make their opinions known through the media, peaceful demonstrations in cities, villages and wherever there are Muslims. [At the end, Mr. Hashimi Rafsanjani read the text of the decree designating Mr. Bazargan as the prime minister of the provisional government, which had been issued and written by Imam Khomeini.]30 29

The Constitution of the Constitutional Movement.

30

The text of the decree has been published during its historic course on February 4, 1979/Bahman 15, 1357 SH before the delivery of this speech.

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99th Speech Date: February 5, 1979/Bahman 16, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 7, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Unity of expression, the key to victory Audience: The ulama of Khuzestan and a group of the people In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

SAFEGUARDING THE UNITY OF EXPRESSION IS EVERYONE’S DUTY I am sending my greetings to the native people of that side (of Iran), such as Ahwaz, Khorramshahr, Abadan and other places through Their Excellencies, the great religious scholars and Islamic clergy and I want them to obey their great religious scholars in this issue, and participate in this movement, be persistent and uphold the activities taking place in the capital until the movement comes to fruition. I would like them not to shirk away from it and safeguard the unity of expression. The secret of success in toppling and annihilating a 2,500- year-old dictatorial monarchy31 is the Iranian nation’s unity of expression, which has overthrown the Shah with all the power that he possessed, but it is this power of the nation, which has made the powers supporting him such as America, the USSR, China, and Britain to withdraw their support.

THE SHAH’S INEXPIABLE CRIMES Regrettably, the Shah got away and the nation was not able to catch him and make him compensate for at least a few of the crimes he had committed. He has committed so many crimes that no human being could ever atone for and for which no punishment could be meted out. He has rendered thousands of people homeless; he has made thousands vagrant; he had committed thousands of crimes. To a certain extent, if it involves one person (killing) against another, that person can be executed (as a punishment), but against hundreds of thousands, it is not possible. His punishment should be meted out in the other world, which is eternal and the world of retribution. God willing, he will eventually be meted out the chastisement he deserves. Our duty now is to follow the path of this movement together in one unified stand and without ever expecting any rewards in this state of guidance. We should tread this path up until the end because it is for the prosperity of this nation that we be able to implement Islamic tenets and execute Islamic justice, God willing. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

31

Early in March 1976 and on the birthday anniversary of Reza Khan, the Iranian Parliament and Senate passed a bill to change the official calendar of Iran from the Islamic Solar Hijra to that of Monarchial by basing the start of the said calendar on the establishment of monarchial rule in Iran and the start of Achaemenid dynasty by Cyrus in 529 BC. The deposed Shah of the time celebrated the day by spending millions of dollars to mark the day while the impoverished citizens of Iran were living under the worst economic hardships and deprived of any sort of political activities. The deposed monarch took extreme pride in celebrating the 2,500 years of monarchial rule in Iran.

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100th Speech Date: February 5, 1979/Bahman 16, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 7, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The Pahlavi rule, the rule of the bayonet; and illegal contracts Audience: Members of the National Legislative Assembly who left their posts In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE SHAH DID NOT HEED ADVICE We advised the Shah but his arrogance prevented him from heeding our advice and things ended up the way you see them now. He did not listen to our advice and the situation boiled down to what they are now. He has gone now and he destroyed the country and left. That is, he rendered the whole country in utter ruins that there is not a single patch of land left that is redeemable. Take the agriculture for example, it is completely destroyed. Look at our culture, it is a parasitic culture. Look at the military, it is run by American and Israeli advisers and wherever you look the same situation exists.

AN AMERICAN-INSTALLED OR A MONARCHY-ORIENTED PARLIAMENT During the fifty-year period (of Pahlavi rule), we never had a legal parliament. The parliament was in no connection with the people who were not consulted on any issues. At the time of Reza Khan, I can remember and anybody of my age can remember- you cannot recall- that we did not have any parliament. Whatever we had was brought about with the force of the bayonet! You all know that during Reza Khan’s time, he himself had said that lists (deputies) were brought from (foreign) embassies. However, he would say that they used to be brought in before and not during his time! He meant that when he staged a “revolution”, the lists were not brought anymore. But the issue is that if what he was saying was right that lists would be brought in- which was true- then our parliament was an American protégé parliament; and if it was a lie and lists were not brought in, then the parliament is an imperial rubber-stamp parliament! It was not the nation’s parliament. Therefore, those people and the governments who were offshoots of such a parliament and Reza Khan’s and the imperial regime were largely illegal because the parliament was illegal. The Shah is illegal for we know that he had been imposed upon us. His father was imposed on us by the British and I myself heard it from Delhi radio, which was run by the British, that they installed him to power, but he betrayed them so they deposed him! He was not a nationalist and was then imposed upon the Allied powers. He himself had written in his book that the Allied powers believed that they had to be! But later it seemed this story was omitted from the books. We have had neither a legitimate monarch nor a legal parliament. At the time of Reza Shah, the parliament was set up at bayonet’s point. Therefore, the installation of the Pahlavi dynasty was with the force of the bayonet and not by the parliament. Hence, we do not accept all these because they are all illegal based on the fact that the Shah is illegal and that the government arising from an illegal parliament and monarch is illegal. Everything that has transpired in this country so far (has all been against the law.)

ILLEGAL CONTRACTS, AND A WARNING TO BAKHTIYAR If we take a little effort, we will discover that all the contracts that had been signed during these fifty years were against the law. That is the previous Parliament was not a national one; the government, which it

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introduced, was not borne out of the people; everything was accomplished at bayonet’s point. In other words, we lived at bayonet’s point for these fifty years and these past couple of years we have lived at bayonet’s point and with bloodshed. We lived in bloodshed. All our children are either in prison or, in exile, or have been tortured to death or have been burnt. They (executioners) would place a metal tray on which prisoners would be made to lie and then electricity would pass through their bodies and they were burnt! Such was the situation we were in! We were in such deplorable conditions. The government of this man,32 which was an offshoot of this parliament and monarch, and one that has been brought about by the force of the bayonets, is not a government until we say he should step down and resign! It is not a true government. He does not need to resign at all. Only if a government is legal the person can resign. However, if anybody comes to his senses and repent, his repentance will be accepted by God and the nation. Those who do not relinquish their posts are culpable; and are wallowing in sin in their life. Those who have abandoned their posts are absolved from blame and God accepts their repentance. I implore God to grant you success so that from now on you will be for the nation. Mister, side with the nation and advise this man (the Shah) to be with the nation. If you can, go and have a meeting with him so that mayhem will be avoided. Do not let it reach a point where we will be forced to tell the nation to attack and destroy him. We do not want things to turn out this way. We wish that the issue be resolved in a sensible manner. And since we do not recognize him as the prime minister, we have appointed a prime minister based on canonical rule and leadership.

101st Speech Date: February 5, 1979/Bahman 16, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 7, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: A warning to the army and the usurping government; the necessity of obeying the provisional government Audience: The clergy, a group of military personnel, eleven parliament members who have resigned from the national legislative assembly I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A PIECE OF ADVICE TO THE ARMY AND THE USURPING GOVERNMENT Although I am not very well, I have to say a few words. We have always wanted the people to be prosperous and lead their lives in peace. We never wished such revolution to happen; the revolution that they have brought forward, which brought sufferings for us, and abjection for them; but they acted senselessly and it happened. Had they accepted our advice, things would have not reached this point. Now we are once again advising those who are usurpers. We are advising the illegitimate government; we are advising the army to stop resisting if you want this country to attain peace and stability. Those who are occupying their posts

32

Shapur Bakhtiyar.

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illegally should leave and mind their own business. The army should also return to the nation’s embrace and the nation will accept them. If they heed this piece of advice, the problems will be resolved, the country will find peace and culture, economy and other aspects of the society will assume a definite form, little by little of course, and the rest will fall into their specific and rightful places.

THE DECIMATION OF THE COUNTRY IN THE NAME OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS Although this man, whose name is Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, is gone now, he has destroyed every single aspect of the country; he left us a country in ruins. Everywhere you look you will see a trail of destruction: the economy is a shambles; the agriculture is completely devastated; in the name of “Land Reforms” they have despoiled the agriculture and established a market for their (foreign) masters. In the name of “civilization” and “progress,” they pushed us backward and made our culture backward. They rendered conditions inside Iran execrable except the graveyards, which have flourished! That is the graveyards, which were but a few now have increased in number and have expanded. However, the country’s conditions have become deplorable. If they listen to the clergy’s advice and obey what we are saying which is for the good of the nation, things will not be the way they are now: neither will the graveyards expand further nor will the country be worse than its present state; neither will the blood of our beloved youth be shed nor will the mothers who have lost their young sons be mourning. I advise this government and the army to desist from their obstinacy. Submit to the nation’s vote (will), which you are now witnessing. The nation consists of every citizen residing in any place you call Iran, from the capital to the remotest hamlet. Go to a village and see if you find one where cries (against the Shah) are not heard. Will you find a city where people’s cries demanding independence, freedom and Islamic republic, and not wanting this regime, is not heard?

A GOVERNMENT BASED ON RELIGIOUS LAW AND COMPULSORY OBEISANCE TO IT Respect the nation’s opinion. Respect the opinion of the Islamic ulama. Respect the views of the nation’s different walks of life. Desist from further attacking the people. We have appointed a government. We have this right on both legal and religious law bases. Based on the religious law authority, which we possess, and based on the votes cast by the nation, which acknowledges us, we have appointed Mr. Mahdi Bazargan to form a government, a provisional one in order to hold a referendum that will enable us to assess the people’s votes regarding the regime. However, I do not see any necessity for this because the nation has already cast its vote through their cries. They have shouted out so loudly that they want an Islamic rule and do not want the monarchial regime. Therefore, there is really no need for it, but in order to put an end to excuses and prove that such is the case; that Iranian nation is Muslim; it does not want an anti-Islamic regime; the nation of Islam wants the rule of Islam, an Islamic government, a government of justice; to prove this, we have appointed him (Bazargan) to hold a referendum and provide the preliminary ground for us to be able to assess the public consensus. And the people, if the people have any comment on the matter, they will have the chance to express their opinion regarding this government. Tomorrow all the people everywhere in Iran, in all the cities of Iran, in Tehran and all its localities, should express their opinion regarding this government that we have appointed. They should demonstrate and let their ideas be known, or declare that they do not want an Islamic government and should voice it out that they do not want it. Or, that they believe that this appointed government which is based on the authority of the religious law should be a religious law government, not only a legitimate one. That is, religious law government that must be obeyed. It is binding upon everyone to obey this government. A similar case was that of Malik al-Ashtar, who would

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be deployed to a place and appointed by Hazrat Amir, may God’s peace be upon him. He was a ruler to whom obeisance was indispensable meaning he was divinely ordained ruler and a religious judge. We have also invested him (Bazargan) with a religious law mandate and a legal government; hence, obeisance to him is obligatory. An uprising against an Islamic government is tantamount to a rebellion against the Truth and is punishable. However, opposition to this regime or any other regime is a sin against God, but the chastisement does not mean that it is to be found in common law; contrary to a rebellion against the government. In our religious law, an uprising against a government is meted out with a customary punishment, which is very harsh. In this connection, we remind and announce to all governments, all incumbent governments, provincial governors, the gendarmerie everywhere, the army wherever it is, office employees, the prime ministry and everybody else that Mr. Bazargan has been invested with a religious law rule by me, and it is incumbent upon all to make obeisance to him. And you, gentlemen, who are men of letters and of the ulama, should enlighten the people. If you are to go somewhere, go ahead, enlighten the people, and make them understand that the issue is an issue concerning the rule of justice; the issue is that of an Islamic rule. We hope that, later on, control will devolve on you and that you appoint a parliament. For fifty years, our parliament was of the monarchy; it was not a national one. Now we want to set up a national parliament, with the people controlling it and appointing the deputies. Their destiny should be in their own hands. May God grant you health and victory and may you all stay in good health and keep your dignity, God willing.

102nd Speech Date: February 6, 1979/Bahman 17, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 8, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The role of virtuous people in the country’s reconstruction Audience: The personnel of the Navy In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

PLUNDERING OF THE FRUIT OF THE LABOR OF THE MASSES Until now, you have been at the service of the taghut. It is most unfortunate that this group, which should serve Iran and build a safe Iran for us, is at the service of someone that was endeavoring to destroy the country. For fifty years, we suffered from the rule of Reza Khan and Muhammad Reza Khan, whose treacheries during the first fifty years have escalated in the second fifty years of their rule. During these second thirty-eight years, which was the period of his rule, his treacheries have been much more than the previous rule (Reza Khan’s). This person has bled us dry. They escaped; they carted off the nation’s wealth and left. Somebody has written to me, or has informed me through a magazine, or maybe it has been sent to me from somewhere saying that one of his (Shah’s) sisters, I do not know which one, has bought a mansion at a certain price, the amount of which I also do not remember; what I remember is that six million dollars was spent on its garden flowers! Do you understand? Can it ever occur in your imagination? Can we understand what it means? Six million dollars, equal to thirty-seven million tumans, has been spent

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merely for the garden flowers of this lady’s mansion! From whose wealth did she take the money? What did her father who came to power in a coup d’état have? Nothing but a bunch of starving soldiers! It was taken from this nation’s and our wealth. They impoverished and looted this nation. His and his family’s wealth, which was in banks and was around thirty billion dollars or tumans; I’m not sure which. Three billion and some hundreds (of thousands) of dollars of those who were his followers- those field marshals and lieutenant generals, and so and so, also plundered our wealth and ran away. You, who had been serving the country, have been deprived! Those who were in top positions and were betraying (the country), those top people indulged in plundering, stealing and then ran away.

RESISTANCE OF THE BAREFOOTED PEOPLE AGAINST TANKS AND CANNONS From now on, you should be at the service of the nation. Serve your own nation. This land is yours. This country should be yours. The foreigners’ hands should be severed. How much more must America, Britain or others plunder this country? We, at some time should become alert, vigilant, observant, and regain freedom. We have to gain our right through bayonets and machine guns. They (the regime) will not grant it to us. Stand against them. You have witnessed how this nation, the barefooted ones, stood against tanks, cannons and machine guns and advanced their cause. All these superpowers were supporters of the Shah, but these barefooted masses stood up to the tanks with their bare fists, sacrificed themselves, and pushed them back, so the Shah was not able to stay here any longer; they all ran away.

RECONSTRUCTION BY MEANS OF THE UNSULLIED PEOPLE From now on, you must be more heedful and you must make your friends and comrades aware. Tell them that you want their welfare. We are crying out that the army must be independent; that is it must not be subservient (to another). This is for your own good. Or, do you like our army to be under the supervision of America, and worse than that, of Israel? The army must be reformed. You should all join hands and together correct these matters, set the country right and reconstruct it from the beginning. They (the regime) destroyed the country and then ran away, now, we must build it. What they have accomplished is that they have expanded the cemeteries! They buried all our youth and ran away. Now, we should all join hands, collaborate and build the country. Those in the army who are blameless should reconstruct it; those untainted civilians who are working in offices should rebuild the offices. The people should rebuild the bazaar; they should rebuild the agriculture. The regime had completely destroyed the agriculture. You all know that Iran was a country that exported goods. Now, people stretch their hands toward America and other places. May God protect you all. May you be successful and may God help you.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE IMAM AND SOME NAVY PERSONNEL [A person from the audience: Excuse me. We, of course, know that you are tired and we do not want to inconvenience you, but we want to bring up an issue regarding the military. We would like tell you about what you have said about our being at the service of the taghut; if God accepts us, although I have spent twenty-five years in the military and have worn the taghut3 uniform, if it is acceptable to God, then I have not been a traitor]. Imam: By “at the service of,” We mean that you (the navy personnel) were in a place where the taghut had business in and, of course, I know that in the military, the people are respectable, committed, decent and pure. We have pinned our hopes on the military, trusting that there are many who are upright. God willing,

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our country will be reformed by these people. When I said that all of you were at the service of the taghut I meant that you were working in a place where the taghut was present, not that you were their servants. God willing, you will be successful. [The same military person addressing the Imam: If you allow me, there is another issue I want to bring up and that is the fact that many people are awaiting your arrival in Qum very eagerly and they are expecting you to go there. They believe that they will find relief if your honor goes to Qum. They will be free from all the hassle.] Imam: No, tell them that I will not go until I have removed all your inconveniences. No, God willing. No! [One of the army personnel: Qum can easily be surrounded and communications be cut off.] Imam: No, be assured. I am neither from Qum nor from Tehran or any other place. I am from Iran. I am in Iran and a friend of all Iranians. [One of the army personnel: May God grant you long life so that you can rescue us from the claws of these bloodthirsty elements.] Imam: We need everybody’s assistance. Everybody should lend a hand. God willing, you will be successful. May God protect you.

103rd Speech Date: February 6, 1979/Bahman 17, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 8, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The record of the Pahlavi’s rule Audience: Exporters of agricultural dried fruits and grains In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE PLUNDER OF SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL RESOURCES Perhaps you gentlemen are better informed than I am that during these fifty years of the Pahlavi’s dark rule, this dynasty left almost nothing for Iran; that is they have destroyed its human and material resources. They have kept backward the universities that should create human resources for us, and were ordered not to allow one single accomplished and serving human being be produced in them. They gave away our underground resources, such as oil, to so and so and in exchange for it, they got something that is of no use to us; instead, they built bases for America. In other words, they gave away our oil and on the pretext that they wanted arms (to be prepared) against other governments; and using the issue of not having (military) experts in the country to deal with the issue, they said that (Americans) should be here. So that, when the USSR complains why they (Americans) have set up military bases, they can reason out that these bases belong to Iran and the arms are bought with its oil money. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that the arms were not the oil money, rather they plundered our oil and in exchange for it, they created jobs for themselves. This is one of the crimes that must be recorded in history.

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THEY LEFT IRAN WITH FULL POCKETS With the present state of the country’s economy, you will understand how and in what aspects they have ruined it. The main thing that was of value in Iran was its agriculture. Iran’s agriculture was rich and its products more than what the country needed. (Iran) should have been an exporter but instead it is an importer; everything that we need has to be brought from a foreigner, from abroad. One of our pasturelands, believed to be the finest, and which the experts had appraised to be the best in the world for raising livestock, according to what had been written to me, were given away to the Queen of England and to the company of which she was a partner. They had forbidden the jungles to the people, but they gave them to the others and the foreigners. At last, they have plunged the country into such a deplorable state that, as I have reiterated, it has been decimated, but they have developed the graveyards!! They took our youth to the graveyards, plundered our wealth, and took it abroad. And now that they have escaped, they did with their pockets full. Either he (the Shah) or anyone related to him, they all went abroad with full pockets. The country that is now in your hands is one that is in chaos. Now we have to build it. A country that has been “foreign-ravaged” should be called “war-ravaged” and “earthquake-stricken” Has to be rebuilt. Do not think that one class of people or one government can accomplish this task. Neither the traders nor the farmers can accomplish this task. Everybody should join hands in order to deliver the national human society of Iran from this oppression and affliction. Everybody should join hands and perform this national duty in order to rescue the country from the destruction it is finding itself in.

THE IDEAL ISLAMIC RULE The people, I mean the occupation, which has a major role in this task is the traders, who should do their fair share of the efforts to be taken. We should give vice and make statements and the gentlemen should take the efforts. We are not able to do other than this. We can provide the counsel and the gentlemen should take the efforts. I hope that, God willing, if we had not gained this victory now, toppling this dynasty would have been sufficient for us, but it certainly is not. We have to strive to take this movement to fruition and have here a just government in which none can ever fill their pockets (with people’s money), a government that believes it is of the nation and its servant and not its master. These governments and rulers we had always believed that the nation was their slaves. This is in contradiction to the traditions of the prophets, our ancestor, human wisdom, human rights and the international laws which they never implemented. God willing, there will be established a government that is responsible toward the nation, a parliament that is of the nation. During the last fifty years we have never had a parliament that was of us. Its deputies have always been determined by others or by the foreigners. And as Muhammad Reza Khan had admitted himself, (foreign embassies) would send the list of deputies; but even if they had not done so, the parliament members were determined through coercion. Our destiny was drawn by the (regime’s) bayonets. We hope that, God willing, our destiny will be a Qur’anic one. May God grant all of you success and enable us to serve.

SUPPORT FOR THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT [One of those present said: Thank you very much. Toeing the line of your command, if it becomes expedient, I would like to ask you, on behalf of everybody, to appoint a body like these committees or anybody else to whom we can refer to, to be in charge of this country’s exports, and with God’s power and might we can

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boost the country’s exports which have been reduced to such a deplorable state as a result of the corrupt governments.] Imam: God willing, this issue will be rectified. I chose Engineer Bazargan in order to set up a government, which is a provisional government. I know him and he is an upright man. And the gentlemen here should support him and announce it through newspapers. God willing, he will establish his government. We hope that affairs will return to their original state and, God willing, issues and problems such as these will be resolved, of course, little by little. [The same person: Thank you very much. Of course, we confirm his (Bazargan’s) appointment. As I have stated at the beginning in your presence, we would like to congratulate the nation and extend our full support for him. We will extend any assistance that we can to the best of our abilities to this incoming government that you have elected. And as you have said last night, we will do our very best to make use of the newspapers and other media that we can avail ourselves of in order to confirm our support for him.] Imam: May you be successful. [The same person: There is another matter I would like to bring up, and that is some of the gentlemen had requested us to ask the Ayatullah’s pardon if perchance they were not able to come during the few days that we wanted to hold audience with you.] Imam: I pardon everyone.

104th Speech Date: February 6, 1979/Bahman 17, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 8, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Unity of expression; Shia-Sunni fraternity; the position of the religious minorities; supporting the military Audience: Teachers and theology students of Qum’s theological center, and national airline and oil company employees I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE COUNTRY OF THE IMAM OF THE TIME (AS) I would like to thank all the social classes of the nation. I thank the nation for creating this cooperation between the nation and the government. You owe your success to the solidarity of some (groups) with others. I am thankful that the clergy have come here together with academicians, the oil company’s employees, and airline employees have announced their solidarity in this way. The clergy who are at Qum’s theological center and other holy religious centers, in the major centers of Iran- Tehran and other placesand have all united and concerted efforts in the way of Islam will be rewarded. May the Almighty God grant you dignity and greatness. May God sever the foreign hands off our country. This is the country of the Imam of the Time, may God’s peace be upon him; foreign hands should not have anything to do with him. Anyone who is not united with the Imam of Time, may God’s peace be upon him, should step aside.

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THE KEY TO VICTORY We had faced many adversities and will face adversities in the future. The key to what had been achieved so far and to the victory is the unity of expression. It was the unity of expression of the Iranians and all walks of life which have brought the superpowers down to their knees and brushed aside this satanic power. It scuttled and pushed aside the great satanic powers that were backing him (the Shah). This key is the unity of expression, which should be safeguarded. Safeguarding this unity of expression will, God willing, take us to the end of our struggle. All the gentlemen (present here), all walks of life, all those who are interested in Islam, in Muslims and in the Imam of the Time, may God’s peace be upon him, must continue the struggle and the movement, in one united stand. This sacred movement is present until the time we accomplish our objectives, that is the final victory, which consists of the elimination of all the satanic powers, and the succession of power of compassion in our country, which belongs to the Imam, to the Imam of the Time, to God and to the Prophet of Islam. We must all be united in expression so that we can brush aside this satanic power, which is now tottering. Nothing but a modicum has remained of it.

A MESSAGE TO THE MILITARY Once more, they are making incorrect statements! If they (the regime) respected the nation and the votes of the nation, they would realize that it was the nation’s vote that is now being expressed through their cries in the streets in all the provincial towns. The nation’s vote and unity is announcing their support33 and solidarity when they take to the streets tomorrow in all the Iranian cities, in Tehran and the rest of the cities in Iran. Anybody who believes that he is of this nation and is telling the truth should be in solidarity with the nation. The military should unite with the nation. The military is of the nation and the nation is of the military. We declare our support for the military. The clergy announce their support for the military. Likewise, the military should join in the ranks of Muslims like the rest of the Muslims and become the army of the Imam of the Time, may God’s peace be upon him, not the army of his enemies. Oh, the respectable armed forces! You are Muslims, you are of the prophet and the Qur’an, you are of the Prophet of Islam and the Imam of the Time, may God’s peace be upon them, you should also be shouting in unison within the ranks of Muslims. We are united in expression with all Muslims and all the nations.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF UNITY AND SOLIDARITY We are announcing our solidarity with the religious minorities. We announce our fraternity with our Sunni brothers. The enemies of Islam want to create disparity between our brothers and us. The enemies of Islam and those duped by them are publicizing differences between these two sects (Sunni and Shia) at this time. We announce the unity of expression of the Muslims. If Muslims had unity of expression, it would have been impossible for the foreigners to dominate them. This schism between Muslims has made the foreigners dominate us. This discord between Muslims first found existence by the hands of the ignorant people, and up to now, we are still entangled in it. It is incumbent upon Muslims to be united. This is a critical period, which is a matter of life and death. We either remain under the yoke of exploitation and despotism forever, or be freed from this yoke. If we do not keep our unity of expression, we will be afflicted until the end.

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Support for Mr. Bazargan’s provisional government.

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SUNNIS AND SHIA ARE BROTHERS Gentlemen! All of us are responsible. The clergy is at the top of the list of those bound by these responsibilities. It is incumbent upon the clergy to go to towns, cities and remote areas, the villages and hamlets and announce to the people the issues that we are talking about. In remote places people might be taken advantage of and publicize wrong notions (about the revolution). These elements cannot publicize adverse propaganda at the center of the country like Tehran and other major cities; however, in remote towns and villages, they are disseminating mendacities and lies. For instance, they are saying that in the Islamic government religious minorities will be annihilated! This is in contradiction to Islam. Islam respects religious minorities. In Islam, religious minorities are accorded with respect. Likewise, in Islam there is not any difference between Sunni and Shia at all. There should not be any schism between the Sunni and Shia. You should safeguard your unity of expression. Our infallible Imams had enjoined on us to be welded together and to maintain our congregation, and anyone who wishes to break up this assembly is either ignorant or of malicious intent. These words should not be heeded. Our Sunni brothers should not be influenced by the publicity created by the enemies of Islam. We are their brothers and they are our brothers. This country belongs to all of us. It belongs to the religious minorities, to the religious people among us, and to our Sunni brothers. We are all together (with one united stand.)

RESPONSIBILITY TO ENLIGHTEN AND PROPAGATE That which is incumbent upon you gentlemen who are men of learning, you the respectable theology students and great scholars, may God add up to your rewards, is to disperse in cities and propagate our cause and aims there. (Go to) cities and remote places and propagate this matter to settle these differences and rectify the mistakes. I beseech God the Almighty for the health of all of the ulama. As has been said, the respectable attendants34 of Qum are also present here; and they have my gratitude; they are of us too and we are of them; they are our Islamic brothers too. They are also servant of Fatima, of Hazrat Fatima Masumah35 and are great in our eyes. I am servant of all of you. May God grant success to all of you. May God’s peace and mercy be upon you.

105th Speech Date: February 6, 1979/Bahman 17, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 8, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Damage done by the Shah’s regime in Iran; everybody’s participation in reconstruction. Audience: Various classes of people, physicians and pharmacists

34 35

Attendants of Hazrat Fatimah Masumah’s (sa) holy shrine in Qum. It refers the daughter of Imam Musa Al-Kazim (as). She went to visit her brother, Imam al-Reza (as) a year after Mamun ‘appointed’ Imam al-Reza as his successor. She fell ill in Saveh region on her way to Mashhad and passed away seventeen days later. The area was then renamed Qum in her honor. She is reported to have lived no more than 21 or 22 years. Her Holy Shrine is visited by millions of pilgrims every year.

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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

DESTRUCTION AND BACKWARDNESS I thank you for your show of affection. May God bless you with prosperity. I hope that at this sensitive moment that our country is in a great predicament all the gentlemen here, all walks of life and guilds of the people will help each other, and, God willing, rebuild anew this country, which has been destroyed by these people (the Shah’s henchmen) who abandoned it and ran away. At the present time, everything in our country has been reduced to ruins. On the one hand, they had kept the universities backward and never allowed students to be trained properly; and on the other, they had thrown them into disarray; and retarded the growth of the rest of educators. They had transformed the press in such a way that some of its pages were for the dissemination of corruption! They had destroyed the rest of the country including the economy, the military and everything we had. Most important of all, they had squandered the human power. In order to inveigle the youth into using addictive stuff, they scattered opium and heroin and lured them to it. They built centers of prostitution and dragged the youth into them. Cinemas were metamorphosed into vulgar centers toward which they had dragged the youth. They had completely corrupted our youth. On the one hand, they had devastated our economy, and on the other, our agriculture was reduced to nothing. They had squandered our oil, and in exchange, they brought for us scrap iron, which benefited them (Americans). All together on the road to reconstruction We have to rebuild our country anew and this cannot be accomplished by the government alone, or by some groups of the nation. Everybody should partake in this. If all the people join hands, this country will be delivered from this chaos and confusion, God willing. As you have witnessed yourselves, when you joined hands, you were able to overcome the powers.

THE RETREAT OF THE SUPERPOWERS BEFORE THE CLOSED FISTS OF THE MASSES You should know that behind this man,36 who had held power here and was backed by the military, all the world’s superpowers such as the USSR and America queued up in support albeit some of them explicitly and some implicitly like Britain, China and the Arab countries. However, the nation clenched its fist, rose and pushed everybody back, and made that person who, if given the chance would have laid claim to being a pharaoh and a god stand in abjection and repent! But the nation did not accept it and said, “No! You have to leave!” Now he is gone and America will not accept him (into the US)! Now he is in Rabat.37 Where? Somewhere he is sitting and flouncing about, but all his nerves are shattered; that is you have wrecked his nerves, you have struck his nerves with your fists. Now go ahead, clench your fists, and jab into the brains of these people who want to keep this totem. Now this totem has been reduced to nothing. They should be sensible. Is it ever possible to oppose a nation?! One nation is not one or two persons, nor is it one or two parties. One nation wants something. Is it possible that the nation does not get what it wants from these people (the regime)?

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The Shah The capital of Morocco.

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I implore God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant you health. May you all be successful, God willing.

106th Speech Date: February 7, 1979/Bahman 18, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 9, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Complicity of the discord-mongers and the colonialists Audience: Three hundred judges and lawyers from the Justice Ministry I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE CONSPIRACY OF THE COLONIALISTS, DISCORD AMONG ALL STRATA OF THE NATION On the one hand I must express my sadness, and on the other my happiness. What has caused my sadness is that the various classes of the nation have distanced themselves from each other because of foreign conspiratorial exploits, which is a very grave issue that we have never faced in our life. Each and every guild gathered on one side: the academician on one side, the clergy on another, Justice Ministry judges on one side and the clerical scholars on the other. The same is true with the Justice Ministry lawyers. And it was the conspiracy of the foreign agents who were involved in some activities inside the country.

STUDIES MADE BY EXPERTS OF COLONIALISM Their (colonialists’) experts, who delved into a deep study in the past, have investigated and toured this land inch by inch and have discovered its resources. They studied our spiritual nature, our various tribes and whatever we appealed to. Based on their investigations, they found out that if religion is prevalent among the people and they are under one banner, they cannot be overcome and their treasury cannot be plundered. Therefore, in order to dominate them they tried to weaken religion and propagated that the basis of religion was something that the powers had concocted, saying that religion was the opium of the masses! The basis of religions is the opium of the society! This was aimed at demeaning religion in the minds of the people and the intellectuals so they would lose their faith in religion. However, the fact is that anyone who looks into the history of the prophets will understand that the prophets had hailed from among the masses and had assailed the powerful. They arose amidst the masses. Hazrat Musa (Prophet Moses) was a staffbearing shepherd from among the masses who rose against the pharaoh and was victorious. Our own prophet whose history is more contemporary, and, the gentlemen here perhaps know, was a person from the masses, from the common people; he was constantly at war with the oppressive powers, orchard owners, the wealthy and the capitalists from the start of his prophetic mission up until the end. The prophets were from the masses, and they would oppose the powerful clique; they were not from the oppressive powers who schemed to dupe the people. This is a very clear issue but foreign propaganda is very powerful.

THE PLOT TO SEPARATE THE PEOPLE FROM THE CLERGY They (the colonial power) realized that if the entire nation were united, they would not be able to steal the resources they wanted to loot. Hence, they thought they had to sow the seeds of discord among the nation.

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First, they turned their attention to the clergy. If anyone remembers, all the gentlemen present here remember that during the time of Reza Khan, they beat up the clergy so severely that neither a preacher nor a congregational prayer leader was left for us. They beat up everyone. Nor was there a parliament, that is parliament orators. They had humiliated the clergy in the eyes of the nation in such a manner that drivers sometimes would not give clergy a ride in their automobiles and would repeatedly tell them: “We will not let you sit in our automobiles!” They humiliated the clergy. On the one hand, they caused disparity between parties plunging them into disarray and creating chaos. They segregated the academicians from our universities.38 The former would ostracize the latter in one way, and vice-versa. There were so many other controversies to expound on and I do not feel very well. The gentlemen themselves should take note that all these were factors that this nation should vouchsafe their nationality under one banner because it was this solidarity that they (colonialists) wanted to snatch away from and divest the nation of and perhaps pit them as foes to one another. This is a great cause for concern. Therefore, prior to the movement we were never confronted by you; we were confronting another “clan.” That which has been the source of our delight is the fact that this Islamic movement of Iran has led to the reduction of the differences into mere deficiencies and they will be eliminated. The universities have become united with theology students. Now the parliament in which the gentlemen judges and lawyers are, has never been for us. Now that we are face to face, we would like to tell you our grievances and we have a lot of those; they are grievances that are also yours.

AN ACCOUNT OF HALF A CENTURY OF TREACHERY We have never had freedom for fifty years. All of you know that when Reza Shah came to power and so brazenly occupied the throne, we had never had freedom; it was just recently that we have acquired it. Neither was there a free press, nor did we have an independent judiciary or a lawyers’ guild. They had encroached on everything. Neither was there one single decent university, nor could they properly educate the youth whom they had detained in backwardness. The growth of our culture was reversed and our offspring pushed (culturally) backward. A lengthy chapter can be written regarding what they had done to the culture. On the one hand, they created centers of prostitution nationwide, particularly in Tehran. Centers of prostitution proliferated in Tehran and its suburbs. They dragged the youth into these places and decimated human resources. And on the other, they had reduced the economy into a state that you see it now. And as you see, the agriculture too was kept from flourishing and was despoiled. Everything that we have has been destroyed. Our military is one that is governed by American and Israeli advisers. All these are adversities afflicting the country and us.

THE IRANIAN NATION’S WISHES This nation has risen and is saying that it wants to be free. The wish of being independent is one of the human rights, and the whole world believes it in. This is the right (of everyone) to have their destiny in their hands. The nation is saying that it wants a jut government; they want a just Islamic government. It is every man’s wish to live under a rule wherein the ruler will not fill his pockets after sometime and transgress

38

Theological schools.

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the limits (abuse his powers)! You just imagine how much these people plundered our resources, devoured everything and despoiled the country in their thirty-seven years of rule. American, British, and Swiss banks and so on, are chock-full with the nation’s wealth all deposited in their names. We hope that the judiciary will consider the nation’s demand and put this man on trial. If possible he be extradited here and stand trial. If we can we will try him here and if we cannot, then let us try him in absentia and freeze his assets in banks.

GENERAL MOBILIZATION TO BUTTRESS THE MOVEMENT But you, gentlemen, are well aware that they (regime) have gone and have left the country in ruins, a country whose everything is falling apart. Anywhere you turn your head there is corruption. And do you think all this can be remedied in one or two years and by one group? It is impossible! It is incumbent upon all of us to help this movement, which we have brought to this stage and has achieved the present results; we hope that we will be able to achieve its ultimate goal. You are men of letters; you should write and discuss the matter. Or, shall I say, you should give talks, publicize it, expand it and support it. Support this (provisional) government, make declarations and announce them in newspapers. Thereafter, when, God willing, a rightful government is in place, then we should all assemble and, lamentably, rebuild the ruins! They have despoiled this country, and abandoned it after devouring and plundering its resources; now you should all join hands and rebuild this country anew. We should reconstruct it as if it had been devastated by an earthquake. I hope that God will make all walks of life closer to each other. I should not be cynical about you, nor should you be cynical about me, and, God willing, you are not. May God grant you all success and His approval. I thank you for coming.

107th Speech Date: February 7, 1979/Bahman 18, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 9, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Differences between Shia and Sunnis Audience: Ahmad Muftizadeh and a group from Kurdistan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE ROOT OF DISCORD BETWEEN SHIA AND SUNNI BROTHERS The issue of the discord between these two groups and these two sects has its roots from the advent of Islam. At the time, Umayyad caliphs, in particular the Abbasids intended to cause division. They used to set up assemblies and fan the flames of discord. These differences gradually caused the Sunni and Shia common people to become arrogant and compete with each other. However, the Sunnis neither complied, nor are complying, with the traditions of the Messenger of God, nor have the Shia abided by the teachings of their pure Imams. Our infallible Imams made efforts to integrate them into that society, to say prayers with them and attend their burial ceremonies. Little by little, the situation took on a different turn, and the powerful clique did this to keep these two sects occupied (with their differences) and do whatever they want.

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THE SATANIC PLOTS OF THE COLONIAL POWERS Approximately three hundred years ago, foreign policies were implemented in Iran and the East. They began to think about these matters. Their experts made a study of individuals and tribes, and observed the people’s morale. They delved into their material concerns from every angle and tried to take advantages of them in two ways: material benefits, which they have already done, and spiritual ones in which they have exacerbated these differences and distanced us further from each other. When you see that whenever a word is spoken by someone, they call attention to it and print thousands and hundreds of thousands of copies, does not mean that this is done by an ordinary individual, but it is done by these (previous) governments and aliens who would exacerbate the differences and publish them in such a way...

THE UNITY AND BROTHERHOOD OF SHIA AND SUNNIS We are one; we are not separate. The difference is in belief; this should not cause us to differ on the basics of Islam. Islam is a lot loftier than these meanings that we, for example, do not know what to do because of the difference in creeds. When we see that Islam is in jeopardy, it is incumbent upon all of us to join hands and desist from committing our past mistakes. We should sever the hands that are scheming to separate us. I hope that with the efforts of you scholars on one side and we the seminarians on the other, we will be able to resolve the differences, although we, ourselves have our differences: the disparity between the Akhbaris and the marja’ at-taqlid is one instance of this, and between the Sufis and the ritualist, another instance; and also recently between parties or between academicians and the clergy. They (alien powers) added fuel to these differences in order to keep us occupied with such matters and disgrace all of us, loot our wealth and cause our spirituality to fritter away. However, now the nation has awakened both in your and our parts, thank God, by the blessings of your very existence, and, here, by the blessings of the clergy. I hope that God will grant health to all of you. Convey my regards to the Kurdistani and Baluchi gentlemen. I am a servant of all of you. We are ready to deliver Islam from this adversity and rescue the Muslims from this disunity. May you be successful, God willing.

108th Speech Date: February 8, 1979/Bahman 19, 1399 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 10, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The Pahlavi dynasty was the lackey of the foreign powers; the nation’s resistance against the superpowers; unity of expression Occasion: Rally in support of the provisional government Audience: Merchants and people of the Tehran bazaar In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

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THE PAHLAVI DYNASTY: A PUPPET OF THE FOREIGN POWERS He mentioned fifteen years,39 but I say fifty-seven years or so. Our nation’s affliction started from the time of Reza Shah. Anyone who lived during that black period (of history) remembers and knows what Reza Shah had done to this nation. According to Delhi Radio, Reza Shah was installed by the British in order to subjugate our nation! Succeeding him was Muhammad Reza, who was imposed on us by the power triad namely America, Britain and the USSR. As he himself had mentioned in his book, the powers thought it expedient for him to be (the ruler). However, certainly, they were envisioning their own interests! Because they had no better servant than him who laid the nation’s treasury at their disposal and who rendered backward the country from the agricultural and commercial aspects and everything else to serve foreign interests. Of course, he was given a mission, as he himself had said, “A Mission for My Country!” This so-called mission was that mission and nothing else.

THE NATION’S RESISTANCE AGAINST THE SUPERPOWERS Subsequent to the ears of sufferings and frustrations that the nation had undergone, you know that when the nation decided on a particular issue, it stood up and defeated with its clenched fist that great satanic power and all the most diabolical powers which were all backing him, namely the powers of America, the USSR, China and Britain. And I know that the Tehran Bazaar has always been the center of political and Islamic activities. It was the Tehran bazaar, backed by Tehran merchants, which would always pave the way for the execution of any proposals put forth by the ulama and any citizens with heartfelt concern for this country. I would like to thank all guilds and individuals of the bazaar, working in any capacity for the lion’s share they had contributed to this movement. Had it not been for the bazaars of Iran, it would not have been certain whether we could reach our destination. It was the support of the Iranian bazaars and the rest of the guilds that made it possible for this movement to achieve this great progress up to now. Nevertheless we are still at a fledgling stage; whatever remnants have remained of these (corrupt elements) must be buried in the graveyards and then we can proceed to establish an Islamic government which springs from the nation, determined by the nation and which relies upon the nation.

THE ABSENCE OF A POPULAR GOVERNMENT IN IRAN Throughout the entire history of Iran, we have never had any government that relied upon the nation. During the time of the previous rulers, the nation had never been considered because coercion was the order of the day! The same was true, as we had witnessed and as far as our knowledge takes us, from the time of Reza Shah up until the present. Therefore, there has never been a national government, a national rule, or a national election in this country; in the elections and parliaments have not been national ones. The governments arising from these parliaments, not being based upon the people’s vote, are also illegitimate. And this person who has taken the place of and has been assigned to his ministry by Muhammad Reza and who claims to be a nationalist and a legitimate one is neither legitimate nor national. He is not national in the sense that he does not respect this nation; he does not respect the nation’s cries now reverberating in the streets; and finally yet importantly, he is illegitimate because he has originated from parliaments, which

39

The representative of the people of bazaar referred to Imam’s fifteen-year exile in his brief speech.

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were illegal. And before he was posted to this ministry he himself confirmed the illegitimacy of these parliaments, and now that he is at the helm of his ministry, the parliaments have suddenly gained legitimacy?!! Of course, people of this kind are of the belief that whatever serves their interest is legitimate and whatever is against it is another matter. If it is to their benefit, it is legal, but if it is to our benefit, then it is not.

THE KEY TO VICTORY AND ADVANCEMENT It is in such things that the bazaar has always shared in the (nation’s) afflictions as well as in its advancement. What I want to say is that the secret of this advancement has been the unity of expression without which we would have never gained victory. Today, you are witnessing throughout the whole country that the nation has one thing to say; is shouting one slogan, that is the Islamic slogan; the slogan that they do not want this regime, or the rule of this dynasty, and that they want an Islamic rule, a just Islamic rule. This unity of expression, which has been forged among the nation, has made us understand that the great powers cannot do anything in the face of it. We have seen it materialize (with our own eyes.) I hope that this unity of expression be preserved up to the end (of this movement).

THE MOST SENSITIVE PHASE IN HISTORY I must say that the country is presently going through the most sensitive period in history: that is the transition from the taghut to the divine rule, a transition from oppression to justice and from betrayal to trust. We are right in the middle of a most sensitive period. Thus, it is incumbent upon me, a theology student, on you gentlemen who are merchants, on the ulama, on the students of the religious sciences, on the academicians and workers, office employees, farmers and everyone to support this movement. If we neglect to support it, God forbid, instability will set in and then we will be subjected to their iniquity forever. Now they realize that the true power that can stand against superpowers is the unity of expression of the nation and Islam, which has been forged under the banner of Islam. They have understood it and are now intending to crush this power (of unity). Hence, they are seeking to separate the ulama from you and viceversa, the academicians from the ulama and the university from the bazaar, and sow the seeds of discord among them in order to nullify this unity of expression after which they will perpetrate whatever (evil designs) they have. It is likely that they are purporting to preserve the same monarchial regime. Although it is beyond human understanding, they would want a decaying thing! Thus, you saw how Muhammad Reza had been denied entry (by the superpower country) which was supporting him when he sought refuge in it!40 They are like this, supporting any individual whom they feel will serve their interests.

HOPING FOR A PROGRESSIVE IRAN All of us should now be vigilant (to ensure) that, God willing, the support of the powerful (strata) for one another- the bazaar’s people for the workers and vice-versa, all for the ‘ulama and vice-versa- and their unity and unified cry that they want these matters of religion, of Islam and of human beings, which existed in the past, henceforth continue, God willing, until the culmination of the movement, so that we can have an Iran that truly belongs to us and not one whose treasury is gratuitously being given away to this and that

40

It refers to America, which denied the Shah entry to the country.

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(foreign power), an Iran whose agriculture we ourselves cultivate; not Israel, which wants to grab our agriculture from us and exhaust everything. I implore God the Almighty to grant you all success. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. Ruhullah al-Musawi al-Khomeini

109th Speech Date: February 8, 1979/Bahman 19, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 10, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The soldiers of the taghuti regime at the service of Islam, efforts taken toward the establishment of an Islamic rule Occasion: The first parade of the military group that joined the revolution Audience: A group of the Air Force and Army personnel I seek refuge in God from the accur sed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful The soldiers of the Imam of the Time (may Allah expedite his advent) at the service of the Qur’an, Peace be upon you, the soldiers of the Imam of the Time (as). As you have cried out41 up until now you have been at the service of the taghut, which has decimated all our being; the taghut, which has emptied our treasury, the taghut, which has turned us into slaves of the foreigners. From today you are at the service of the Imam of the Time, may God’s peace be upon him, and the glorious Qur’an, which has guaranteed the prosperity of all humanity; the glorious Qur’an, which assures anyone who remains under its banner of prosperity in this world and the hereafter; the glorious Qur’an, which advocates freedom and independence. We are all the followers of the glorious Qur’an and Islamic precepts and ordinances. All of us, as well as the clergy are grateful to you.

THE OBLITERATION OF THE TAGHUT AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ISLAMIC RULE We hope that we, aided by our solidarity, will be able to obliterate the taghut forever, and instead establish an Islamic rule of justice in which the country belongs to us and our affairs are in our hands. We want our destiny to be determined by ourselves, not by the US or the USSR embassies. We want our country to be restored by us, not by the Jews or Israel. We want to emancipate our country and divest it of any suppression. We want the armed forces to be free, not to be dominated by Israel or America. Salutations to you, who have understood the value of divine blessings and have become one with the Qur’an. Peace be upon you, who have abandoned the taghut rule and adhered to God’s rule. I hope that the rest of the individuals, who are still serving, will eventually understand their duty and join the nation. We want your well-being. We want you to be free. We want you to render our country independent. We want to render non-existent anybody who aims at dominating you, to sever the hands of the foreign powers. May 41

The slogan of the military men present was, “On the order of Khomeini, we, the national military forces, have turned against the taghut and have joined the nation.”

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God grant you victory. This movement must be safeguarded, so that, God willing, we attain the penultimate and final goal, which is for an Islamic humane rule of justice to rise in place of the rule of the taghut. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

110th Speech Date: February 8, 1979/Bahman 19, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 10, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Excellent attributes of the Islamic movement Audience: Members of the Islamic Society of Physicians, Engineers and Teachers In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE CRIMES OF THE PAHLAVI FAMILY42 DURING FIFTY YEARS OF RULE One of the good points of this Islamic movement is the fact that we had never faced such faces before. You were preoccupied with your business and we were, too. Such gatherings were not possible. Neither had we ever seen you, nor had you seen us; nor had we encountered the problems that we are now discussing. It is this sacred Islamic movement, which merged all the strata, provided the opportunity, and facilitated the means through which we could meet with you gentlemen to bring up the issue. You know how much sufferings the Iranian nation has undergone from fifty odd years ago up until now, how many crimes have this father and son committed and how much suppression and hardship have people from all walks of life in this country been subjected to. On their part, the universities, faculties and teacher’s colleges could not fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to them. Likewise, the engineers and other classes of people were not free to raise questions or to carry out any task they wanted for the benefit of the nation. In Europe, we met with many students, four hundred of whom were sent to Germany by the government, and discussed issues including that of atomic energy. A group of these students came to us and brought up their predicament. The first was that they were kept backward and were not allowed to progress scientifically, and second was the fact that this atomic energy is deleterious, not beneficial, to Iran. It is useful until the time there is oil and gas in Iran; once this oil and gas are exhausted then it will outlive its usefulness. Furthermore, it can inflict other material damages as well. Moreover, this act has been done intentionally by the governmental machinery in order to retard our youth’s progress, destroy our youthful work force, and obstruct the progress of the country. In the name of development, they, in reality, have pushed the country backward. Reconstruction through unity God willing, through the efforts of the people from all walks of life, joining hands, and with unity of expression and efforts you shall rebuild Iran, which has been driven backward, destroyed and abandoned. Teachers should give the children a proper education; engineers should be involved in beneficial activities and the rest from all other lifestyles should follow suit.

42

Reza Shah Pahlavi was the first king (1304 - 1320 SH) of the Pahlavi dynasty. He was the father of the deposed Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi who was dethroned by the Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khomeini. Reza Shah Pahlavi staged a coup planed by the British government in 1299 SH and came to throne in 1304 SH.

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I implore God the Almighty and Exalted to acquaint us all with our national and Islamic responsibility. I hope that we will be able to sever the hands of the foreigners off this country, so that you can run your own country, and the country’s treasury be at your own disposal. Iran is a country that possesses everything, but so many looters abound that nothing benefits the nation. So many plunderers were, and are, lurking that the nation could not lay its hands on these resources. We have everything and yet get nothing! We have everything if we are free and independent. But in the manner that we have been leading our lives, we have nothing. I hope that from now on we will not live in this way anymore. Now is the time that you, the intellectuals, who carry more responsibility than others do, worked harder than the rest. You have a heavier responsibility than the others do toward this country. All of you, in whatever activity you are involved in, should, firstly, work for the cause of this movement and take it forward toward its desired end and make the country independent, and (ensure) this discord which has hitherto been with us, is not repeated. Secondly, take efforts to establish a just government, a government of justice, which is founded and based on the nation’s vote...

111th Speech Date: February 8, 1979/Bahman 19, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 10, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: An uprising for God Audience: A group of teachers I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

THE INVINCIBILITY OF THE DIVINE MOVEMENT I am not feeling very well; however, I would like to say a few words to you ladies and gentlemen. God the Almighty and Exalted commands the Holy Prophet, “Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I exhort you unto one thing only: that ye rise up for Allah’s sake”43 He has commanded the Prophet to tell his community that” I have one exhortation to you and that is you must rise up for God; you must set up a movement for God. If the movement is a divine one, then victory is inherent to it; even if we are apparently defeated, we are still victorious; and if we are not defeated, then surely we are victorious because we did it for God. When the movement is for God, it is itself a victory, but if the uprising is a satanic one based on selfish and satanic intentions it is a defeat whether it appears to have gained victory or been defeated, it is all the same. This is best exemplified by the confrontation of Hazrat Amir with Mu’awiyah. Two armies were pitted against each other: on one side were the taghut and its army, on the other was God’s army. If Hazrat Amir, and whoever was on his side, won, victory was theirs; and if they were defeated, they were still the winners. In the Battle of Siffin, we can say that Hazrat Amir was defeated because (his enemy’s) cunning stratagem did not allow him to advance. However, (in spite of this) in the end these divine forces were triumphant.

43

Qur’an, 34: 46.

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The Doyen of the Martyrs, may God’s peace be upon him, was killed and was defeated, but the Bani Umayyah could not achieve anything subsequent to this because his blood repulsed the (enemy’s) swords. Now that we look at it, we realize that victory was with the Doyen of the martyrs and defeat was Yazid’s and (that of) his henchmen. The movement, of which you the nation of Iran, both men and women, are upholders, is for God. You want to annihilate the taghut; you want to rescue your nation from those who have undermined and subjected it to suppression, coercion and plunder; you want to establish the rule of God. Hence, whether you lose or win, you are victorious. If we are killed for God, we will go to heaven. But if they (the enemies) kill or be killed, they will go to hell. This criterion is a question of being Godly or being Satanic: Satan and his forces are always at the losing end, and the Qur’an, God and His army are always triumphant.

THE WORLD IS THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE UNIVERSE The world is but a tiny speck in the universe; the world is something extremely abject. The universe is an amalgam of the physical and metaphysical worlds. This physical world is at the lowest level of existence, lower than all the levels. If a human being leaves this world in his crusade for God, he is elevated from the abject world to a higher world; he will enter a world that is above all other worlds. On the other hand, if (he dies for) satanic ends, he will be plunged into the abyss (of hell). Those who are of the army and the advocates of Satan are descending gradually down the abyss of hell. Those who are of the army of God and are of God are ascending higher; whatever deeds they commit, their deeds will take them high (to heaven); and those whose deeds are to the contrary and are satanic, their deeds will hurl them headlong below (into the bottomless pits of hell).

DIVINE EDUCATION AND SPIRITUAL UNITY Beware that your actions be commendable ones and your uprising and deeds be for God. Anyone who has a child should educate him with divine, not satanic, education. Anyone who goes to school, whatever school it is, should be educated in the divine guidance. Anyone who is a schoolteacher should educate children in the divine way; desist from imparting satanic education. Although I do not feel so well, I would like to thank all of you who have taken the trouble of coming here. I hope with this solidarity and unity of expression that you have, which have made everybody converge in one place and which have brought you and us together to one place, you will maintain the same spiritual and intellectual unity, and advance forward in one unified rank toward a rule of divine justice. May God protect you and grant you all success.

112th Speech Date: February 8, 1979/Bahman 19, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 10, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Massive gathering in support of the provisional government; an ultimatum Audience: Various classes of the people I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan

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PUBLIC AND NATIONWIDE SUPPORT FOR THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT I would like to express my gratitude to the whole nation, which has taken great pains and closed its ranks, which has suffered in resisting the machinery of oppression. I am thankful to this great gathering of the nation who have gathered in support of Engineer Mahdi Bazargan’s government, which is a religious law one and is the government of the Imam of the Time (as). All news agencies must realize that this massive gathering of the people in Iran, from the capital to the provincial towns and villages in support of the (new) government suffices as an answer to those who were and are saying that the nation itself has to say what government it wants. In what language should the nation tell them? The nation is crying aloud! It has been a long time and many years that the nation has been crying out about this issue. Today also, they are declaring their support for the Islamic government and expressing their hatred for the opposition in their cries and slogans.

AN ULTIMATUM TO THE LAST REMNANTS OF THE SHAH’S GOVERNMENT It is best for the opposition to desist from committing further mistakes. It is still not late. They should return to the nation’s embrace. The nation will still accept their repentance. They should desist from their obstinacy; they should not trouble the people so much. At this very moment, I have been informed that a mass slaughter has taken place in Gorgan and some other places. Why are these acts being perpetrated? Who are these club-wielders in whom Muhammad Reza would seek refuge, and under whose shelter you are now living? Which organization do they belong to? Why are they doing this to the nation? Why are they shedding so much blood? Why are they being so obstinate toward the people? We wish to have peace in the country. We want the good of the nation. We want to have an independent military force: one that is allied to the nation and not to the foreign powers. The military should return to the nation’s embrace like the numerous groups who have returned and we welcomed them with open arms. You, as well as all the governmental organs, should do likewise.

THE PERPETUATION OF THE REVOLUTION AND SUPPORT FOR THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT I declare that agreeing with this government, which we have set up, is everybody’s religious duty, and opposition to it is unlawful to everyone. We declare that serving a taghuti government is serving the antiGod forces, serving unbelief and polytheism. You must desist from doing so. It is serving the foreign powers; you must desist from doing so. I implore God the Almighty that Iran be a free and independent country. I want the nation perpetuate this movement, in the same way that it has done so up to now, until the time that final victory is reached. God willing, victory is nigh. The key to victory is unity of expression. Everybody must say the same thing in unison. Everybody must support each other so that victory is gained.

OBSERVANCE OF RELIGIOUS LAW AND LEGAL STANDARDS Recently, I have been informed of an issue that has saddened me, and that is that jungles have been invaded by certain individuals, native to that area, and are being destroyed by them. These jungles belong to the nation, and we should not destroy them. They should be under the supervision of their guardian and the ruler. It is not permissible for anyone to trespass on them, cut down the trees and ruin them. Our brothers

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should advise those individuals concerned; they should prevent and prohibit them from despoiling what has remained for us after others had plundered them. Should we be the ones to destroy them? This is destruction and there must not be any destruction. As we should not beat and irritate anyone for no apparent reason, we should not be a nuisance to anyone. There are religious law and legal rules that apply to these affairs. There should not be chaos. Do not let yourself be branded as advocates of anarchy. You people, the honorable nation of Iran have proved that you are advancing your cause with steady steps, order and firm determination, and are annihilating the satanic forces one by one. May God grant you all honor and grant me the honor to serve everyone.

113th Speech Date: February 9, 1979/Bahman 20, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 11, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Ways of reconstruction and continuation of the Islamic Revolution Audience: Representatives of the council for coordinating strikes I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I would like to thank the ladies and gentlemen for having taken the trouble of coming here. Thanks God in this movement we had this opportunity to meet with people like you who bring up their problems with us and, in turn, we tell you of our pains.

THE LONG PATH OF RECONSTRUCTION After the revolutionary government has materialized, you know that we still have a long way to go for repairing the destruction inflicted upon this country throughout the fifty odd years (of Pahlavi’s rule) in the name of the “great civilization” and freedom that they claimed had been realized. They all left the country and ran away after having either squandered our treasury or taking it away with themselves. We have become heirs to a country in ruins which cannot be returned to its sound condition and whose reparation is impossible unless through the concerted endeavors of all strata of the nation. If anyone in whatever position he is in does not make any efforts, and assigns his duties to another group, this burden will remain on the ground. The devastation wreaked upon the country is not something minor that the government or a group or groups of the nation can repair. The destruction done is so great in every aspect, such as economic, cultural, and military and others. All this will have to be repaired through the concerted efforts of people from all walks of life. Though you have a big share in this movement, the gentlemen teachers, strikers and others have a big share in it, too, and these strikes have yielded results for the movement, however, we have only taken the initial step. It is akin to a war-stricken country where foreigners had been. We should strive to kick the foreigners out. This is the first step. The second step is reconstruction, which is more important than the first one. The reconstruction stage should start from today. Everywhere you turn your head in this country you will see destruction. As the

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government offices were run by unrighteous individuals, and the same is true with ministries, which were run by unpatriotic people, we can virtually say that these elements have ruined government offices.

SLUM DWELLERS IN TEHRAN You have seen how, in the name of land reforms, they have despoiled our agriculture, which is one of the most vital features of our country, and on which our economy is dependent; now you have a bankrupt agriculture and have to import everything from abroad. In like manner, they have destroyed animal husbandry and our pasturelands, which they gave away to foreigners depriving the nation under the guise of nationalism. In those places, animal husbandry and agriculture would sustain the lives of people who now have to migrate to towns and cities in order to find jobs, however they cannot find decent jobs here. According to what I have heard, there are many places right here in Tehran where squatters, tent-dwellers and the like are proliferating and these poor migrants live there in deplorable conditions.

AVOIDING DISCORD All men and all walks of life should join hands and be united and get involved in the reconstruction, amidst the destruction, with all their hearts. Office employees should take care to inform the government of any corrupt activities they observe in their place of work. Anybody in whatever place he is should take note of any corruption and report it. By taking strict measures, God willing, these problems will be solved. I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to grant you all health, and I hope that with your concerted efforts you will be able to resolve these problems by preserving your unity of expression. You should do away with ideological and party disparity and other differences that these people have created amidst people. You should take note that it is the enemy who will benefit from this discord. You, yourselves, have witnessed how you, with your unity of expression, have brought the great powers to their knees rendering them powerless to keep the Shah any longer. May God grant success and His assistance to all of you. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

114th Speech Date: February 9, 1979/Bahman 20, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 11, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: Victory can be gained only through the collaboration of all strata of the people Audience: Physicians and employees of Sevvum-e Sha’ban44 Hospital In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

EYEWITNESSES TO CRIMES The gentlemen working in hospitals have suffered more than the rest of the people and even those in the streets. Those in the streets have witnessed how young people were hit and felled by bullets, but those who were at their bedside (of those injured in hospitals) knew fully well what had happened. Perhaps their fathers

44

Means 3rd Sha’ban which is the date of birthday of Imam Husayn (as).

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and mothers came to the hospital, that is, if they were given the consent (to see their injured sons), and you have seen in what an emotional state they were. All those who were injured, wounded and killed and those, who were taken away, and whom you have not seen are safe in the sight of God. This nation’s only fault was that it did not want the foreigners to take control of its country. Its fault was that it wanted to be free and wanted suppression to die out; it wanted to kick out the plunderers. These were the faults of this nation that became, and still are, the target of machine-gun fire. Just a few days ago, the same acts were committed in provincial towns.

FOREIGN AGENTS IN THE GUISE OF NATIONALISM Each day these people, that is, the agents of the foreign powers, don a different mask or a different disguise behind the curtain. For twenty or thirty years, their agents posed as nationalistic individuals whose true positions were not obvious to the nation! When their true face was revealed, the nation would understand who they really were. For twenty years, an agent might have posed as a nationalistic or a religious figure and enjoyed all security, and the powers protected him in case one day they might find a need for him as a weapon to thrash the nation as they are doing today. They are now thrashing the nation under the guise of nationalism and by going to Dr. Musaddiq’s grave. Sharif Imami rushed forward with such “peaceful rapprochement” and attacked the nation; they all came forth with such a weapon. Now this nation came pouring into the streets shouting in unison, as they did nationwide yesterday, that it wanted the new government. They do not consider the nation’s ideas! For them the nation is the one that America recognizes, if ever America recognizes the nationality of anybody! And of course, it recognizes someone if he preserves its interests. Now these people are saying that they are nationalistic, obedient to the nation and respect the vote of the nation (No). Was yesterday’s (rally) not a proof of the nation’s vote? Yesterday a few million people were shouting. Were they not the nation? It still is not the nation that America and its agents believe it should be. The “nation” they are referring to is one which will give all its resources to America and the foreigners! Thieves and looters. You who were in the hospitals know what this nation has gone through. But you know only a small part (of the whole massacre), and the other part by those in other hospitals. Most of them have been hidden from your and your brothers’ eyes. They have committed so many crimes and looted so much that most of them have been concealed from us. We cannot fully understand what crimes they have committed. There is a story somebody has told me, or perhaps I have read in a magazine, I do not remember exactly, which says that one of Muhammad Reza’s sisters bought a mansion abroad the price of which I do not know. But it was written there that six million dollars was spent on planting flowers in its garden! They have done such acts of which we are uninformed and ignorant. Six million dollars! It is equal to approximately thirty-two million tumans just for planting garden flowers! They have plundered everything that we had, and left. How much he, his relatives and their generals has stolen! They have emptied the treasury and decimated the country, and left us with a ruined country and ran away.

THE NEED FOR PERSEVERANCE AND COLLABORATION May God reward you who have strived for this nation and have endured hardships. I know fully well how hard it had been for you to attend to those helpless victims who were beaten up, injured, some of them in the throes of death and some who breathed their last, but God will reward you. God knows what you have

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been through and He will compensate you for it. May God grant you health. Our friends should all collaborate with each other in this affair and be united in this movement. If you are defeated in this movement then defeat is till the end. Everybody should stay together and collaborate until victory is attained.

Last Message at the Victory of Islamic Revolution Date: February 12, 1979/Bahman 23, 1357 SH/Rabi’ al-Awwal 14, 1399 AH Place: Alawi School, Tehran Subject: The religious responsibility and national commitment of the people Occasion: The victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Addressees: The Iranian nation and citizens of Tehran In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Great nation of Iran! Chivalrous citizens of Tehran! At this moment that the beloved nation’s ultimate victory is nigh, it is necessary to remind you to pay attention to the following religious and divine duties, and national commitments. Opposition to these is tantamount to opposition to God the Almighty and is treachery to the nation and the Islamic movement. 1. Now that the dictatorial and oppressive apparatus has been totally squashed, evasion from any kind of destructive actions, plundering, arson and aggression is mandatory. It is a public duty to obstruct any activities of such nature, that are un-Islamic and inhuman. Those who get involved in such violent acts are traitors and are acting against the Islamic movement. 2. The nation should supervise the protection of public centers such as ministries, banks and other governmental and national centers and should not let the nation’s treasury be wasted until the time order has been established by the provisional government. Beloved nation! Do not let people of malicious intent spread the notion that now that the corrupt regime has been toppled, chaos, anarchy and sabotage have taken its place. 3. Opportunists who, donning revolutionary masks, are rallying behind the defunct regime, and are intending to slander the movement, should not be given any chance to indulge in their activities. The Muslim nation should take the initiative into its hands. 4. Officials assigned by the Islamic Prime Minister to undertake missions are soldiers of the Revolution; you must cooperate with them. Those opposed to the Muslim people must be prevented from carrying out acts of sabotage. 5. It is incumbent upon the people to leave the streets as early as possible, and converge in mosques and congregational centers. They must listen to the commands of the distinguished spiritual leaders and the esteemed preachers. Likewise, the great ulama and preachers in towns should go to mosques and public centers and invite the people to goodness and honesty; they should, by all means, prevent any actions running counter to religious laws and the direction of the movement. By using expressive language, they should dissuade people from perpetrating sabotage and chaos while informing them of the sacred religious edicts.

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6. Now that the armed forces, the gendarmerie and the police have joined the nation, it is incumbent upon the nation to avoid any acts of aggression against them, while protecting them as if they were their own brothers. The distinguished ulama too should instruct the people to support the police who have come under the banner of the Islamic rule. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. Ruhullah al-Musawi al-Khomeini

INDEX

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INDEX

A A Mission for My Country, 692 A Probe into the History of Ashura, 327 A Shi’ite Anthology, 504 A’ishah, 117 Abadan, 24, 171, 222, 225, 239, 240, 334, 500, 513, 517, 546, 624, 625, 640, 676 Abbas Masudi, 56 Abbas Rasta, 411 Abd al-’Azim, 121, 284, 574 Abd al-Karim Qasim, 533 Abdul-Baha, 41, 79 Abdullah ibn Abbas, 117, 504 Abdullah ibn Wahab al-Rasibi, 118 Abdul-Qays Jowjow, 62 Abi ‘Abdillah, 127 Abi Sufyan, 9, 129, 159, 190, 256, 257, 275, 361, 562 Abraham (as), 184, 191, 256, 274, 508 Abu Ali Muskuwiyyah, 31 Abu Bakr, 117, 365, 578 Abu Hanifah, 113 Abu Sufyun, 117 Abul-Hasan Shamsabadi, 376 Abyssinia, 106 Adi ibn Hatam, 128 aggressive democracy, 286, 287, 288 Agricultural Bank of Credit, 578 ahl-e minbar, 99 Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Maliki al-Khwarizmi, 258 Ahmad Shah Qajar, 157, 166, 220, 301, 432, 490, 491, 527, 601, 602, 651 Ahwaz, 63, 66, 171, 176, 188, 193, 196, 222, 226, 240, 241, 517, 574, 585, 588, 624, 676 Ahwaz-Dezful frontier, 63 Ahzab-e Siyasi-ye Iran, 122 Akhund, 33, 63, 123, 152, 153, 154, 155, 158, 255, 272, 363 Akhund Khorasani, 33, 123, 152, 153, 155, 272 Akhund Mulla Qurban Ali Zanjani, 155, 363 Akhund Mulla Sabz Ali Hakim, 155, 363 Al-Ahram, 54 al-Aqsa Mosque, 120

Alawi School, 657, 665, 671, 672, 676, 677, 678, 680, 682, 684, 686, 688, 690, 691, 694, 695, 696, 697, 699, 700, 702 Al-Azhar University, 54 Alborz mines, 15 Ali Amini, 5, 34, 35, 396, 408, 411, 414 Ali Asghar Haj Sayyid Jawadi, 637 Ali Asghar Hikmat, 169 Ali ibn Yaqtin, 31, 150 Ali Muhammad Bab, 32 Ali Reza Pahlavi, 435 Ali Shahrestani, 154 Ali the Magnificent, 497 Al-Imamah wal-Siyasah, 64 Ali-Naqi, 5 al-Istibsar fi ma Ukhtulif fihi min al-Akhbar, 149 al-Kafi, 97, 98, 104, 142, 149, 212 All Fall Down, 163 Allamah Hilli, 31 Allamah Majlisi, 31, 150, 178 Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, 504 Allied Forces, 15, 63, 272, 304, 391, 477, 487 al-Luhuf 'ala Qatlay al-Tufuf, 19 Al-Lum’at al-Dameshqiyyah, 132 Al-Mahajjat al-Bayza’, 101 Al-Mizan, 105, 269 al-Mu’tabar fi Sharh al-Muktasar, 149 American ‘Espionage Den’, 513 American advisers, 88, 174, 186, 197, 202, 205, 211, 281, 290, 296, 317, 319, 358, 411, 441, 469, 470, 472, 496, 513, 516, 517, 529, 540, 563, 641, 664 American citizens, 175, 641 American experts, 626, 627 American food, 70 American military advisers, 85, 174, 175, 320, 436, 465, 641, 654 American Revolution, 410 American surplus goods, 259 American’s cook, 85 American’s servant, 85 Amir ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jazayiri, 269 Amir Abbas Hoveyda, 384, 453, 475, 600, 622 Amir al-Mu’minin, 64, 348, 569 Amir Kabir, 31, 32, 79, 152, 233, 297, 298 Ammar ibn Yasir, 117

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Ammar Yasir, 23, 499, 582, 583, 585 Amr ibn Abd al-Wud, 384 Amr ibn al-Aas, 64, 117, 257, 421, 499 Anglo-Iranian Bank, 33 Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, 224, 234 Anjuman-i Fulad, 50 Ankara Museum, 106 Anthony Parsons, 143, 622 Anushirvan, 106, 330, 378, 449 Anwar al-Sadat, 180 Aqa Sayyid Yunus, 155, 363 Aqa Shaykh Abbas Tehrani, 423 Aqa Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Mamqani, 156 aqabat, 103 Ar- Rawzat al-Bahiya fi Sharh al-Lum’at al-Dameshqiyyah, 132 Arab-Israeli war, 180 Ardashir Zahedi, 493 Arjan Plain, 208, 521 Arsanjani, 5, 35 Article 2, 90 Article 32, 88 Article 37, 88 Aryamehr, 62, 204, 277, 287, 319, 359, 406, 437, 484, 494, 498, 641, 642 Aryamehr University, 205 Aryan race, 62, 71, 277 Asad al-Malik, 651 Asadullah Alam, 5, 13, 22, 27, 29, 73, 85, 277, 468 Ashraf Pahlavi, 294 Ashura, 38, 41, 168, 327, 430, 465, 526, 534, 569, 575, 576, 582, 583, 585, 589, 621 Atabat, 10, 33 Ataturk, 70, 106, 167 Ataturk Boulevard, 413 Ataullah Khosravani, 76 Atomic Energy Organization, 398 August 19 coup d’état, 299 Austria, 69, 314 Austrian Empire, 69 Ayandegan newspaper, 29 Ayatullah Abul-Qasim Kashani, 432 Ayatullah al-Uzma Golpaygani, 178 Ayatullah al-Uzma Hairi, 26 Ayatullah al-Uzma Haj Shaykh Abdul-Karim Ha’iri Yazdi, 33 Ayatullah al-Uzma Khui, 50 Ayatullah al-Uzma Najafi Marashi, 178 Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Ahmad Khwansari, 33 Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Muhammad Reza Golpaygani, 33 Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari, 33

Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Sadruddin Sadr, 33 Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Muhammad Ali Araki, 33 Ayatullah Baha’uddin Mahallati, 48 Ayatullah Bahauddin Mahallati, 51 Ayatullah Behbahani, 11, 17, 129 Ayatullah Burujerdi, 14, 17, 26, 27, 33, 49, 145, 190 Ayatullah Golpaygani, 28, 66, 193 Ayatullah Ha’iri, 17, 33 Ayatullah Haj Aqa Husayn Qummi, 121, 574 Ayatullah Haj Aqa Nurullah Isfahani, 511 Ayatullah Haj Sadruddin Sadr, 154 Ayatullah Haj Shaykh Fazlullah Nuri, 52 Ayatullah Hasan Qummi, 173 Ayatullah Husayn Qummi, 167 Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani, 266 Ayatullah Kamalvand, 63 Ayatullah Khalisi, 154 Ayatullah Khwansari, 62, 154 Ayatullah Mahallati, 45, 48 Ayatullah Mirza Muhammad Hasan Ashtiyani, 52 Ayatullah Murtaza Ha’iri, 28 Ayatullah Murtaza Hairi, 63 Ayatullah Qummi, 45, 51, 121, 413, 574 Ayatullah Ruhullah Kamavand, 34 Ayatullah Sayyid Abdul Husayn Dastghaib Shirazi, 138, 250 Ayatullah Sayyid Abul-Qasim Kashani, 153 Ayatullah Sayyid Kazim Tabatabai, 11 Ayatullah Sayyid Mahmoud Taleqani, 42 Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai, 52, 153 Ayatullah Shaykh Husayn Ghaffari, 414 Ayatullah Sultani, 96 Ayatullah Tonakaboni, 17 Ayatullah Tonekaboni, 11 Ayatullah Wahid Behbahani, 96 Az Sayyid Zia ta Bakhtiyar, 27, 208, 213, 570, 604, 623 Az Sayyid Ziya ta Bakhtiyar, 27, 32, 47 Az zuhur ta Suqut, 47 Az Zuhur ta Suqut, 76 Azam Mosque, iii, 9, 17, 19, 24, 50, 68, 83, 178, 190 Azerbaijan, 25, 89, 115, 156, 162, 168, 171, 176, 178, 181, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 209, 241, 244, 273, 277, 303, 333, 363, 375, 414, 432, 472, 486, 511, 521, 550, 555, 557, 558, 559, 669 Azerbaijan province, 156, 259, 273, 333 B Ba’athist regime, 131, 135, 145 Badr Shahin, 365 Baghdad, 10, 31, 33, 96, 103, 112, 113, 127, 132, 145, 231, 239

INDEX Baha’ism, 32, 33, 79, 330 Bahai Party, 36 Bahai sect, 384, 551 Bahaigari, 32 Bahais, 7, 31, 32, 37, 41, 79, 588 Bandar Abbas, 55, 63, 65, 89, 226, 564, 617 Bandar Anzali, 19 Bandar Pahlavi, 19 Bani Abbas, 31, 257 Bani Hashim, 38, 128, 258, 562 Bani Sadr, 219, 229, 598 Bani Umayyah, 9, 38, 128, 257, 697 Banu Hashim, 38 Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi, 127 Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, 22 Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, 24, 28, 33, 43, 44, 45, 79, 95, 116 Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, 68 Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, 6 Barrasi wa Tahlili az Nahzate Imam Khomeini, 14, 29 Barry Rubin, 51, 297 barzakh, 138, 250 Barzakh (Purgatory), 138, 250 Battle of Hunayn, 159, 160 battle of Siffin, 64, 257, 499, 582 Battle of Siffin, 117, 327, 499, 501, 696 Battle of the Camel, 117 Battle of the Trench, 384 bazaar merchants, 37, 43, 231, 261, 306, 320, 323, 381, 454 Bazaar of Tehran, 7 Behbudi, 34, 87, 91 Beheshte Zahra, 42 Beheshte Zahra, 242 Beheshte Zahra, 305 Beheshte Zahra, 305 Beheshte Zahra, 312 Beheshte Zahra, 327 Beheshte Zahra, 524 Beheshte Zahra, 583 Beheshte Zahra, 650 Beheshte-Zahra, 661 Bell helicopter manufacturing company, 228 Bihar al-Anwar, 100, 102, 122, 149, 178, 185, 332, 365, 366, 568, 582 Bistopanj Sal Hakimiyyat-e Amrika dar Iran, 171, 174 Black Friday, 241, 242, 261, 270, 314, 448, 532, 564 black reaction, 40, 51, 52, 53, 426, 444 black reactionaries, 40, 426, 534 British Foreign Minister, 225, 320, 355, 359, 367, 380, 443, 530, 539 British House of Lords, 492

707

British Oil Company, 224 Brzezinski’s Memoirs, 193 C calendar of Islam, 331, 380 Camp David Accord, 170, 374 Capitulation Bill, 84, 85, 87, 88, 91, 174, 469 Carter, 163, 170, 175, 188, 189, 193, 225, 243, 245, 283, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 295, 296, 297, 300, 306, 307, 315, 318, 323, 324, 335, 337, 358, 359, 367, 368, 369, 374, 387, 388, 389, 391, 397, 435, 436, 441, 443, 447, 448, 485, 486, 494, 496, 513, 517,519, 529, 530, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 553, 558, 559, 564, 574, 576, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 589, 598, 604, 609, 618, 623 Carter’s logic, 283, 288, 289, 358, 369, 582, 586 CENTO agreement, 72 Chahar Bagh Madrasah, 149 Charles de Gaulle, 269 China, 170, 225, 241, 242, 265, 313, 322, 324, 448, 513, 637, 669, 676, 687, 692 Christian laws, 75 Churchill, 171, 304, 364 CIA, 29, 175, 305, 405, 433, 540, 582, 623 clergy of Azerbaijan, 511 clergy of Isfahan, 511 College of Higher Education in Arak, 298 Colonel Mawlawi, 30, 40, 145 Colonel Partow, 33, 34 colonialists, 379, 688, 689 Comite, 617 Communist Youth Association, 360 Companions of the Suffah, 418 Constituent Assembly, 322, 356, 402, 403, 527, 631, 632 Constitutional Revolution, 14, 156, 311, 375, 616 consumer market, 244, 259, 282, 393 Cyrus, 106, 183, 221, 277, 387, 629, 676 D Da’irat al-Ma’arif-e Tashayyu’, 31 Danesh-e Muslimin, 150 Dar al-Funun, 31, 282, 519 Dark Ages, 52 Darvaz-e Dawlat district, 78 Davard newspaper, 564 David Ben Gurion, 551 David Owen, 225, 387, 443, 530 David Rockefeller, 604 Dawlat wa Hukumat dar Iran, 33, 173 Dawlat wa Hukumat dar Iran, 175

708

The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

Dawlat wa Hukumat dar Iran, 584 Dayiratul-Mu’arif-e Tashayyu, 40 De Gaulle, 47 Death to the Shah, 171, 193, 195, 232, 246, 281, 300, 304, 342, 385, 404, 423, 433, 437, 443, 491, 525, 527, 528, 576, 614 Declaration of Human Rights, 179, 180, 184, 186, 189, 232, 268, 269, 367, 446, 447, 448, 582 Delhi Radio, 235, 692 Democratic Party, 170, 189, 375, 594 Democratic Party of Kurdistan, 375 Den of Espionage, 42, 61 Der Spiegel, 171, 223 Dey 17, 7, 14, 115, 164, 168, 392, 610, 616 Dez Dam, 209 Dezful, 63, 209, 222, 226, 534, 585 Dhikrah, 149 dhimmi, 118, 332, 448, 455, 609 Diaries of Asadullah Alam, 5 Dirasa Hawl al-Usul al-Arba’ami’ah, 149 Do Sal-e Akhar, 176, 570 Do Sal-e Akhar, 569 Documents from the US Espionage Den, 61, 513, 620 Doyen of the Martyrs, 118, 128, 129, 191, 327, 328, 420, 497, 562, 563, 567, 568, 573, 574, 663, 697 Dr. Ali Shariati, 377 Dr. Alikhani, 47 Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, 219, 599 Dr. Mahdi Bazargan, 639 Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq, 42, 432 Dr. Musaddiq, 91, 432, 620, 642, 701 Dr. Qutbzadeh, 599 Dr. Sadr, 48 Dunya newspaper, 32 Durr at-Tanzim, 127 E East India Company, 179 ECAFE, 47 Egypt, 36, 42, 43, 54, 58, 62, 78, 105, 106, 109, 117, 170, 180, 189, 274, 308, 332, 340, 365, 374, 421, 422, 504, 509, 604, 630, 635, 673 Eid al-Fitr, 18, 369, 458, 528, 547 Eid al-Ghadir, 37, 503 Eid al-Qurban, 69, 89, 457, 458 Encyclopedia of Shi’ism, 151, 155 Endowment Ministry, 80, 82 Eric J. Hooglund, 578 Ervand Abrahamian, 157 Ervand Abrahamian, 152

F Fida’iyan-e Islam, 42, 66 Family Protection Law, 36 Farah Diba Pahlavi, 435 Farahnaz Pahlavi, 435 Faraz va Nashib-e Tamaddun-e Islami dar Espanya, 58 Farhang-e Danestaniha, 77, 244, 653 Fars province, 49, 120, 432 Fasa, 119, 226 fast freedom, 323, 358, 369 Fath Ali Shah Qajar, 7 Fatima az-Zahra (sa), 445 Fatima Masumah (sa), 39 Fayziyyah, 22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 48, 51, 54, 83, 115, 124, 183, 189, 288, 314, 332, 333, 405, 425, 474, 534 Fayziyyah Madrasah, 22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 83, 115, 124, 183, 189, 288, 314, 332, 333, 405, 425, 534 Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 298 Fereydun Hoveyda, 194 Festival of Sacrifices, 69 firqaye baghiyyah, 23 First World War, 11, 69, 70, 153, 165, 179, 180, 224, 558 France, 33, 47, 51, 58, 69, 115, 119, 153, 165, 189, 217, 219, 230, 231, 238, 239, 240, 247, 252, 260, 262, 267, 269, 271, 280, 283, 286, 291, 297, 301, 307, 308, 315, 319, 325, 329, 337, 342, 349, 355, 360, 370, 371, 377, 381, 387, 392, 397, 407, 415, 421, 423,424, 430, 436, 446, 450, 451, 452, 457, 459, 461, 466, 473, 481, 487, 495, 496, 503, 508, 512, 514, 525, 531, 537, 539, 543, 547, 554, 555, 556, 560, 567, 575, 580, 581, 584, 589, 593, 599, 600, 605, 610, 620, 628, 637, 639, 664 Frank Giles, 493 Fred Halliday, 299, 506, 521, 578 fuqaha, 13, 45, 127, 138, 144, 153, 156, 158, 172, 273, 511 Furu al-Kafi, 98 G Gam beh Gam ba Inqilab, 188, 623 Gary Sick, 163 Gendarmerie, 627, 640 General Azhari, 228, 399, 425, 605 General Fardoust, 63, 123, 124, 169, 235, 630 General Ghulam-Ali Badrihi, 623 General Ghulamreza Azhari, 533 General Huyser, 623 General Khusrowdad, 623 General Mahdi Rahimi, 623 General Muhammad Zia al-Haqq, 352

INDEX General Ni’matullah Nasiri, 600 General Robert Ernest Huyser, 661 Genghis Khan, 25, 96, 203, 325 George Jordaq, 497 Gerald Ford, 163 Gerard de Villiers, 52, 298 Germany, 15, 51, 54, 69, 81, 96, 126, 153, 165, 167, 184, 235, 297, 307, 310, 377, 398, 441, 634, 664, 695 Ghadir Khumm, 116 Gharbzadegi, 75, 269 Ghilzai Afghans, 150 Ghulam Reza Azhari, 424, 438 Gilan, 38, 63, 378 Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia, 550 God’s shadow, 384 Goharshad Mosque, 14, 26, 63, 155, 168, 196, 221, 363 Gospel, 110, 184, 265, 348 Gospel of Barnabas, 110 Greek Cypriots, 70 Gustav Lebon, 74 H Haaretz newspaper, 564 Hadithe Kisa, 376 Haifa, 79, 564 Haj Aqa Nurullah Ruhani, 155 Haj Husayn Khadimi, 63 Haj Ismail Rezai, 65 Haj Mirza Habibullah Roshani, 156, 273 Haj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, 28, 124, 145, 576, 617, 640 Haj Shaykh Abbas Tehrani, 368 Haj Shaykh Abdul-Karim, 33, 39, 100 Haj Shaykh Abbas Ali Islami, 19 Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, 123, 125 Hamadan, 37, 46, 58, 63, 165, 170, 222, 253, 302, 317, 319, 320, 323, 326, 333, 335, 358, 382, 454, 550, 560, 591, 632, 655, 665 Hamid Algar, 113, 151, 211, 269 Haqq al-Yaqin, 150 Harun ar-Rashid, 31, 103, 127, 257, 258 Harvard University, 5 Hasan al-Bakr, 145 Hasan Ali Mansur, 48, 72, 85 Hasan ibn Ali (as), 9 Hasan-Ali Mansur, 55, 76, 411 Hawze Sultan Lake, 164 Hazrat (Imam Hasan) al-Askari (as), 258 Hazrat Abul-Fazl, 25 Hazrat Ali (as), 23, 31, 257, 422, 587 Hazrat Amir, 9, 23, 99, 107, 112, 116, 191, 257, 327, 331, 340, 362, 365, 366, 384, 420, 421, 422, 445, 455, 498,

709

499, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 507, 509, 567, 578, 585, 635, 663, 667, 668, 673, 680, 696 Hazrat Amir al-Mu’minin, 9 Hazrat Fatima (sa), 587 Hazrat Fatima (sa), 23, 85 Hazrat Fatima Masumah, 686 Hazrat Ja’far al-Sadiq (as), 158 Hazrat Jawad, 31 Hazrat Khadijah, 509 Hazrat Masumah (sa), iii Hazrat Masumah (sa), 33, 38, 83, 333 Hazrat Musa ibn Ja’far (as), 257, 303 Hazrat Sadiq (as), 19 Hazrat Shu’ayb, 509 Heinrich Luebke, 47 Henry Kissinger, 163, 530, 604 Heraclius, 105, 106 Herald Tribune, 52, 298 hereditary monarchy, 9, 363 heroin, 592, 687 Hidayat Mosque, 42 Hijab wa Kashf-e Hijab dar Iran, 14 Hilyat al-Muttaqin, 150 Hindus, 69, 109, 179 His Imperial Majesty, 34, 45, 174, 183, 206, 209, 211, 287, 288, 323, 334, 376, 392, 412, 423, 437, 439, 440, 453, 468, 469, 474, 478, 481, 490, 494, 512, 530, 543, 546, 557, 558, 562, 572, 573, 587, 625, 626, 632, 641, 642, 658, 659 His Royal Highness, 406, 409, 412, 641 History of the Arabs, 117, 257, 421 Hizb-e Iran-e Novin, 76 Hizb-e Mardum, 36 Hizb-e Mardum, 76 Hizb-e Milliyyun, 36 Hizb-e Rastakhiz, 36 Holland, 43, 46, 51, 60, 179, 297, 579, 594 Holy Alliance, 44, 55 holy shrine of Imam Reza, 541 Houjabre Yazdani, 551 Houjabre Yazdani Farming and Industry Company, 551 Hoveyda, 36, 163, 201, 299, 500, 605, 622, 660 Hua Kuo-feng, 225, 242, 513 Hugh Kennedy, 160 Hujabre Yazdani, 78 Hujabre Yazdani Farming and Industry Company, 78 Hujjat al-Islam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Ghazzali, 113 Hujjat al-Islam Ansari, 5 Hujjat al-Islam Fazlullah Mahallati, 55 Hujjatiyyah Madrasah, 175, 183, 368 Hulaqu-Khan, 31

710

The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

Hunayn, 159, 160 Husayn Fardoust, 32, 188, 237, 240, 244, 552, 584 Husayn ibn Ali (as), 6 Husayniyyah Irshad, 377 Hypocrites-A Commentary on Surah Munafiqun, 266 I I’tirafat-e Shah, 36, 175 I’tirafat-e Shah-e Makhlu, 36 Iberian Peninsula, 58 Iblis, 463 Ibn Abbas, 10, 351 Ibn Athir, 127 Ibn Shahr Ashub, 340 Ibn Ziyad, 125 Ibrahim Ayati, 327 Ihsan Tabari, 269, 558 Ihya’ Ulum ad-Din, 113 Ikhtinaq dar Iran, 129 Imad Turbati, 11 Imam al-Baqir (as), 100, 104, 122, 142 Imam Ali (as), 10, 37, 38, 57, 64, 93, 102, 103, 105, 107, 114, 116, 125, 131, 142, 150, 257, 348, 385, 497, 499, 667 Imam Ali an-Naqi (as), 10 Imam Ali Mosque, 6 Imam al-Mahdi, 10 Imam al-Reza (as), 103, 686 Imam al-Sadiq, 19, 21, 100, 103, 104, 113, 124, 127, 148, 149, 178, 185, 186, 212, 258 Imam al-Sajjad (as), 6 Imam ar-Reza (as), 258 Imam Hasan (as), 127, 257, 284 Imam Hasan al-Askari (as), 10 Imam Hasan ibn Ali (as), 128 Imam Husayn, 23, 25, 118, 125, 128, 129, 168, 190, 191, 242, 283, 327, 365, 376, 420, 430, 497, 526, 562, 563, 568, 639, 663, 700 Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, 6, 97, 113, 124, 127 Imam Musa Al-Kazim (as), 31, 686 Imam Reza, 31, 121, 150, 155, 258, 348, 363, 541, 574, 588 Imam Sadiq (as), 38 Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as), 258 Imamzadeh Ali bin Hamza, 49 Immaculate Imams, 31, 55, 148, 150, 163, 191, 204, 221, 248 Immaculate Imams (as), 31, 55, 151, 191, 248 imperialist agents, 21, 70 In the Service of the Peacock Throne, 163, 298, 630

India, 47, 69, 75, 108, 122, 131, 135, 145, 158, 165, 179, 373 Infallible Imams (as), 23 Inqilab-e Iran dar Du Harikat, 620 Inqilab-e Islami va Difa’i Muqaddas, 58 Inqilab-e Islami va Risheha-ye aan, 26, 29, 34 Inqilab-e Jumhuri-ye Islami-ye Iran, 579, 594 Inqilab-e Sefid, 40 International Engineering Company [Harza], 15 International Jewish Congress, 530 International Red Cross, 387 Iradah-yi milli, 50 Iran Between Two Revolutions, 152, 157 Iran Goodrich, 43 Iran Leyland Motor Company, 43 Iran Minor, 108 Iran va Jahan az Mughul ta Qajariha, 25 Iran va Tarikh, 46 Iran, Dictatorship and Development, 506, 578 Iran, Taswir-e Amari-ye Bazargani-ye Khariji, 579, 594 Iranian Students Organization, 74 Iran-Israel Joint Farming Project, 78 Iraq, iii, 10, 11, 32, 36, 43, 50, 63, 70, 80, 93, 95, 105, 106, 109, 116, 117, 123, 124, 125, 128, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 144, 145, 153, 154, 164, 167, 177, 192, 203, 217, 230, 231, 238, 239, 241, 272, 278, 340, 341, 348, 379, 413, 422, 430, 617, 635, 673 Isfahan, 10, 17, 26, 31, 37, 58, 63, 80, 120, 129, 149, 150, 151, 154, 168, 176, 182, 190, 193, 196, 222, 240, 272, 273, 303, 363, 376, 427, 449, 480, 484, 491, 511, 512, 532, 560, 569, 624, 655, 665 Isfahan University, 298 Ishratabad garrison, 45 Islamic calendar, 183, 187, 309, 331, 380, 397, 401, 536, 629 Islamic Consultative Assembly, 42 Islamic government, 70, 72, 116, 118, 129, 137, 214, 215, 234, 236, 248, 251, 268, 276, 278, 283, 337, 340, 341, 342, 351, 352, 354, 366, 370, 411, 416, 421, 423, 444, 445, 450, 451, 455, 456, 459, 461, 462, 466, 481, 487, 492, 501, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 514, 515, 519, 551, 554, 559, 561, 575, 576, 577, 578, 580, 590, 591, 592, 593, 608, 609, 610, 619, 633, 643, 675, 679, 686, 689, 692, 698 Islamic laws, 8, 13, 22, 50, 52, 68, 71, 72, 73, 75, 81, 82, 98, 106, 107, 111, 118, 139, 144, 155, 281, 354, 452, 511, 561, 600, 644 Islamic leadership, 70 Islamic Marxists, 182, 226, 611 Islamic Revolutionary Court, 65 Israel, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 51, 61, 62, 66, 74, 77, 78, 79, 86, 89, 115, 120, 126, 170,

INDEX 179, 180, 189, 208, 293, 305, 312, 374, 393, 509, 513, 529, 531, 532, 550, 551, 564, 570, 579, 586, 587, 588, 590, 594, 623, 625, 653, 669, 681, 694 Israeli agents, 32, 43, 79 Istanbul Museum, 106 Italy, 5, 51, 69, 165, 179, 188, 237, 297, 392, 552, 556, 584 Ittihad-e Niruha-ye Jebhe-ye Melli-ye Iran, 176 Ittila’at newspaper, 28, 29, 44, 45, 46, 54, 55, 57, 58, 70, 74, 164, 183, 204, 222, 237, 239, 243, 252, 376, 398, 545, 552, 561, 583, 584, 639 Izmir, 106, 639 J Ja’far Sharif Imami, 399 Ja’far Subhani, 134, 562 Jabal Amil, 132 Jahangir Tafazzuli, 28 Jalal Aali Ahmad, 75, 269 Jamal Abdul Nasir, 62, 180 Jami’ al-Maqasid fi Sharh al-Qawa’id, 150 Jamshid Amuzegar, 163, 221, 225, 242, 500, 513 Jang-e Qudrat-e Iran, 464 Jannat Makan, 449 Japalaq, 17 Jebheh-ye Milli, 42 Jeffrey Robertson, 575 Jesus - A Prophet of Islam, 110 Jesus (as), 141, 184, 190, 265, 458 Jewish Bahais, 7 Jewish Party, 36 Jimmy Carter, 163, 170, 387 jizyah, 118 John F. Kennedy, 53 Jordan, 36, 42, 78, 117, 257, 341, 365, 420, 604 Judaism, 36 Jugrafiya-ye Mufassal-e Iran, 209 K Ka’bah, 70, 190, 204 Kabudar-ahang, 358 Kafah al-ulama al-A’lam, 24 Kanz al-’Ummal, 146, 635 Karaj Dam, 15 Karaj River, 15 Karaj Steel Plant, 15 Karbala, 9, 10, 25, 33, 81, 118, 125, 155, 190, 197, 258, 272, 283, 327, 363, 365, 376, 430, 491 Karbala- An Enduring Paradigm of Islamic Revivalism, 327 Karbala and Beyond, 327

711

Kashf al-Asrar, 31, 33 kashf-e hijab, 14, 15, 167, 616 Kashif al-Ghita, 96, 153 Kashmir, 108, 109 Kayhan newspaper, 119, 173, 188, 189, 194, 237, 376, 552, 605, 632 Kerman University, 298 Khadijatul Kubra - A Short story of her life, 509 Khak Faraj, 17 Khalid Abdul-’Aziz, 352 Khalid Islambuli, 180 Kharijites, 64, 117, 501 Khat-e Sazesh, 212 Khatirat-e Brzezinski, 193 Khidmatguzar-e Takht-e Tavus, 464 Khizr, 140 Khorasan newspaper, 76, 82, 83, 182 Khorasan province, 78, 121, 259, 304, 551, 574 Khordad 15, 40, 44, 48, 51, 52, 54, 65, 68, 89, 121, 157, 164, 169, 170, 173, 203, 205, 209, 225, 236, 242, 316, 323, 335, 387, 388, 405, 411, 412, 420, 434, 454, 493, 500, 538, 591 Khosrow I, 106, 329, 330 Khosrow Parviz, 106 Khulasah al-Hisab, 150 Khums, 111 Khums- An Islamic Tax, 111 Khwajah Abdullah Ansari, 634 Kifayat al-Usul, 123, 154 Kimiya-ye Sa’adat, 113 King of kings, 45, 127, 207, 383, 395, 490, 642 Kish, 226, 311, 456, 571, 604 Kitab al-Bay’, 127 Kitab al-Irshad, 160 Kitab al-Qaza, 151, 155 kolis, 314, 332, 333, 334, 337, 405, 406, 408, 493, 533, 562, 626 Kremlin, 163, 242, 359, 364, 368, 436, 558 Krupp Co., 15 Kufah, 113, 117, 122, 125, 128, 178, 197, 376, 497, 568 Kurt Waldheim, 171 Kutub al-Arba’ah, 98, 149 Kuwait, 43, 54, 109, 110, 112, 120, 231, 241, 278, 584 L Land and Revolution in Iran 1960- 1980, 578 Land Reform Bill, 52 Land Reforms, 5, 635, 653, 679 Laura Ragg, 110 League of Nations, 374 Lebanon, 36, 43, 62, 131, 132, 150, 189, 340, 341, 420

712

The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

Leila Pahlavi, 435 Literacy Corps, 289, 299 Lord Curzon, 602 Lutf Ali Khan Zand, 120 M M. H. Bilgrami, 366 M16, 433 Ma’ani al-Akhbar, 103 Ma’ariv newspaper, 564 Ma’muriyyat dar Iran, 438 Mabhath al-Fazz, 155 Madina, 5, 9 Mafatih al-Jinan, 111, 666 Mahabad, 560 Mahdi Araqi, 554 Mahdi Bazargan, 42, 163, 211, 642, 672, 674, 679, 698 Mahduruddam, 25 Major General Philip Gast, 623 Major General Reza Naji, 222, 240, 624 Malik al-Ashtar, 117, 504, 578, 679 Malik al-Mutakallimin, 152 Malik ash-Shu’ara, 156, 526 Man la Yah-duruhu al-Faqih, 149 Man va Khandan-e Pahlavi- Pas az Suqut, 188, 552 Manaqib, 340, 352, 365 Manaqib-e Abi Talib, 340 Manazil as-Sa’irin, 634 Maqtal al-Husayn, 258 Maragheh, 333 Marion Javits, 52, 298 Marshal Davallow Qajar, 65 Martyrs’ Square, 261 Mary Leonora Sheil, 550 Mashhad, 8, 23, 26, 28, 32, 33, 51, 52, 55, 62, 63, 66, 67, 78, 87, 121, 129, 131, 151, 152, 155, 168, 169, 172, 173, 177, 178, 181, 182, 196, 198, 207, 210, 222, 226, 240, 242, 303, 348, 363, 364, 394, 496, 506, 511, 541, 551, 569, 574, 576, 588, 594, 617, 624, 686 Masjid al-Zarar, 266 Masud Ansari, 188, 237, 552 Mauritius, 235, 272, 282, 310, 355, 431, 488 Maytham Tammar, 23, 125 Mecca, 5, 9, 32, 43, 70, 117, 131, 133, 134, 159, 183, 190, 221, 256, 257, 274, 302, 327, 361, 376, 417, 418, 460, 498, 509, 565, 579, 628, 629, 643 Mehrabad airport, 62 Members of Parliament, 90, 161, 197, 204, 206, 322, 353 Menachem Begin, 551 Mesopotamia, 58 Messenger of God (s), 130, 191, 304, 421, 422

Middle Eastern Studies, 8 mihrab, 636 military bases, 189, 241, 261, 282, 357, 394, 468, 539, 540, 682 Ministry of Education, 61, 168, 182 Ministry of Training and Education, 61 Mirza Abbas, 5 Mirza Abul-Hasan Angaji, 156, 273 Mirza Ali Muhammad of Shiraz, 79 Mirza Ali Pishqadam, 5 Mirza Ashtiyani, 151 Mirza Husayn Ali (Baha’ullah), 41 Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, 79 Mirza Jahangir Khan, 152 Mirza Muhammad Hasan Ashtiyani, 151 Mirza Muhammad Husayn Naini, 154 Mirza Muhammad-Taqi Shirazi, 11 Mirza Sadiq Aqa, 156, 169, 273, 363, 511 Mirza the Great, 10 Mirza Yusuf Ashtiyani, 122, 152 Mishkat al-Anwar, 150 Mission for My Country, 25, 62, 86, 183, 194, 235, 236, 282, 292, 401, 437, 471, 601 Mission to Iran, 175, 223 Mission to Tehran, 662 MKO, 42 Mongolian army, 192 Mongols, 25, 203, 204, 209 monotheism, 38, 105, 108, 139, 330, 331, 598 moral purification, 112, 113, 114, 115 Morgan Shuster, 89, 90, 157 Moses, 127, 140, 141, 185, 191, 256, 274, 275, 302, 308, 339, 348, 362, 509, 688 Moshe Dayan, 551 Mosque of Destruction, 266 mosque of Goharshad, 121, 574 MOSSAD, 29, 61, 305, 513, 551 Mount Carmel, 79 Mr. Sadiq Ahmadi, 91 Mr. Sartipur, 91 Mr. ‘Ali Asghar Haj Sayyid Jawadi, 569 Mr. Bazargan, 42, 211, 620, 675, 680, 685 Mr. Behbahani, 6 Mr. Fakhr Tabatabai, 91 Mr. Falsafi, 124 Mr. Great Civilization, 207 Mr. Nilchi Husayn, 5 Mr. Sadiq Tabatabai, 96 Mr. Sartipur, 88 Mr. Shariatmadari, 12, 28, 33, 63, 178, 193, 214, 399, 620 Mr. Zahtabfard, 91

INDEX Mu’awiyah, 9, 10, 23, 37, 38, 64, 117, 118, 127, 128, 129,135, 190, 191, 204, 256, 257, 327, 331, 363, 420, 430, 448, 497, 498, 499, 504, 562, 563, 567, 569, 582, 583, 585, 663, 696 Mu’awiyah’s logic, 583 Mu’tabar, 149 Muarrifi-ye Tamaddun va Shahan-e Gozashteh, 51, 297 Mudarris, 81, 90, 156, 157, 165, 166, 197, 272, 301, 366, 367, 431, 491, 571, 601, 636 Mufid al-Thani, 96 Mufradat ar-Raghib, 103 Mughan Plain, 209 Mughira ibn Shu’bah, 10 Muhammad `Ata ur-Rahim, 110 Muhammad Ali Shah, 152, 651 Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, 98, 100, 149, 150 Muhammad Hasan Najafi, 96 Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, 117 Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Hurr al-Amili, 98 Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, 106 Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, 127 Muhammad ibn Makki al-’Amili, 132 Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni, 149 Muhammad ibn Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kulayni, 98 Muhammad Jawad Chirri, 497 Muhammad Kazim Khorasani, 17, 81, 152, 153, 154, 491 Muhammad Khan Qajar, 120, 121, 320, 651 Muhammad Legenhausen, 348 Muhammad Qajar, 122 Muhammad Reza, 17, 26, 32, 33, 40, 46, 66, 119, 154, 169, 172, 192, 193, 194, 197, 204, 224, 235, 236, 243, 259, 260, 272, 289, 300, 303, 310, 323, 325, 336, 366, 368, 376, 378, 380, 383, 389, 408, 430, 431, 433, 442, 458, 463, 465, 469, 477, 479, 485, 487, 490, 515, 529, 561, 571, 572, 582, 589, 605, 630, 641, 642, 643, 649, 651, 652, 653, 654, 656, 658, 660, 664, 669, 683, 692, 693, 695, 698, 701 Muhammad Reza Khan, 235, 479, 483, 484, 488, 489, 492, 493, 497, 526, 531, 549, 551, 553, 572, 610, 642, 643, 662, 672, 673, 680 Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, 679 Muhammad Reza Shah, 17, 119, 192, 194, 197, 235, 259, 289, 303, 378, 380, 433, 469, 487, 490, 491, 492, 494, 515, 529, 582, 695 Muhammad Shah Qajar, 31 Muhammad Shaykh Shari’at, 156, 273 Muhammad Taqi Bahar, 156 Muhammad Taqi Majlisi, 150 Muhaqqiq ath-Thani, 150 Muhaqqiq Hilli, 149 Muhaqqiq Karaki, 31, 150

713

Muhaqqiq-e Damad, 96 Mujahidin-e Khalq, 89 Mulla Muhsin Fayz Kashani, 100, 150 Mulla Sadra Shirazi, 98 Munafiqin, 42, 89, 191, 266 Muntahal Aamal, 351 Musahibeh, Nutqha va Payamha-ye Muhammad Reza Shah, 40 Muslim community, 67, 117, 178 Muslim governments, 24, 58, 68, 69, 71, 72, 75, 78, 82, 106, 189 Muslim Ibn Aqil, 129 Muslim kings, 68, 71, 72, 106 Muslim presidents, 68, 72 Muslim society, 8, 67 Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 140, 640 Mustafa Khomeini, 145 Mustafa Misbahzadeh, 36 mustahill, 568 Mustawfi al-Mamalik, 122, 152 Muzaffaruddin Shah, 311 Muzaffaruddin Shah, 128, 152, 311, 490, 491 Mylai, 166 N Nadir Quli, 122 Nadir Shah, 120, 122, 320, 444 Nadir Shah Afshar, 120 Nah-at-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, 14 Nahj al-Balaghah, 57, 99, 103, 499, 504, 667 Nahrawan, 117 Nahzat-e Azadi, 42 Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyat-e Iran, 29 Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, 12, 30, 48, 63, 135 Najaf, 6, 10, 17, 23, 24, 26, 27, 32, 33, 55, 62, 66, 67, 81, 87, 88, 93, 95, 96, 99, 100, 102, 103, 105, 111, 112, 115, 116, 121, 123, 124, 125, 130, 131, 133, 136, 144, 150, 151, 152, 155, 156, 164, 177, 192, 203, 207, 231, 235, 238, 239, 272, 273, 348, 363 Najaf theological center, 99, 126, 136, 184 Najafabad, 196, 222, 240, 624, 661 Najafi Khorasani, 155, 272 Najafi-Mar’ashi, 12 Napoleon, 459 Nasiruddin Shah, 10, 31, 32, 79, 121, 151 Nasrullah Falsafi, 378 National Congress of Iranian Farmers, 25 National Consultative Assembly, 13, 66, 221, 277, 286, 483, 527, 557 National Iranian Oil Company, 224, 234, 384, 622 National Oil Company, 42, 241

714

The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

National Security Council of America, 225 Nawwab Safavi, 42 Neauphle-le-Chateau, 217, 219, 230, 238, 247, 252, 262, 267, 271, 280, 286, 291, 301, 308, 315, 319, 325, 329, 337, 342, 343, 349, 355, 360, 371, 381, 387, 397, 407, 415, 424, 430, 436, 446, 450, 452, 457, 461, 466, 473, 481, 487, 495, 496, 503, 508, 514, 525, 531, 537, 543,547, 554, 555, 560, 567, 575, 580, 581, 589, 593, 599, 610, 612, 620, 628, 637, 639, 640 Negev Desert, 78 New York Times, 53, 584 Newsweek, 52, 298 Nihzat-e Ruhaniyyun-e Iran, 155, 176, 564 Nikki Keddie, 151 Nimatulluh Illihi Nafajabadi, 376 Nimrod, 191, 508 Nishapur, 25, 31 Nouruz, 19 Nur Muhammad Turki, 478 Nusrat ad-Dawlah, 602 Nutqha va Payamha-ye Shah, 171, 173 O Occidentosis- A Plague from the West, 269 ontological command, 107 OPEC, 170, 241 Ottoman Empire, 69, 70, 134, 153, 180, 374 Ottoman State, 32, 69 Ottoman Sultanate, 70 P Pahlavi dynasty, 50, 193, 194, 220, 236, 267, 272, 301, 311, 315, 320, 349, 356, 368, 378, 401, 402, 404, 473, 485, 487, 489, 491, 497, 501, 512, 515, 525, 527, 541, 548, 554, 575, 589, 651, 657, 677, 691, 692, 695 Pahlavi family, 33, 43, 210, 226, 227, 301, 308, 476, 605, 617, 630, 669, 695 Pahlavi Foundation, 173, 285, 311, 423, 635 Pahlavi monarchs, 283, 301 Pahlavi monarchy, 261, 279, 311, 356, 357, 402, 407, 427, 434, 471, 500, 523, 650, 651 Pahlavi regime, 5, 14, 32, 36, 42, 48, 91, 145, 164, 204, 236, 355, 525, 554, 610, 651, 673 Pakistan, 72, 108, 135, 179, 352, 379, 623 Pakravan, 34, 45, 47, 169 Palestine, 32, 41, 50, 58, 78, 105, 108, 109, 120, 180, 374, 384, 420, 551 Pamnar Avenue, 188 Parviz C. Radji, 630 Pasdar-e Islam, 47

Paveh, 493, 533 Paykar Committee, 196 Pentagon, 115 Pepsi Cola, 33, 37, 43, 195 Persian Gulf, 72, 89, 134, 153, 311, 456, 494, 538, 552, 604 Pharaoh, 127, 185, 191, 256, 274, 275, 302, 308, 362, 509, 531, 532, 533, 604 Philip K. Hitti, 117 Philip K. Hitti, 257, 421 Pierre Blanchet, 46 political akhund, 142, 386 political clergy, 666, 670 Poloff Stempel, 620 Pravda, 510 President Bani Sadr, 606 progressive nation, 47 Prophet Muhammad (s), 13, 37, 38, 108, 113, 221, 562 Prophet of Islam (s), 38, 108, 274, 302, 329, 351, 361, 422, 587 Prophet’s family, 178 Provincial and District Councils Bill, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 21, 28, 48 Provincial and District Councils Election Bill, 5 Provincial and Districts Councils Bill, 6 public strike, 5 Q Qadisiyyah battle, 81 Qajar dynasty, 50, 121, 152, 220, 297, 402, 478, 479, 482, 485, 490, 527, 651 Qanbar, 123 Qasr garrison, 412 Qawwan as-Saltanah, 432 Qaytariyyah, 47, 48, 413 Qazi Tabatabai, 89 Qeytarieh, 45, 51 Qeytarieh prison, 45 Qezel Hesar, 552 Queen of England, 208, 213, 314, 322, 530, 550, 664, 683 quick democracy, 288, 306, 315, 335 quick freedom, 288, 306, 315, 318, 323 Qum Police, 5, 24 R R. K. Karanjia, 277 Rabat, 687 Rabi’ ibn Aamer, 81 Radio Delhi, 166, 281 Rahba’am Zibaki, 564

INDEX Rawzah al-Kafi, 98 Rawzah-ye Muhammadiyyah Mosque, 195 Raz-e Biliyun Dular, 173 Razmara, 66 Regency Council, 317, 396, 477, 611 Regional Cooperation for Development organization, 72 Religion and Rebellion in Iran- The Tobacco Protest of 1891- 92, 151 Religion and State in Iran, 1785- 1906, 151 Republican Party, 163, 170, 189 Restatement of History of Islam and Muslims, 562 Resurrection, Judgment and the Hereafter, 250 Reuter, 545 Rex Cinema, 221, 225, 242, 334, 335, 500, 513 Rex Cinema Abadan, 221 Reza Khan, 7, 14, 15, 17, 50, 63, 81, 121, 123, 135, 154, 155, 156, 165, 166, 167, 168, 180, 183, 184, 214, 220, 221, 224, 226, 234, 235, 243, 272, 273, 274, 282, 295, 301, 310, 311, 322, 325, 355, 363, 366, 368, 391, 392, 402, 408, 430, 431, 432, 442, 443, 458, 463, 465, 479, 483, 485, 487, 490, 491, 494, 510, 511, 525, 526, 527, 541, 552, 556, 572, 574, 600, 602, 604, 616, 629, 632, 636, 641, 642, 651, 652, 660, 664, 673, 676, 677, 680, 683, 689 Reza Pahlavi, 66, 154, 204, 225, 272, 310, 323, 388, 435, 488, 515, 652, 669 Reza Shah, 8, 39, 50, 154, 166, 168, 169, 180, 181, 193, 194, 197, 221, 235, 259, 272, 281, 285, 303, 310, 312, 320, 322, 352, 356, 357, 363, 366, 379, 391, 392, 401, 402, 423, 425, 430, 431, 432, 433, 442, 447, 454, 458, 469, 477, 478, 482, 483, 484, 487, 489, 490, 491, 492, 510, 511, 515, 527, 529, 555, 556, 571, 575, 576, 577, 602, 650, 651, 659, 660, 668, 677, 689, 692, 695 Rifah School, 656 Roman Empire, 105, 509 Roosevelt, 171, 304, 364 Royal Court, 32, 35, 36, 46, 47, 149, 150, 223, 379, 511 Royal Public Relations Bureau, 51, 297 Rudbar, 38 Ruder and Finn, 52, 298 S S. H. M. Jafri, 128, 257 Sabet Habib Pasal, 33, 43, 44, 73 Sabet Pasal, 33, 37 Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, 214 Safwan ibn Umayyah, 159 Sahifehye Nur, 68, 144, 164, 446, 457 Sahih al-Bukhari, 106 Sahih Muslim, 127, 383 Sahih Tirmidhi, 129, 636

715

sahm al-Imam, 14, 111, 119, 343 sahm as-Sadat, 111 Salar Jaf, 533 Samarra, 10, 258 Samsam as-Saltanah, 157 Sarim ad-Dawlah, 602 Saudi Arabia, 36, 43, 78, 159, 256, 587, 673 SAVAK, 6, 23, 29, 30, 33, 34, 37, 38, 40, 44, 45, 47, 54, 56, 61, 82, 83, 115, 124, 145, 169, 175, 182, 183, 196, 213, 214, 227, 231, 233, 236, 305, 312, 314, 318, 323, 324, 326, 333, 353, 376, 377, 387, 394, 411, 413, 437, 438, 506, 513, 537, 540, 551, 552, 558, 570, 600, 617, 622, 624 Sawadah ibn Qays, 351, 422 Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy, 562 Sayyid Abdullah Behbahani, 6, 52, 152 Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, 219, 247, 376 Sayyid Ali Asghar Razwy, 509 Sayyid Azizullah Mosque, 7, 11 Sayyid Bahr al-Ulum, 96 Sayyid Ghulam Hasan Shirazi, 41 Sayyid Hadi Milani, 62 Sayyid Hamid Rouhani, 6, 24 Sayyid Hasan Mudarris, 80, 89, 156, 220, 272, 368, 491 Sayyid Hasan Tahiri, 24, 376 Sayyid Hisamuddin Fali, 169 Sayyid ibn Tawus, 19 Sayyid Jamaluddin Isfahani, 52 Sayyid Mahdi Hashimi, 376 Sayyid Muhammad Faysharaki, 33 Sayyid Muhammad Musawi Behbahani, 6 Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, 111 Sayyid Muhammad Tabatabai, 152, 153 Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari, 153 Sayyid Yunus Ardebili, 155, 363 Sayyid Yunus Husayni Rudbari, 38 Sayyid Ziyauddin Tabatabai, 50, 166 science of Tawhid, 98 Second World War, 85, 165, 224, 281, 304, 401, 601 self-determination, 53, 487 self-purification, 95, 98, 99, 100, 102, 112, 125, 130, 343 Sha’ban Ja’fari, 65 Shah Abbas, 150, 378, 449 Shah Abbas Safavid, 150 Shah Mosque, 66, 181 Shah Sultan Husayn, 149, 150 Shah Sultan Husayn Safavid, 150 Shah Tahmasp, 122, 150 Shah’s agents, 39, 51, 61, 165, 177, 181, 182, 183, 214, 273, 292, 472, 474, 513, 594 Shah’s birthday, 115, 225, 329, 342, 367, 382, 499

716

The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

Shah’s masters, 320 Shah’s wife, 170, 171, 188, 237, 342, 552 Shahadatayn, 421 Shaheed-e Javid, 376 Shahid al-Awwal, 149, 150 Shah-People Revolution, 44, 46, 54, 55, 76, 77, 195, 198, 201, 243, 244, 259, 299, 411, 500, 521, 522, 653, 660 Shahr-e-Rey, 17 Shajarah Tayyibah, 38 Shapur Bakhtiyar, 396, 620, 639, 642, 644, 656, 659, 660, 670, 671, 678 Shapur Square, 63 Sharh-e Chehel Hadith, 101, 113 Sharh-e Hal-e Rijal, 31 Sharh-e Hal-e Rijal-e Siyasi-ye Iran, 120, 121, 122 Shariatmadari, 12, 33, 214 Shariatmadari dar Dadgah-ye Tarikh, 214 Sharif Imami, 27, 221, 225, 226, 242, 355, 398, 399, 409, 414, 425, 427, 500, 513, 517, 525, 527, 528, 545, 605, 611, 635, 701 Sharif University of Technology, 205 Shaykh ‘Abd al-Husayn Mosque, 526 Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karim, 132 Shaykh Abbas Qummi, 111 Shaykh Abd al-Karim Ha’iri Yazdi, 33 Shaykh Ahmad Aqa-ye Mirghazab, 378 Shaykh al-Mufid, 160 Shaykh Ansari Mosque, 95, 105, 116, 131, 133, 136, 144, 164, 177, 192, 203 Shaykh as-Sadduq, 149 Shaykh Bahai, 150 Shaykh Husayn Qummi, 63 Shaykh Mahmoud Shaltut, 54 Shaykh Muhammad Khayabani, 52 Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, 327 Shaykh Muhammad Shaltut, 43 Shaykh Mujtaba Qazvini, 63 Shaykh Murtaza Ansari, 10, 96, 151 Shaykh Radi Al-Yasin, 128 Shaykh Tusi, 96 Shaytan-e Sabz, 120 Shaykh Ansari Mosque, 93 Shimr, 283 Shiraz University, 298 shrine of Hazrat Reza, 215, 569 Shuja’uddin Shafa, 194 Shushtar, 188 Sihah al-Sittah, 106 Sir Percy Cox, 602 Sirat an-Najah, 154 Sirr as-Salat, 141 Six Day War, 120, 126

six- point program, 44 Siyasat va Sazman-e Hizb-e Tudeh, 558 Siyohaft Ruz Pas Az Siyohaft Sal, 175 South Africa, 43, 120, 272, 282, 488, 579, 594 South Vietnam, 165 Soviet Union, 39, 47, 88, 165, 170, 171, 180, 184, 224, 225, 227, 234, 241, 269, 282, 283, 284, 290, 291, 304, 305, 310, 311, 312, 313, 319, 321, 322, 324, 328, 357, 358, 359, 362, 368, 394, 408, 412, 416, 437, 443, 462, 463, 465, 467, 468, 510, 517 SRS Company, 43 Stalin, 171, 269, 304, 363, 364, 468 Sufyan ibn ‘Awf, 118, 609 Sulh-e Imam Hasan, 128 Supplementary Constitutional Law, 90 Supplementary Constitutional Laws, 54, 153 supreme jihad, 348 Syria, 10, 36, 58, 78, 105, 106, 117, 127, 128, 132, 135, 231, 241, 257, 278, 340, 341, 420, 497, 499, 504, 673 T Ta’if, 159, 256, 274, 275, 302, 351, 361, 422 Tabriz, 25, 31, 39, 54, 63, 79, 86, 89, 129, 151, 156, 169, 177, 178, 182, 193, 195, 197, 198, 205, 206, 222, 233, 240, 273, 298, 311, 511, 532, 550, 576, 585, 624, 640, 651, 661 Tafsir al-Mizan, 140, 160 Tafsir-e Safi, 185 Taghut, 22, 256 Tahdhib al-Ahkam, 149 Tahrir al-Wasilah, 413 Takht-e Jamshid, 119, 126 takiyah, 430, 526 Takiyah, 430, 526 Talha ibn Ubaydullah, 117 Talibiyyah Madrasah, 25, 39, 54 Talim-e Bahaiyyat, 41 Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Milla, 154 Taq-e Kasra, 329 Taqwim-e Tarikh-e Inqilab-e Islami-ye Iran, 539, 583 Tarikh al-Shia, 125 Tarikh-e Anbiya’ az -dam ta Khatam, 191 Tarikh-e Bist Saleh-ye Iran, 155, 157 Tarikh-e Mukhtasar-e Ahzab-e Siyasi, 526 Tarikh-e Naqawatul-Asar, 378 Tarikh-e Novin-e Iran, 77, 201, 244, 299, 653, 660 Tarikh-e Siyasi-ye Mu’asir-e Iran, 167 Tarikh-e Siyasi-ye Mu’assir-e Iran, 204, 211, 235 Tarikh-e Tabari, 82, 127 Tarikh-e Tahlili-e Islam, 134 Tarikh-e Yaqubi, 106

INDEX Tashrih al-Aflak, 150 Tasua, 569, 575, 576, 582, 583, 585, 621 Taswir-e smari-ye Bazargani-ye Khariji, 43 Tayyib Haj Rezai, 65 Teacher Training University, 298 Teachers’ Training College, 168, 392 Tears and Tributes, 327 Tehran Bazaar, 5, 11, 692 Tehran University, 42, 44, 205, 387, 560, 591 The Arab Observer, 54 The Brother of the Prophet Mohammad (Imam ‘Ali), 497 The Cat and the Mouse, 426, 439 The Civilization of Islam, 74 The Contract of Wuthuq ad-Dawlah, 220 The Daily Telegraph, 52, 298 The Diaries of the Shah’s Last Ambassador to London, 163, 630 The Food Crisis, 161 The Gospel of Barnabas, 110 The Greatest Jihad, 348 The Islamic University, 59 The Journey of Tears, 327 The Lebanese Islamic Scientific Society, 54 The Life of Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far al-Kazim, 127 The Message, 134, 562 The Mind of a Monarch, 277 The Myth of the White Revolution, 8 The Origins and Early Development of Shi’a Islam, 128, 257 The Pahlavi Foundation, 226, 617 The Power Struggle in Iran, 51, 297 The Pride and the Fall, 143, 622 The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates, 160 The Revolution of Al-Husayn, 327 The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, 29, 32, 36, 123, 188, 226, 235, 237, 240, 244, 513, 552, 584, 617, 630 The Royal Estates Bureau, 226 The Service of the Peacock Throne, 52 The Shah’s Last Ride, the Fate of an Ally, 188, 237, 552, 604, 630 The Spy Nest Documents, 76 The Strangling of Persia, 89, 90 The Times, 52, 298 The Triple-Headed Bayonet, 61, 513 The United Islamic Councils, 65 The Vanguard of the Islamic Revolution, 349 The Vatican, 75 The Voice of Human Justice, 497 Theodor Herzl, 180 threshold of civilization, 296 Time magazine, 52, 119

717

Times newspaper, 493 tobacco boycott, 10 Torah, 74, 141, 348 Toward the Great Civilization, 194, 235, 259, 389, 520 Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah, 106 Triple Alliance, 72 Tudeh Party, 269, 299, 313, 323, 336, 375, 558, 642 tullab, 10, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 37, 38, 42, 49 Turkey, iii, 14, 61, 69, 70, 72, 106, 109, 145, 167, 168, 392, 413, 513, 616 Twelfth Imam, 6, 10, 13, 151, 164, 178 tyrannical ruler, 567, 568, 569, 570, 573 U Ubayd Zakani, 426, 439 Ubaydullah ibn al-Abbas, 128 Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, 125, 197 Umar, 31, 117, 257, 365, 421, 499 Umar ibn Hanzalah, 127 Umayyad dynasty, 9, 257, 327 Umm al-Fazl, 31 Umm Kulthum, 366 Umran Plain, 208 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 604 United Nations Organization, 47, 161, 180, 231, 374 United Press International, 52 unlawful Parliament, 87 Upper House, 56 uprising of Tir 30, 1331 SH, 432 Ustavar, 66 Usul al-Kafi, 98, 148, 186, 309, 615 Utba ibn ‘Alqama, 118 Uthman ibn al-Affan, 117 Uzbekistan, 485, 516 V Victory of Truth- Life of Zaynab bint Ali (as), 366 Vienna Convention, 84, 85, 88 W Wahhabi, 159 Walid ibn Utba, 129 Waqi’at ul-Siffin, 64 Wasa’il al-Shia, 12, 98, 119, 127 Washington, 99, 163, 170, 201, 299, 500, 604, 660 Watergate Scandal, 189 White Revolution, 34, 35, 40, 42, 44, 47, 52, 55, 77, 87, 115, 123, 171, 173, 181, 194, 201, 235, 244, 259, 289, 296, 299, 393, 410, 411, 423, 475, 500, 522, 550, 601, 653, 660

718

The Struggle of Imam Khomeini to Establish Islamic Republic of Iran

William Shawcross, 188, 237, 552, 604, 630 William Sullivan, 223, 225, 438 Women Suffrage Bill, 5 Women’s Emancipation Day, 115 Women’s Right to Vote, 27 World War I, 50, 153, 165 World War II, 165, 281, 310, 364, 485 Wusuq ad-Dawlah, 602 X xenomaniac, 269 Y Yasin T. al-Jibouri, 327 Yazd, 33, 63, 151, 193, 195, 196, 330, 332, 449, 491, 493, 585 Yazid, 9, 38, 125, 128, 129, 190, 191, 197, 283, 327, 328, 376, 420, 430, 497, 562, 563, 568, 697

Yemen, 78, 110, 117, 128, 159, 448 Yitzhak Rabin, 551 Yousuf N. Lalljee, 497 Z Zanjan, 79, 155, 208, 222, 326, 333, 335, 355, 363, 369, 439 Zayd ibn Ali, 258 Zaynab, 365, 639 Zaynuddin ibn Ali al-Amili, 132 Zendegani-ye Shah Abbas-e Awwal, 378 Zendegi-ye Siyasi-ye Imam Khomeini, 162 Zhaleh Square, 222, 241, 261, 564 Zindagi nameh-ye Siyasi-ye Imam Khomeini, 29, 226 Zionism, 32, 36, 43, 73, 79 Zionist Israel, 32 Ziyarat-i Jami’at al-Kabirah, 666 Zoroastrians, 309, 329, 330, 331, 398, 455, 590, 591, 609 Zubayr ibn al-’Awwam, 117